Another Time

>The trees, the damnable trees
>They seemed to stretch on forever
>You groan wearily as you scan the area through your night vision goggles
>Normally, you wouldn't be wasting precious battery life during daylight hours, but seeing as the canopy effectively blocked all incoming sunlight, you were making an exception
>It was Entry-Day plus seven since you stepped through the portal, and you'd yet to reestablish contact with Command
>"Must be the trees." you kept telling yourself
>"As soon as I get out of these woods I'll have a clear signal..."
>But as you scanned the surrounding area in search of a way out, it seemed that only endless rows of trees stretched on into the vast darkness
>Didn't matter, you weren't going to die out here
>You had resolved to head in one direction until you broke free of the woods, and after 3 days of using this tactic, you were sure it had to pay off soon
>At least you hoped so considering your food supplies were critically low
>Twigs and underbrush snapped under your boots as you pressed onward
>You grumbled as your foot caught on something in foliage, causing you to stumble
>The weight of your rifle pulled you forward and onto the ground
>As you lay in the dirt, you mutter curses to yourself for packing more ammunition than food
>That's when you heard it
>A faint giggle
>You quickly pushed yourself to your feet and shouldered your rifle, sweeping around trying to identify the source
"Who's there?!" you demanded, trying not to let your voice betray your desperation
>There it was again, just barely audible above the canopy
>It wounded as if it was moving away from you
>This was your only shot, if there was contact to be made, this was it
>You rushed after the sound, trailing just behind it as best as you could tell
>You followed it for what seemed like ages, wondering if your mind was simply playing tricks on you in the dark
>But then you saw it
>The tiniest sliver of light in the darkness ahead of you, a break in the trees
>You flipped up your night vision to make sure your eyes were not deceiving you, and sure enough, it was true
>You listened for the sound of the giggling, but were met only with the soft rustling of leaves above you
>You frowned, but pressed on
>Even if you hadn’t seen it, there was contact to be made here, and you were nearly out of the woods it would seem
>You jogged toward the light at a quickened pace, encouraged as it gradually expanded
>Finally, you broke through, shielding your eyes from the sunlight they had been deprived of for the last week
>Once they had finally adjusted, you looked on, wide eyed and jaw open at the scene before you
>A vast expanse of green, rolling fields, a mighty mountain range far off on the horizon
>It was not the landscape that struck you, however
>It was what appeared to be a settlement that was nestled in the hills several miles from where you stood, on the very edge of your vision
>An honest to God settlement
>You quickly tried your radio
“Command, this is Anon, do you read me?” you said between hurried breaths
>Only static answered you
“Command, I say again, this is Anon, I’ve found something, can anyone hear me?”
>Still nothing
>You growled in frustration
>You just weren’t far enough away from the forest, that’s all
>With a look to the west, you saw that the sun was already approaching the horizon
>It would be dark sooner rather than later, and you had some ways to go before reaching whatever settlement was off in the distance
“Fuck it,” you said to yourself
” we’re hoofing it I guess.”
>As you jogged toward the settlement, you noticed how quiet it was, even outside of the forest
>The sun continued its rapid descent from the sky, and blue began to give way to a bruised violet
>By the time you reached the outskirts, it was already dark
>You sat upon a hill overlooking what was now clearly a town
>Through your rifle scope, you surveyed it
>Strangely, you saw no signs of life
>Nobody out and about, no lights on in any of the buildings, nothing
>Not even any street lights
“Guess everyone’s asleep.” you mutter to yourself
>You weighed your options
>You had yet to have any luck on the radio, and you had officially run out of food
>If you went down there, there is no guarantee you would be received peacefully, or, even worse, be able to communicate with whoever lived here at all
>Still, you didn’t see any other choice
>Slowly, you began your descent into the town, rifle in hand as you tried to ready yourself in the least threatening manner you could muster
>Soon the sound of grass crunching under your boots gave way to the clacking of cobblestone as you wandered the streets in search of anyone or anything
>Still, nothing
>You peered through windows, discovering that many had been boarded up
>Plastered up on many of the buildings were posters in a language you did not recognize, some depicting images of the sun and the moon, others displayed horses and dragons and all manner of things
“What the hell is all this…?” you grumbled to yourself
>Somehow the silence here was even more oppressive than the forest
>Looking around, you spotted a building with its door ajar
>Flipping down your night vision, you attempted to peer inside
>All you could make out within were shelves laden with books, others tipped over and their contents scattered around the floor
“Must be a library.” you said to yourself out loud, almost hoping someone would hear you at this point
>You stepped inside, examining your surroundings
>It was indeed a library, but it looked as though it had been torn through before you got here
>Vandals maybe, who knows
>Slinging your rifle on your back, you begin walking through the aisles, looking at the books on the shelves
>More of the strange language, you couldn’t make out any of it
>Engrossed in the contents of the shelves, you felt your weight suddenly shift as you stepped onto uneven ground
>You looked down to see yet another book, one that had fallen from an overturned shelf
>But unlike the others…this one you could read
>Written below the title in whatever language this was, you saw in plain English what you could only assume to be the translation:
>Equestria: A Globetrotter’s Tale
>Underneath the title was the image of a compass rose encircling a rather simplistic looking map
>You didn’t know what any of this was supposed to mean, but you hadn’t found anything else you could read yet, so you flipped through the pages
>One side weird language, one side English
>How could this be? What was this place?
>Your mind racing, you didn’t hear the nearly silent fluttering approaching behind you
>”Ahem.”
_____________________
>You drop the book from your hands and swing around, quickly shouldering your rifle and scanning the area
"Who was that? Show yourself!" you demand
>You were met only with silence
"Answer me!"
>"You know, it's considered rude for a guest to barge in and start making demands." a voice replied
>"The last one of you to show up recognized that."
>Last one...?
"Who are you? What are you talking about?" you ask, still searching for the source of the voice
>"Don't you worry about that just yet." the voice said dismissively
>"How about you try putting that gun away and we can have a little chat?"
>You hesitated
>Whoever this was could be just waiting for you to let your guard down
>Still...something told you there was no danger here
>As the adrenaline of the initial surprised began to fade, you slowly lowered your rifle and slung in on your shoulder
"Fine..." you sighed
"Can you show yourself now? I promise I won't hurt you."
>A soft giggle echoed in the dark library
>"I have some questions for you..." it said
>Great
>First contact and you're already being interrogated
"Okay...?" you said
>"Let's start off with an easy one...what's your name?" it asked
"Anon." you replied flatly
>No sense giving away more than you had to
>"Well, isn't that a coincidence." the voice mused
>"Must be a common name where you're from."
"How do you know where I'm from?" you asked
>"Next question," the voice said, dismissing your own
>"what's with your get-up? If your kind is planning an invasion or something, I'm sorry to say there's not much left here worth taking."
"Not much left?" you asked
>"Nope. Not for some time." it replied
"I'm sorry...I don't understand. I'm not an invader, I'm just a scout."
>"A scout, eh? 'Round these parts scouts were more concerned with learning to tie knots and helping little old ladies across the street." the voice chuckled
>You shook your head
"Not that kind of scout," you explained
"but I'm not exactly sure where I even am, I've been lost in the forest a few miles out from here for days."
>"You're in a ghost town." the voice answered
>"Not a soul around this place these days."
>What luck
>The first town you find and it's abandoned
"Then what are you doing here?" you asked
>"I go where I please." the voice replied
>You knelt down and picked up the book you had been examining, looking at the cover
>"Ahhhhh, that's an oldie."
>You heard rustling in several nearby aisles before jumping as several more books drop at your feet from above
>Your eyes dart around the ceiling, but you still see nothing
>"You should be able to read these too, I assume." the voice said
>You looked at the books
>Sure enough, you could
>They bore titles like the first one you had found
"A Brief History of Mankind? The Last Arbiter?" you read out loud
"...Memoirs of a Man?"
>"Figured you might get something out of those." the voice answered
>You shuffled through the books, trying to make sense of what you were reading
>Humans had already been here?
>Were they still?
"What am I supposed to do with these?" you asked
>"They're books, reading them would be a good start."
>You were beginning to lose your patience
"You said another one of my kind came here before, where can I find him?" you asked
>"Couldn't tell you," the voice answered
>"been decades since we've seen the guy."
>Decades...
"So he might not even be alive for all we know..." you say, more to yourself than whoever else occupied the room
>"Like I said, we ain't seen him, that's all we know." the voice said
>"Last anyone heard he and his family were headed to the far north, something about a portal, suicide mission the papers called it."
>A portal...
"A portal to where?" you asked
>"You got the wrong gal to be asking about that sort of thing, Anon." the voice answered
>You tucked the books into your backpack and stood up
>"Don't worry about the late fees if you don't return those by the way, I got a feeling the librarian's not gonna be punching in any time soon."
>You smirked
"So am I going to get to see who I've been talking to this whole time or...?"
>A few moments of silence passed
>Suddenly, just over your shoulder, you heard the voice whisper directly into your ear
>"Maybe next time."
>You spun around, only to be greeted with nothing
>"Follow the moon, you'll find me again." the voice called as audible fluttering sped toward and out the door, leaving you once again alone in the darkness
>You stepped out of the library and back into the street, looking off into the night sky
>The full moon hung proudly against the sea of black, just over the mountains in the distance
>It wasn't much to go on, but it didn't look like you had much choice
>You'd been meaning to go hiking anyway
__________________
>After ransacking the town for what little (presumably) food you could scrounge up, you hit the road heading off in the direction of the mountains
>The night air was rife with the sounds of crickets, and the light breeze blowing was refreshing compared to the stuffiness of the forest
>As you walked along the dirt path, you had begun flipping through "A Brief History of Mankind"
>It quickly became apparent that this was not the work of any sort of scholar, but for the most part, it was fairly accurate
>The author had clearly finished high school, though you were fairly certain that Caesar had nothing to do with the invention of pizza
>Still, the question kept running through your mind...
>Who wrote all this?
>Your team were supposed to be the first humans to make contact with...wherever this place was, but it seemed as though someone had already beat you here
>As it turned out, your "friend" from the library was right, you were getting something out of these
>"Memoirs of a Man" detailed the life and times of the author, apparently also named Anon, the last documented human to visit this place
>Unlike yourself, he'd ended up here completely by accident, which was strange since the portal was only recently discovered and he had been nowhere near it
>As you flipped through the pages, you learned about his exploits since arriving, which were apparently very impressive...
>If you were to believe them
>All this nonsense about talking horses, minotaurs, griffons...
>This had to be the ramblings of a mad-man, or a work of fiction
>Who would even publish this sort of tripe?
>Either way, it was entertainment at the very least
>You had been reading for so long that you didn't notice the faint rustling in the nearby brush just a ways off the road until a twig snapped loud enough to jar you out of your trance
>You quickly dropped the book and shouldered your rifle
"Hello? Is that you from the library?" you asked, seeing movement in the tall grass
"Answer me now, I don't want to shoot you." you said, watching intently, fixated on the spot you last saw moving
>Growling to your left caught your attention and you spun to face it just in time to see two glowing green eyes emerging from the brush
>But what was worse than the eyes was what they were attached to...
>A massive wolf-like shape, bigger than any you'd ever seen
>What was worse, there was another emerging on your right
>...and directly in front of you
"Oh, for the love of-"
>The creature on your right suddenly charged with a snarl like a mad dog
>You took aim and with three rapid shots you watched the creature splinter apart
"What the fuck?!" you cried as you fired at the next one to charge you
>Were these things made of wood?
>A heavy weight crashed into you, knocking you to the ground
>The wolf on top of you pinned your shoulders to the ground, gnashing its teeth in your face
>It took every ounce of your strength to hold it back
>The creature's foul breath threatened to kill you as surely as those teeth
>You suddenly felt the weight lifted as the wolf was launched off from on top of you
>Gasping for air untainted by the stench of the wolf's breath, you rolled over to grab your rifle and quickly spray a short burst at it before it could recover
>You lay there for a moment breathing heavily before rising to your feet, surveying the remains of the three creatures
>Wood and leaves...
>This wasn't possible...how could wood and leaves attack you? Nearly kill you?
>You looked around for whatever it was that knocked that...thing off of you, but to no avail
>With a sigh you turned to continue on your way, cursing yourself for not paying better attention
>About twenty feet away, you heard more rustling behind you
>As you turned to face the rustling, you see the twigs and leaves rearranging themselves
>Not into three separate wolves, but all together
"Oh no you don't." you muttered to yourself, removing a grenade from one of your pouches and pulling the pin
>As the refuse finally finished arranging itself into a single massive wolf, you tossed the grenade at its feet
>Its face finished forming with a wicked snarl, you nodded down at the thing's feet with a smirk
>Confused, the wolf looked down at the device laying just under it
>With a fiery flash and a deafening boom, twigs and ash were all that remained of the beast
>You spit on the ground
"Let's see you rearrange THAT, asshole."
>With that, you re-slung your rifle, and straightening your vest, you turned and continued up the mountain path, ready for whatever lay before you
_________________________
>The sun was rising
>You'd been walking all night, and still had not found anything but a seemingly endless stretch of dirt road leading you deeper into the mountains
>The present incline was, after hours of walking, wearing you down faster than you'd thought
>It had been nearly a full day since you'd gotten any sleep
>Worse, you were beginning to wonder if maybe you had been misled
>You had no idea where you were going, or who you were supposed to be meeting
>For all you knew, you could be getting led into the middle of nowhere until you passed out from exhaustion, completely helpless
>With a heavy groan, you stepped off to the side of the path and removed your backpack, sitting down on a rock jutting out from the cliffside rising above you
>You sat there, leaning against the rocks and closed your eyes
>This was a mistake
>This whole thing was a mistake
>A supposedly simple scouting mission now saw you in the middle of nowhere, heading off to God knows where, half starved and sleep deprived to the breaking point
"Great job, Anon." you muttered to yourself
"What have you gotten yourself into now..."
>"A bit of a pickle, from the sound of it." a deep voice replied just above your head
>Your eyes shot open and you flung yourself from your seat, stumbling to the other side of the path before facing the voice
>Before you, perched on a rock slightly above your own, was a creature with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body of a lion
"I, uh, who-?" you stammered, unable to take your eyes off the creature
>"What's the matter?" it spoke again
>"You act like you've never seen a griffon before."
>Your eyes darted to the rock you'd been resting on, noticing you'd forgotten to grab your rifle
>Damn
>This thing had at least a hundred pounds on you, if it wasn't friendly, you were in for some shit
"I, uh, well...haven't?" you managed to say
>The griffon looked at you with a puzzled expression
>"Is that so?" it asked in disbelief
>"I find that hard to believe."
>You gave a nervous shrug
"Unless you count books..."
>The griffon scoffed
>"Books, who needs em?" it said dismissively
>It jumped down from its perch to meet you on the ground
>"Where are you from? I don't believe I've seen one of *your* kind before now that I think of it."
>What could you say?
>You were from another planet? Plane of existence? Dimension?
>Hell, what difference did it make? Not like you could tell him you were a local
"I'm from Earth." you said, unable to think of anything else
>"Never heard of it." he replied
>"That from down south or...?"
>You shrugged
"To be honest I'm not all that sure what direction it's in, I'm a bit lost."
>The griffon laughed heartily
>"Lost? You really aren't from around here, are you?"
"That obvious?" you asked sarcastically
>He nodded
>"You're on the road to Hayven, just south of Old Canterlot." he said
>"One of the few places anyone bothers to live out here now."
"So I've heard..." you replied
"I found a town back where I came from but it'd been abandoned."
>"Yup, that's Ponyville...well, what used to be."
>HAYven, Canterlot, Ponyville?
>Was this some kind of joke?
>Maybe the city planners just thought they were being punny
>You chuckled at your own joke before realizing the griffon was waiting for a response
"So, uh...who are you?" you asked
>"Name's Mason." he said, reaching out a clawed hand
>Hesitantly, you reached out a hand and shook it
"Anon."
>"If you don't mind me asking, what brings you all the way out here, Anon?"
>At least he was friendly
"I'm looking for someone, I guess they're probably in Hayven if that's where this road goes." you said
>He shook his head
>"That'd be my guess, you'd have to be nuts to go to Old Canterlot these days. Plague's still strong there."
>Plague?
>Like, THE plague?
"There's a plague here?"
>He looked at you with a grim face
>"You mean to tell me you came all the way out here and you don't know about it?" he asked
>You shook your head
>"The Great Plague? Pretty much marked the end of the last era?"
>You shrugged
>"Buddy, have you been living under a rock?"
>You frowned
"Like I said, I'm not local." you answered
>Mason looked stunned
>"My friend, count yourself lucky if you've really been so fortunate." he said
>"That damned plague was almost the end of us all, still ain't given up either."
>Well, that explained a lot
>This place had recently been depopulated by some kind of disaster
"So is it...dangerous to be here? Am I going to get sick?"
>Mason shrugged
>"Not likely all the way out here." He said
>"So long as you avoid the cities you should be fine."
"Why isn't anyone moving back out here then?" you asked
>"Simple," he replied
>"no one's got the numbers to make use of it yet."
>You stepped back over to your belongings, getting ready to move again
"So then what are you doing out here?"
>Mason pulled out a scroll from his satchel
>"I'm delivering a message to the King of Hayven. Griffonia has been trying to establish diplomatic relations with them for some time but the goings are slow." he answered
>"So, it seems to me like we're going the same direction. Always smart to travel with company in these parts, what do you say?"
>Despite being a talking cat-bird, you couldn't argue with that logic
>Besides, if he'd meant to harm you, he could have done it by now
"Sure," you said
"let's move out."
>With a wink and the snap of a finger gun, Mason agreed
>"You got it, chief."
______________________
>"Fascinating..." Mason said as he examined your rifle
>"And you say this is standard issue where you come from?"
>You nodded
"Yup, pretty plain-Jane really. People come up with some crazy set-ups."
>After a few hours on the road, he had finally asked about your gear, given how advanced it seemed
>You didn't see the harm in letting him see some of it, not like he was going to know how to use it
>"This makes our firearms look ancient." he said
>"I don't think even the minotaurs have come up with anything like this."
>You shrugged
"If nothing else, humans are ingenious." you said
>"Hey, watch it!" a passerby said as you nearly bumped into them
"Sorry!" you apologized
>The number of travelers on the road had been increasing the closer you got to Hayven
>Mason handed you back your rifle
>"You'll have to forgive the locals, lots of time on the road can leave one in a pretty sour mood."
"No kidding." you said
>As the two of you reached the top of the incline, you see it
>Not so much a sprawl, but a clearly disorganized and haphazardly thrown together hamlet a short way down the road
>Perched atop an artificial hill, a rough looking keep  towered above the rest of the town
>But it was what was beyond it that caught your eye
>Seemingly hanging off the side of a massive peak jutting from the ground, towers with golden domes glistening in the sunlight
>Mason noticed your gaping stare
>"Canterlot." he explained
>"It's nothing compared to the Imperial City or Featherwind but it was awfully impressive in its heyday. Hard to believe it's pretty much abandoned now."
>You couldln't keep your eyes off it
>It was magnificent, even from this distance
"Pretty much?" you asked
>Mason nodded
>"Oh Hayven has made several attempts to take it back, even got a base up there in the lower levels of the city from what I've heard. Still, they're in no position to clear it out, and there's enough bodies in there that you're practically begging for infection."
>You frowned
>The glistening towers looked so inviting, but it could well be the last invitation you'd ever accept from the sound of it
>Instead, you turned your attention to the much less impressive sight closer to the ground
"So, who lives in Hayven then?" you asked
>"Mostly the old residents of the surrounding towns, up and moved to try and combine their resources into something worthwhile." Mason explained
>"Hasn't worked out too badly, Hayven is the last major settlement in the south to maintain independence from the Crystal Empire up north."
>He looked at you, noticing the blank stare on your face
>"Oh, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting you don't know all these names." he chuckled
"It's fine, I'm sure I'll pick it all up in due time." you replied with a wave of your hand
>As you approached the city gates, the door sentries motioned for you to stop
>"State your business." one of them said, his weathered armor rustling loosely as if it didn't fit him very well
"Just visiting." you answered
>The guard eyed you up and down
>His eyes narrowed on your rifle
>"With all that?" he asked
>You should have figured the authorities would question someone showing up at their gate armed as you were
"Been hunting," you replied
"didn't have much luck, as you can see." you said with the cheesiest grin you could muster
>With a roll of his eyes, the guard turned to Mason
>"And you?"
>With a slight bow, Mason once again retrieved the scroll from his satchel
>"Diplomatic mission from Griffonia, dear friend." he said, a sudden regal tone to his voice
>"I intend to visit the king at court first thing tomorrow morning."
>The guard took the scroll, with some notable difficulty, and gave it a quick scan
>"Alright, you're both clear to enter," he said, motioning for you to enter
>"we'll be keeping an eye on you both."
>As you passed under the archway leading into the town, you first noticed the sorry state of the structures
>Thatched roofs, rough wooden planks for walls, muddy roads
>You swore the roads in here were worse than the trails outside the walls
"Jesus, someone really did a number on this place didn't they?" you asked
>Mason laughed
>"Actually, this is much nicer than the last time I was here." he replied
"Is there a reason they aren't building anything like back in Ponyville or Canterlot?" you asked
>Mason shrugged
>"Probably just don't have the resources." he said
>"Such things take time, materials, and some technical know-how. All in short supply this far south."
>He put his claw on your shoulder
>"Listen, I need to go head up to the keep to deliver this message. If you keep heading up this road, you'll see a sign for Flik's Tavern." he said
>Reaching into his satchel, he pulled out a few gold coins, tossing them to you
>"Get yourself a drink, I'll come find you in a while."
>You looked at the coins in your hand
>Real gold...
"Wait a second, they have booze here?" you called after him
>"Not even the apocalypse can keep a country dry, Anon!" he called back over his shoulder
>Looking around at the scenery one last time, you began walking
>Mason was right, eventually you did spot the sign
>It seemed odd to you that the tavern was one of the most well constructed buildings in the town
>Approaching the door, you reached for the handle
>It burst open, a patron being tossed out into the muddy street
>You could hear a major ruckus inside
>Good to know that barfights were one thing this world and yours had in common...
>You stepped inside and almost immediately, the scene before you froze
>Patrons looked at you with a look of wonder on their faces
>A few tense moments passed that felt more like an eternity
>You took a few steps forward toward the bar and passed by
"Excuse me..." you said, squeezing by a particularly portly resident
>When you finally got to the bar, even the barkeep was looking at you in astonishment
>You looked at him, giving him a small wave to make sure he wasn't catatonic
"Hello?" you said
"Anyone in there?"
>"Y-you're a human!" he stammered
>You put your hands up
"Guilty as charged." you replied sarcastically
>A hoof grabbed your hand, examining it
>"Another human..." he said
>"It's been almost eighty years since I last saw one of you."
"So I've heard." you said, removing your helmet and putting it on the bar beside you
>He looked at you cautiously, his eyes still not quite believing what they were seeing
>"You'll have to excuse me...it's just been so long and I-"
>"Hey, Flik, try not to creep the guy out, huh?" another softer voice said as it pulled up next to you
>To your right, a black robed, leather clad, white masked figure had occupied the seat beside you
>The mask was unsettling, red tinted lenses over the eyes and an elongated nose resembling a beak more than a nose
>"Sorry, Iasa, I jus-"
>Iasa put up a hoof to dismiss him
>"I'll take it from here, go get your bearings." she said
>The barkeep nodded and and went off to help another patron, as the activity had picked back up
>"You'll have to forgive the old man, any mention of humans and it sends him off into the past." she said
"You're the one from the library?" you asked, still fixated on that mask
>She nodded
>"I figured you'd be showing up sooner or later." she replied
>"Though I didn't expect you to nearly become wolf chow on the way."
>Your memory came flooding back
"You saw that?" you asked
>"Saw it? I saved that pretty face of yours." she laughed
>You grinned
"I had it under control." you said
>"Didn't seem like it."
>The two of you sat there for a moment in silence
"So...you asked me before what was with my outfit...what's up with yours?" you finally asked
>She looked at herself
>"Oh, my bad," she said
>"sometimes this thing just feels like a second skin."
>Reaching up to remove the hat and mask, Iasa's hood fell away
>The first thing you noticed was the piercing golden eyes, pupils slit like a cat, surrounded by a coat of light grey
>Then the deep violet waves of messy hair
>But finally, your eyes drifted to the two pointed fangs peeking just enough to notice
>Iasa noticed your stare and gave you a wicked grin
>"What's wrong?" she asked
>"Never seen a bat pony before?"
___________________________
>You threw back your shot, grimacing as the overly sweet drink hit your tongue
>"You'd think you never drank before making faces like that." Iasa laughed, downing her own shot without so much as a crinkle of the nose
>"Too strong for you?"
>You shook your head
"Too sweet." you replied
>She waved a hoof at you
>"Bah, foreigners. No tastebuds on ya I swear."
>Finally clearing the taste out of your mouth, you cock your brow at her
"Did you bring me here just to critique my taste?" you asked
>She shook her head, sucking on a lime
>"No." she said
>"I wanted to make sure you didn't end up dead during your visit."
>You were puzzled
"And why would I die?"
>She looked at you incredulously
>"Gee, let me think. Wolves? Disease? Getting lost in the countryside with nothing to eat?"
>You rolled your eyes
"Fine, but why *here*?"
>"So I can keep an eye on you, duh." she replied
>"And if you're smart, you'll stay here where it's safe."
>Stay?
>Here?
>That just wasn't going to happen
>You had to get home and sitting around Hayven wasn't going to accomplish that
"Why leave me to find this place on my own then?"
>She shrugged
>"If you weren't cut out for it I wasn't intending to get attached." she said matter of factly
>"Better to just expect the worst so you don't set yourself up for disappointment I say."
"Isn't that a little...pessimistic?" you asked
>She blew a raspberry at you
>"Realistic, I'd say."
>Real ray of sunshine this one was turning out to be
>"Especially in my line of work, you sort of have to get into that mindset, ya know?"
>You shrugged
"I'm not even sure what it is you do." you replied
>"Uhh, hello?" she said, waving her mask at you
>You looked at it with a blank expression, not quite sure what she was getting at
>She groaned
>"You new guys, I swear...coming around here not knowing the first thing about this place."
>"I'm a doctor. I treat the sick and the wounded wherever I'm needed." she explained
>"This mask," she said, picking it up once again
>"is what keeps my lungs clear of the plague."
>Turning it around in her hooves, she gave a small frown
>"At the very least it keeps some of the smell out." she said, pulling out a bit of fragrant flower petals from the beak-like nose
"I see..." you said
"You know we had some guys like that back where I come from, a long time ago."
>"Yeah?" she asked, suddenly interested
>"Were they any good?"
>You rubbed the back of your neck
"Well...not exactly..." you admitted, images of leeches and other arcane medieval "cures" coming to mind
>The smile faded from her face and she put her sighed
>"Well, someone has to try something. Most of these folks don't want to go anywhere near the sick."
"I can't imagine it's a pretty sight." you said
>"Life's not pretty. Just takes some getting used to." she said, raising her hoof
>"Flik! Another round over here."
>The old looking bartender came trotting over to your section with two more shots
>He eyed you as he put them down
>"Anon was it?" Flik asked
>You nodded, dreading another taste of what was in that glass
>"You know, I knew someone else by that name a long time ago." he said
>Your eyes lit up as you remembered the book in your pack
>Quickly retrieving "Memoirs of a Man", you put it down in front of Flik
"This guy?" you asked
>He nodded
>"The very same." he said
>"Had a whole crew...we'd go on all sorts of adventures, explored the whole of Equestria you know."
>He motioned with a quick nod to Iasa
>"But I suppose this one didn't mention her great-grandfather's exploits to you yet."
>You shot a look over at her only to find her glaring at him
"Who was he?"
>With a humph, Iasa pushed back her stool
>"Excuse me, I need to use the ladies room." she said, walking off toward the back of the tavern
>You turned back to Flik with a shrug
"Sore spot I guess?"
>"Just a bit...I've told her since she was a filly that she shouldn't blame-"
>"Anon, my boy!" Mason said as he slapped your back, taking the seat behind you
>"You must not have had enough to drink yet! You jumped like a scared kitten!" he laughed
"More than I meant to, actually." you replied, pushing your shot glass away
>Mason smirked, slapping on the bar
>"Barkeep! You have anything imported? I haven't had some good Griffonic wine in an age and a half it seems."
>"That's because there's no such thing." Iasa said, glaring at you and Mason
>You shot a look at Flik and saw his face darken with dread
>The tension was palpable
"On second thought," you said
"I think I will have another drink."
______________________________
"I don't understand what the problem is." you said, throwing up your hands in exasperation
>"Haven't you been listening to a word I've said?" Iasa hissed
>"Griffons can't be trusted. They've been trying to take over this land for almost a hundred years!"
>You groaned and covered your face with your hands, laying back onto the bed
"Mason isn't a soldier, he's a diplomat." you said
"And more than that, he seems friendly."
>Iasa rolled her eyes at you
>"Of *course* he seems friendly, he's a diplomat." she said
>"It's his job to put on a show and make you trust him."
>You stared up at the ceiling pondering this new perspective
>Made sense
>Still, you weren't convinced
"I think you're being paranoid." you replied
>Iasa glared at you for a moment before relenting
>"You don't get it." she said, turning to leave
>"Trust me, that griffon? He's bad news, and he has nothing good planned for you."
"Well he's probably leaving after speaking with the king tomorrow so it's not like you'll have to worry for long." you said
>She stopped, facing you once more
>"He's going to see the king?"
>You grunted an affirmative
>"About what?" she asked
"Didn't say." you replied
>She marched back over to you, towering over the side of the bed it seemed
>"Anon, this is important. You need to tell me if you know something." she pleaded
>You rolled over and buried your face in the pillow
"I don't know anything." you groaned
>With a sigh, she turned and walked to the door
>"Flik says you can stay as long as you want, I'll be right down the hall if you need anything." she said
>As you heard the door close, you rolled back over and looked toward the window
>The moon was hanging high in the sky once more
>It was at that moment that you realized, you had no plan
>You only knew that you had to get home, but how?
>All you had to go by was a mention of some portal to the north, but that was no guarantee of anything
>No guarantees...
>No nothing...
>You weren't sure when, but in the midst of your thoughts you drifted off to sleep
>In your dreams, you saw a shining city, glimmering in the sunlight like a sea of glass
>But with a sound of thunder and a flash, the glass was smashed
>You woke with a gasp, covered in a cold sweat
>The early morning sun was just barely over the horizon, it was still dark out
>You sat in bed catching your breath before heading down the steps to the bar
>The tavern wasn't open yet, but Flik the barkeep was already up and preparing the place for business
>He looked up, acknowledging you with a smile
>"Good morning Anon, I take it you slept well?" he said
"Mostly." you replied
>He scratched his chin with a hoof
>"Mostly well is more than a lot of ponies can say."
>You took a seat at the bar, burying your head in your arms
>"Can I get you something?" Flik asked
"Can you get me ticket home?"
>He frowned
>"Afraid that's not quite within my means," he said
>"but a hot breakfast I can do."
>You looked up at him with a slight nod
>He grinned at you and set to work
"Flik, you said you've known Iasa since she was a kid, right?" you asked
>"Sure have." he replied
>"Knew her great-grandfather and his aunt and uncle too, they were like family to me. Naturally, so is she."
>You looked at him questioningly
"But that would make you...ancient. No offense." you said
"But you don't look very old at all."
>He chuckled
>"That's the thing about being a changeling, I can look however I like."
"Changeling...?" you asked
>In the blink of an eye, Flik's appearance shifted like a cloak had been ripped away, revealing a more insectoid creature than the equine who had been standing before you, one that looked much frailer than before
>"Granted," he said, changing back into his disguise
>"we've made big improvements since the metamorphoses."
"So why hide your true form?" you asked
>"Some ponies," he said
>"still carry prejudices against my kind. It's easier this way."
>You frowned
"Iasa seems to have some sort of prejudice against griffons."
>"I know. She certainly has her reasons but I wish that she would find a way to get past them." Flik replied
>He pushed a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of coffee in front of you
>"I've known griffons my whole life. They've got no more goodness or badness in them than any of us." he explained
>"But back when Anon was here, we had the privilege of knowing one of the greatest individuals in the land, a griffon named Hugo."
>You took a sip of your coffee
"What made him so great?" you asked
>Flik chuckled
>"Taught Anon everything he knew to stay alive, watched over us young folks like a hawk." he said
>"He was rough around the edges but, in the end, it was clear that he cared very deeply about his friends, no matter what or who they were. I like to think that rubbed off on the family."
"What's Iasa's problem then?"
>Flik sighed, taking a seat in front of you
>"About forty years ago, during the second Griffonic-Equestrian war, the invading Griffon forces burned Hollow Shades to the ground during a revolt against the occupation. Her grandmother and her father were here in Hayven at the time, but her grandfather died in the fighting."
>You were shocked
"Did nobody help them?" you asked
>Flik looked grim
>"The Crystal Empire had promised to aid the rebellion if they rose up, but instead they held their forces back until the Griffons had purged the entire city, occupying it after every last one of her kind was put to the sword."
>You were appalled
"Why would they do such a thing?"
>Flik shrugged
>"It's uncertain. Some blame logistics, others say it was a miscommunication of when the uprising was supposed to take place..." he said
>"...or maybe the Empire just wanted Hollow Shades for themselves, free of "undesirables", so to speak."
>You looked at him questioningly
"You don't think-"
>A knock on the tavern door interrupted you
>"Hayven Guard, open up." a voice called from the other side
>You and Flik exchanged glances before he went and opened the door
>Two mail-laden guards walked in and immediately approached you
>"Are you the one called Anon?"
"Yes?" you replied, looking to Flik for an explanation
>"You have been summoned to the keep to appear before the king, please, come with us."
___________________________
>"When you approach the king, you will be expected to show due respect. He is not unreasonable, but you must remember that you are speaking to a sovereign ruler." the frazzled courtier said as she tugged and straightened your clothes
>You weren't quite sure what you were going to say
>Why would the king want to see you?
>Even if you were some kind of rare oddity, didn't exactly have anything of value to tell a king
>"You must bow three times, one upon entrance to the throne room, again halfway there, and once more upon approaching the throne itself." she continued explaining, her words flowing in one ear and out the other
>"Are you listening to me?!" she hissed
>You nodded
>"Etiquette is everything in dealing with high society, you must make a good impression!"
>She stopped you and took a few steps back to examine you
>She shook her head and sighed
>"You're positive this is the best attire you possess?"
"Yes, ma'am." you answered
"I travel light."
>"Hmmm...it will have to do." she said reluctantly
>"The king will likely just assume it is some sort of traditional dress of your people, I suggest you don't draw attention to it."
"Understood." you said, suddenly mindful of your uniform's less than stellar condition given your endeavors as of late
>The two of you approached the entrance to the throne room and saw that there were other courtiers packed inside, approaching when their names were called
>Off to the side of the throne, you noticed Mason, dressed far more elegantly than he had been on the road
>He must have gotten here before you woke up this morning
>"I will hand the Marshal of the Court your identification card, and he will introduce you to the court. Upon introduction, you will approach the king, remembering to bow, and then you will introduce yourself to the king personally." the courtier said, obviously nervous
>"I wish you luck."
"Thanks..." you said, straightening your jacket one last time before shaking off the nerves
>You never did like being the center of attention, even in familiar circles
>"First Lieutenant Anonymous, of Earth." the Marshal called out
>That was your cue
>Your eyes darted to everyone in the room, traveling back and forth
>Three steps
>Wait, you were supposed to be bowing right?
>Awkwardly, you bowed so quickly and lightly it could be confused for a nod
>You cursed yourself, aware of how weak it was
>A few more steps
>Someone in the crowd was giggling
>Were you halfway yet?
>You decided not to risk it
>You bowed again, trying to compensate by bowing lowly, almost losing your balance as you heard another snicker
>You cleared your throat, standing up as tall as you could
>With a few more steps, you were nearly upon the throne
>With as much composure as you could muster, you bowed once more, convinced you had finally nailed it
>Rising back up to a standing position, your eyes met Mason's
>With a slight nod, he grinned at you
>You nodded back to him, before finally turning your eyes to the king, who you had managed to almost completely forget somehow
>He was an old one, for sure
>Though his coat was a deep brown, his hair was nearly white with age
>His robe, though obviously meant to signify his position, was surprisingly simple
>On his head rested a crown, not of gold, but of a crude iron
>His eyes were fixated on you, but his face was expressionless, not betraying whatever thoughts he may have been having
>For a moment, the two of you stood there in silence, just looking at each other
>You could swear you heard a pin drop somewhere in the room
>"How do you find my fair city, Lieutenant?" he finally said
>You cleared your throat once more, trying to buy yourself a moment of time
>Not the line of questioning you were expecting...
>Then again, you've never met a king of any sort before
"It is a wonderful city, sir." you replied, deciding it would be best to get on his good side
>The old king looked as if he had been expecting such an answer, and scratched his chin
>"Is that so?" he asked
>"What about it do you find so wonderful?"
>Well shit
>Did he suspect you were trying to flatter him?
"The, uh, the people! Your majesty..." you said quickly
"They have been very hospitable since my arrival."
>He raised his eyebrows at you
>"Have they?" he asked
>"The patrons of Flik's Tavern are a sufficient sample size for you to make that assumption about the whole city eh?"
>You looked at the floor
>Hr wasn't buying it
>"And the dirt roads boy, what do you think of them?"
>You looked back up at the king
>"And the straw homes, do you think those too, are wonderful?"
>You felt your heart rate increasing
"I, uh..."
>"May I offer you a bit of advice, Lieutenant?" the king asked
"Yes, sir." you managed to reply before he almost immediately continued
>"Honesty makes a far greater impression than flattery when addressing those who are too busy for vanity." he said
>You didn't know what to say
>You stood there looking at him, mouth ajar, trying to form words that wouldn't come out
>Suddenly, he laughed
>A jovial laugh of someone half his age
>"Relax, Lieutenant," he said
>"I did not summon you here to torture you."
>It had been a joke?
>He'd been pulling your leg this whole time?
>You gave a sigh of relief and felt the tension melt away
"I would certainly hope not, sir." you said
>He grinned at you
>"Tell me about your home city, Anonymous. I wish to know where our rarest of guests comes from."
>You weren't even sure how to begin
>But you did your best to describe it, capturing the attention of the whole room with your descriptions of home
"Other than that, there's not much else to tell really. It's been some time since I've been home to be honest."
>The king smirked at that
>"You know what a truly wonderful city is, Anonymous?" he asked, rising from his throne
"Sir?"
>He approached you, standing nearly half your height, but utterly unfazed by this disparity
>Reaching you, pointed up to a large glass window that rested above the throne
>Through the window, and glistening in the morning sun, you saw the towering spires of Canterlot
"Canterlot." you said
>"The crown jewel of the Equestrian Empire, seat of the two Goddesses..." he said
>"Now a monument to our failures as a nation. But only so long as it remains just out of our grasp, leaving us in this heap."
"I was told you maintain a base up near the city?" you said
>"That we do," he replied
>"and soon, we will reclaim our lost capital, definitively demonstrating Hayven's independent power once and for all!"
>He began making his way back to his throne
>"And that, Anonymous, is precisely why I have summoned you here."
>You gave the king a questioning look
"Sir?"
>Retaking his seat, the king exhaled a deep breath
>"You will help us reconquer Canterlot."
_______________________
>"This is insanity, you can't possibly be considering this." Iasa said, pleading with you from across the table
>"Canterlot is a lost cause, there is nothing there for us, and especially not for you. This is nothing but the king's pride and politics putting more lives at risk for nothing!"
>You checked your magazine pouches
>Thankfully you still had not expended more than half a magazine since you had arrived, you had not expected that you might need to actually use it
"The king has resources. I need all the help I can get if I'm going to find a way home." you said
"If that means helping him secure a city that's essentially empty already, that's a chance I'll have to take."
>Iasa slammed her hoof on the tabled
>"You don't know what you're dealing with!" she shouted
>"You've never been to Canterlot, I have! What few ponies are still there are half mad with illness, no one even knows what lays above the lowest levels, you're going in blind against an enemy you've never seen nor can you fight with those."
"The way I see it, if there's nothing in that city to fight, it just makes my job easier." you said, pushing your chair back and making for the door
>Iasa was practically fuming
>Without a word, she marched up the tavern stairs to her room, and you heard her door whip open
>You frowned
>You didn't want to upset her, but you really had little choice in this
>If you were ever going to find a way out of here, you needed help, and this king would be a valuable asset
>Suddenly, Iasa came stomping back down the steps, fully dressed in her "work clothes" as she called them
>"If you're going to be stupid, I'm going with you. Someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed." she hissed, marching past you
>You swore she almost ripped the door off its hinges as she stormed out into the street
>Stopping back to look at you, she cocked her head, annoyed
>"Are you coming or what? We need all the daylight we can get."
>You shook your head and grinned
>Frustrating as she could be, you had to hand it to the girl:
>She was spunky
>Together, the two of you marched up the mountain path leading up to Hayven's fort at the foot of Canterlot
>As you approached the fort (more of a camp really), you were surprised to see Mason chatting with a group of soldiers
>"...didn't even see it coming. Never seen anything like it before or since." he said, apparently wrapping up a story
>"That's the thing about Griffons, when we hit, it's hard, fast, and decisive."
>"Ah, that's why the Crystal Empire has repelled two Griffonic invasions eh?" one of the soldiers chided him
>Mason grinned
>"By a knife's edge, it could have easily gone the other way either time." he said
>It was then that he noticed you approaching
>"Anon! Iasa! We were beginning to wonder when you would get here!"
"I didn't realize you would be joining us?" you said
>"My lord would not have me miss an opportunity to get an inside look at Canterlot, nor an opportunity to extend aid to our most worthy friends in Hayven." he replied
>"Aren't you a diplomat?" Iasa asked
>"Isn't this a bit out of your league?"
>Mason chuckled
>"My dear lady, where I come from ALL able bodied citizens are prepared to hold their own in dangerous situations." he said
>She narrowed her eyes at him
>"We'll see." she said
>"As far as I can see, I'm the only one who's been on the other side of those walls."
>One of the soldiers raised a hoof
>"I made it up to the entrance once!" he said proudly
>Iasa looked at you
>Even through her mask you could tell she was rolling her eyes
>"Just as well," Mason said
>"it was wise of Anon to bring you along then."
>She muttered under her breath and you quickly stepped forward
"Do we have a plan, then?"
>"You have the whole of this garrison at your disposal, sir." one of the soldiers said
>"By order of the king, we're yours to command."
>You looked at Mason
"I suppose it was no accident they knew about my line of work then?"
>He shrugged
>"I may have mentioned it."
>You turned to the soldier
"How many men do you have?"
>"Fifteen, sir."
>You looked at him in disbelief
"We're to secure a city with eighteen men-"
>Iasa coughed
"-eighteen people...?"
>The soldier nodded
>"All we could spare, sir."
>You turned to Iasa
"What do you think?" you asked
>"I think this whole thing is a mistake, but I don't expect we'll make it very far in before you realize that and we turn back." she replied
"But is it enough?"
>She sighed
>"Ugh...sure, I don't see why not." she said
>"Nobody knows what's beyond the lowest level, but I can't imagine it's much different up above."
>"Buncha plague ridden bums living in shanty towns then? This'll be a piece of cake." one of the soldiers said
>"The king doesn't expect us to actually "conquer" the city," Mason said
>"he has asked that we retrieve something, a certain artifact of the old monarchy."
"That being?" you asked
>Mason produced a piece of parchment, handing it to you
>On the paper was an illustration of a crown, a magnificent one at that
>"The Blueblood Crown." he said
>"Crown of the last king to rule in Canterlot after the disappearance of the Princesses."
___________________________
>The massive archway that led into the city lay before you, your troopers marching just ahead as you approached
>The closer you got, the feeling of unease in your stomach began to get stronger
>The once majestic spires glistening in the sunlight became foreboding, like spears jutting out from behind the shield that was the city wall
>Most of the soldiers with you had never been beyond the city wall before, Iasa would have to be your guide, and even she was not familiar with anything beyond the lower levels...
>Or so she said...
>Mason looked confident as ever, more curious than anything really
>Finally approaching the gate, you all stop and gape at the size of it
>With a deep breath, you readied yourself
"Open it." you said, nodding at one of the soldiers
>Two of them quickly approached the gate and began turning the massive crank, causing the gate to lift with a mighty groan
>Within a few minutes, the entrance was wide open, revealing the scene concealed behind the walls
>"If you've got a mask, now's the time to wear it." Iasa said through her own beaked cover
>Some of the soldiers produced meager face masks and put them on, but you weren't convinced that they were meant to do much more than give a morale boost
>You, on the other hand, had an actual respirator on hand
>The last thing you wanted now was to catch whatever emptied out this city
>You marched inside, taking in the scene around you
>The emptiness of the street was haunting, the only sounds were those of your footsteps and the breeze blowing between the alleyways around you
>As you continued into the city, you began to notice the faded colors on the walls and signs, the effects of decades without a touch up under the blazing sun
>"We should be coming up on Canterlot Central Station," Iasa announced
>"if we're looking for this crown, we're still a long way off."
"I thought you said there were still residents here?" you asked
>Iasa shrugged
>"There were at the time...I don't come here too often, you know."
>You had not so much as heard another living thing beside your troop in since you entered the city
>Still, the trash and debris littering the streets made it clear that *someone* had been living here at least relatively recently
>Could they be hiding from you?
>...Would they?
>You stepped into the train terminal, hearing the wind rushing through it even louder than it had in the streets
>"This place used to be the busiest station in all of Equestria..." Iasa said
>"Thousands of ponies used to live here, and now it's a ghost town."
>You stopped and looked at the map of the city the clerk back at the fort had provided to you
>Tracing a line from Canterlot Central to the Palace, you noted that there were quite a few different paths leading to the upper levels, but the closest one was a large staircase about three blocks from your current position
"Three blocks and one staircase is all that's standing between us and the palace." you announced, turning to Iasa
"Seems to me like this is turning out to be a bit of a cake walk."
>Even if you couldn't see her face, you could tell she was glaring at you
>"Keep your eyes peeled. Getting careless around here would be unwise, to say the least." she said
>You smirked
>You knew she was just trying to protect you, but you were beginning to suspect that her warnings about this place may have been a bit exaggerated
>Whatever danger had been present in this place, it didn't appear to be here now
>And that was all the better as far as you were concerned
>As you covered the three blocks on the way to the staircase, you could tell that the soldiers with you shared the sentiment
>Some of them even removed their masks, apparently no longer concerned about the possibility of infection
>Given the lack of contact, you could hardly blame them
>By the time you reached the massive staircase, they were loudly joking and carrying on or going on about the various sights of the city
>Suddenly, you felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up and dread begin to rise within you
>But as you looked around, you didn't notice anything alarming
"We're heading up the stairs," you said
"let's pick up the pace, but keep it quiet."
>The soldiers looked annoyed at having been interrupted, but grudgingly complied and filed onto the stairs behind you
>You'd climbed long flights of stairs before, but nothing like this
>Even a third of the way up, you were hundreds of feet off of the ground already
>A loud crack of stone crashing into stone broke you out of your thoughts, and you stopped to look behind you
>One of the soldiers had was looking down over the side with amusement as the sound echoed for what seemed like a solid minute
>"Heh, long way down huh?" he chortled
>Then you heard it
>Barely audible at first, but soon joined by others
>At the edge of your hearing, screeching
>Screeching...and rumbling as the ground began to shake beneath your feet
>"What is that?" Mason asked
>You looked around but couldn't see anything
"Iasa...what's going on?"
>She didn't reply, but you noticed her staring off into space
>"We need to leave, right now." she said
>The rumbling was getting even stronger
"Not without that crown," you said
>"let's go, come on!"
>You began running up the steps as quickly as you could, nearly tripping as the violent shaking intensified
>"What the hell is this?!" one of the soldiers cried
>Halfway up the steps, you noticed something appear over the edge at the top
>You raised your rifle to get a better look through your scope
>A black, insectoid creature
>You recognized it as a changeling but it was...wrong
>Unlike Flik, it was not only black rather than colorful, but it looked scarred, deranged...
>Diseased
>Puss ran from open sores on its body, and a wild look in its eye sent a chill down your spine
>You didn't have time to process it for long before another poked its head out to peer down on you
>"Anon?!" Iasa cried, looking down behind you
>More were appearing at the bottom of the steps
>Hundreds of them
>A swarm...
>And they had you surrounded
____________________________
>For a moment, you stood in place on the stairs, staring down the horde that had cut you off both above and below you
>"I don't suppose you have a plan?" Iasa asked sarcastically
>You looked over the side once more
>Too far of a drop, you'd break your legs jumping
>Only Iasa and Mason had wings to escape, you and the others were trapped
>Looking around quickly, you noticed a platform not too far above you
"Up there!" you said, pointing to the platform
"You and Mason need to get the rest of us up there, hurry!"
>Iasa looked at you incredulously
>"Are you serious?" she asked
>"I don't know if I can lift them!"
>Suddenly a loud screech from above signaled that you had no more time to wait
"You have to try, now go!" you shouted, firing into the now charging crowd
>Mason quickly grabbed one of the soldiers and flew him up into the air
>"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!" one of the others cried
"The rest of you form a shield wall!" you commanded
>"Don't let them touch you!" Iasa said, finally managing to lift one of the others
>Mason was already working on number two
>You alternated firing above and below your position on the steps as the soldiers attempted to hold back the waves pushing against them
>You heard a cry of pain as one of them collapsed, a changeling having found their way through and caught his neck in its jaws
>You fired onto the creature, watching the soldier bleed profusely on the ground
"Iasa!" you cried
"Get him out of here!"
>Already panting, she shook her head
>"He's infected for sure, there's nothing we can do for him!" she protested
"God damn it!" you raged as you reloaded
>The shield walls were getting closer
>With every soldier Mason and Iasa took up, there was one less body between you and the horde
>You were firing so rapidly that your rifle felt as though the barrel should be melting
>Not only that, but you were running low on ammo
>"Hey, what's that?!" Iasa cried, pointing up toward the sky
>You lifted your eyes and saw a mass approaching, very quickly
>You couldn't tell exactly what it was but it was fast
>A horn blared out that caused everything to seemingly pause
>"It's the Empire!"
>The mass was now in view
>Armor clad from head to toe and carrying lances, a massive wave of winged pegasi crashed into the horde in front of you, skewering the beasts
>You watched in awe as they cut through the wall of changelings like a knife through butter
>This was your opportunity, you weren't going to miss it
"Up the stairs! Let's move!"
>You and the remaining soldiers sprinted up the steps following the trail of destruction left behind by the brutal charge
>Standing on the upper level, you could see the palace a short distance away
>Without hesitation, you began running toward it
>"Wait up!" Iasa said, landing beside you
>"We don't even know that the crown is in there!"
"Where else would it be?" you asked, ducking to avoid collision with one of the pegasi
"And where's Mason?"
>"Back with the others, I have no idea what's going on!" she replied
>Soon, you and the few soldiers that had managed to follow entered the palace
>Compared to the rest of the city, it seemed relatively untouched
>With the sounds of the battle behind you, there was a moment to finally catch your breath
"I don't know where those guys came from," you said between breaths
"but that was cutting it way too close."
>Iasa shook her head
>"The Crystal Empire doesn't send patrols this far south, it doesn't make any sense."
>You looked around the massive room around you
"What are the odds this place was looted?" you asked
>"The upper floors? Very likely." Iasa replied
>"But we're going to want to head down to the vaults, nobody would have bothered down there during the panic."
"So, how do we get to them?"
>Iasa shrugged
>"There must be a way down from here, we should get looking."
>You decided that it would be best to split up and cover more ground, the palace was huge and none of you knew where the vaults were for sure
>As you walked through the palace, you were in awe by the sheer size of it, the elegance
>It was like something straight out of fantasy
>Eventually, you came upon a room, walls lined with massive stained glass portraits of scenes unfamiliar to you
>You stared at them before your eyes drifted toward the back of the room and fell upon something glistening upon what you could only assume was the throne
"It can't be..." you said to yourself, quickly moving toward the object
>A large circlet of gold, studded with large sapphires and diamonds, inscribed with images of the moon and sun
>Certainly something fit for a king
>You bent down and picked the crown off of its cushion, holding it in your hands
>This was the Blueblood crown, it had to be
>But why was it here and not in the vaults?
>Why would such a precious thing be left out in the open, unguarded?
>Unless...it wasn't unguarded
>It was at that moment that you noticed the heavy footsteps approaching from the entrance of the throne room
___________________________
>You whipped around and your jaw dropped nearly to the floor
>Taking slow, lumbering steps, a towering being of stone marched toward you, unwavering
>You dropped the crown and take aim at the new threat
"Stop!" you shout, not wanting to start a fight with this thing if you didn't have to
>After all, you weren't sure your bullets would even stop it
>But still, it pressed on
>You groaned and fired a few shots at it
>Predictably, they had little apparent effect
"Great..." you muttered to yourself as the golem raised a massive arm and brought it down with impressive speed
>You dodged the hand as it crashed into the spot where you once stood, taking another shot at the golem's face
>Still no good
>Faster than you expected, it swiped its arm to the side and knocked you off of your feet
>You flew through the air and collided with a column on the side of the room
>That was going to hurt something fierce tomorrow
>You lifted your head off the ground to realize that your rifle was no longer in your hands, spotting it a short ways away from where you had been hit
>At least it was...
>Until the golem's foot crushed it
>You managed to roll to your right just in time to avoid being crushed by another heavy blow
>A searing pain in your back suddenly spiked, and it was slowing you down immensely
>A roll to the left, narrowly escaping again
>The pain surged through you, causing you to pause as you tried to suppress the urge to scream
>You felt the stone hand grip you and lift you into the air, bringing you up to the golem's face
>It was then that you noticed that it seemed to be examining you with its one jeweled eye
>The glistening blue gem secured within its eye socket
>Before you could react, you were falling again, hitting the floor as you saw the golem stumbling backwards, dragged by a large stretch of cloth
>"Wrap it around the legs!" Iasa cried
>"Take it down!"
>The soldiers were scrambling around the golem's legs wielding curtains torn from the windows, tying it up rapidly
>You looked up and saw Mason poised across the room, hovering in the air with one of the soldier's shields in his claws
>"Mason! Do it!" Iasa shouted
>The griffon took off at high speed, hurtling straight toward the golem's face, crashing into it with great force
>The force of the hit sent the golem falling backwards, crashing onto its back
"Its eye!" you cried, wincing in pain
"Go for the eye!"
>Iasa quickly jumped onto the golem and looked into its one eye, grabbing it and attempting to yank it out
>"It won't budge!" she replied as she strained
>You felt around your vest and found your last grenade
"Use this!" you said, tossing it toward Iasa
>She caught it, looking at the device curiously
>"What's this?" she asked
"Pull the pin, drop it in the eye, and everyone run!" you shouted
>Iasa cautiously pulled the pin from the grenade and dropped it into the gaping hole that was the golem's eye socket
>"Run!" she cried, prompting the soldiers to flee as the golem began to free itself from its restraints
>You curled into a ball and braced yourself
>The next few moments were filled only with a piercing ringing in your ears
>Rolling over, you saw that your plan had worked
>Half of the golem's face was missing, the one jeweled eye socket blown apart by your grenade
>You let out a deep breath and rolled flat onto your back
>The pain in your back was like a fire to your nerves, and you lay there motionless
>Through the ringing in your ears, you heard muffled voices as if they were traveling under water approaching you
>Your vision began to blur as Iasa's blurred frame appeared above you
>And then, darkness
_____________________________
>A ray of sunlight roused you from your deep sleep, shining directly onto your face
>The pastel colored beams of light struck your eyes, nearly blinding you as soon as you opened them
>Raising a hand to cover them, you squinted at the source
>Stained glass...
>Were you still in the throne room?
>Glancing around the room, you saw rows of beds lining the walls, each with occupants in varying states of injury
>Some were bandaged, others in casts...
>A few with the sheets drawn over them entirely
>Suddenly the memories came flooding back to you
>You had been injured, though the pain seemed manageable now
>You slowly rose up in your cot and felt your back
>There was a slight tenderness to the area that had struck the stone pillar in the throne room, but you could at least move without feeling like you were going to pass out
>You took a closer look around the room and deduced that you were in some sort of church
>Not unlike the throne room, there were a great deal of scenes depicted around you that you did not recognize, but it was on a less grand scale
>You noticed one of the Hayven soldiers and an Imperial soldier standing not too far off, looking up at one of the scenes in the windows
>"I just don't see how you southerners can make the jump from the Sisters being beings of great power to being goddesses in their own right, it seems irrational to us." the Imperial said.
>"What else but a god could raise the sun and the moon? Hold power over celestial bodies themselves?" the Hayvener replied
>"We saw the Sister Goddesses do this, you'd be a fool to deny it."
>The Imperial shook his head
>"I think you're oversimplifying what you were seeing. The Sisters are gone, yet the days go on as they always have. Clearly they are not integral to the system in the way you're suggesting."
>Your attention was drawn away from the theological debate to the snoring beside your cot
>You turned and saw Iasa, slumped in a chair positioned right next to you
>"Let her sleep," Mason's voice called out, approaching you from the walkway
>"she's hardly got a wink of it since you were brought in here."
"What is this place?" you asked
>Mason looked around
>"They've been calling it the Celestial Cathedral." he said
>"It's well within the occupied district of Canterlot, so we're perfectly safe."
>Occupied district?
>So things must have gone pretty well after you passed out
"I guess we won then, eh?" you replied, still looking at Iasa
>Her leg was twitching, she must have been dreaming
>"You could say that." Mason said
>"Hard to pin down what constitutes "we" at the moment, however."
>You cocked your head at him
"What do you mean?" you asked
>He shrugged
>"The Imperials are saying they did the heavy lifting during the battle with the changelings, so they're claiming the city for themselves." he answered
>"Of course that's not going over too well with the Hayveners, and one of them managed to secure the crown, which the Imperials are also demanding."
>You groaned and buried your face in your hands
"At least we got it, right?" you said
>Mason chuckled
>"At least for the moment." he replied
>"How's your back?"
>You twisted around a bit, still searching for any issues
"Better, I'm not on the verge of collapsing again." you said
>"That's good, you're lucky the Imperials had a few medics in their division, they were able to reinflate your lung and repair some of those ribs with a little of their magic."
"Wish we had that back home." you laughed
>"Indeed." he said
>"They had to induce a coma to let it work but it seems like you're alright now."
>Coma?
"How long have I been out?" you asked
>"Three days." Mason replied
>You swung your legs over the side of the cot, standing up and stretching
"That explains the stiffness." you said, feeling your back crack as you did
>Your attention once again turned to the other patients
"What happens now?" you asked
>Mason's smile turned into a frown
>"An Imperial emissary arrived yesterday, they'll be meeting with King Rex this afternoon."
"Is that a bad thing...?" you questioned
>"That depends on what the Crystal Empire has in mind I suppose." he replied
>"But now that you're awake, I'm sure the king would be most appreciative if you could attend."
>You looked at yourself
>You were no longer in your uniform
>...which meant someone had changed you before putting you in this cot
"Yeah, I guess I could do that if I get my clothes back." you said, wondering where they could be
>"There's a footlocker under your bed, don't worry, I ensured none of these guys took anything." Mason said reassuringly
>With a sigh a relief, you saw that he was right, putting the locker onto your cot and searching through it
>In your rustling, your hand accidentally brushed up against your radio, causing a burst of loud static to erupt from the footlocker
>One of Iasa's eyes shot open and she quickly jumped upon seeing you were awake
>"Anon! You're okay!" she cried, flinging herself over the bed and hugging you, causing you to lose your balance and stumble backward onto the cot beside you
>"Oof!" the occupant grunted painfully
>"Oh my-, I'm sorry!" Iasa said, quickly helping you stand up off of the injured, glaring soldier in the bed
>She eyed you up and down a bright smile on her face
>"Are you alright? How's your back? Do you need anyth-" she rattled off a thousand words per minute
>You put up your hands to slow her down, returning her smile
"I'm alright Iasa, I'm fine. I've been in good hands it seems." you said
>She sighed with relief, embracing you once again
>"I was worried sick about you, I haven't left your side since they put you under and, and..."
>Her words trailed off into a quiet sob as she buried her face in your shoulder
>"I'm just glad you're alright."
>You were kind of taken aback by the sudden display of sentiment, but you returned her hug and patted her back
"I'm fine...everything's fine..." you said
>After a moment, you heard a sniff beside your ear
>"You could use a bath though..."
________________________________
>"You'll have to pardon me, your "majesty", but as I've stated numerous times, that crown is the rightful property of the imperial family." the emissary proclaimed, standing before the king of Hayven in the makeshift meeting area in the Canterlot palace courtyard
>Neither side had been able to come to an agreement yet on who was to be the steward of the city, nor who had the true claim to the crown of King Blueblood
>King Rex and the imperial emissary had been at it for nearly two hours now, and the blazing sun was wearing down on the attendees
>To no great surprise, tensions (and tempers) were running high
>"It was MY troopers and citizens who found and secured the crown, it was US who even bothered to venture into this city in the first place. The Crystal Empire would have continued ignoring it had they not heard of our plan."
>The emissary scoffed
>"Let's look at the facts, shall we?" he said
>"The Crystal Empire now has half a legion occupying this city. Over two thousand soldiers. That is but a fraction of our might, and it already outnumbers your own."
>You looked down at Iasa
>She was glaring at the emissary
>Mason didn't look too happy about what was being suggested either
>Was the Empire really threatening to occupy the city, even if it meant force against Hayven?
>The king, surprisingly, didn't look nearly as concerned as the rest of the gathering did
>"And how soon, son, would that half-legion be recalled to the north if something were to threaten the Empire?" he asked
>"Your country has never been known to spare any expense in its own defense, only becoming stingy when it's someone else's home that is threatened."
"Yikes..." you muttered
>"It's true." Iasa said
>"The Empire would never bother maintaining this place if anything happened up north...and their attitude makes sure that happens plenty."
>The emissary scowled
>"As the representative of the Emperor, the one true sovereign of all Equestria, it is my duty to inform you that any attempt to resist imperial occupation, or withhold imperial property is to be considered an act of war, and will be dealt with swiftly and harshly." he said
>"That said, the Crystal Empire is willing to make certain...accommodations, in the interest of peace."
>He retrieved a scroll from his bag and handed it to King Rex
>Unrolling the scroll, the king read over it
>"The Empire recognizes the troubled times that its southern cousins have endured since the end of the last war, and believes that it is time to right the wrongs of the past." the emissary announced
>"In exchange for your oath of fealty to the Emperor, you shall once again come under the Empire's protection, the "king" of Hayven being recognized as the Duke of the newest imperial province."
>King Rex's eyes continued to zoom back and forth over the scroll, not saying a word
>The emissary waited a moment, looking impatient
>"With imperial support, your land will prosper as it did back during the reign of the Princesses." he said
>"It is in the best interest of yourself and your citizens to accept this generous offer."
>"You'd have us be your slaves." Iasa said out loud, stepping forward from the crowd
>The emissary narrowed his eyes at her
>"You would be citizens of the only legitimate government left  on this continent." he replied
>"With all the rights and privileges afforded to-"
>"Rights? Privileges?" Iasa cut him off
"Iasa, hold on-" you began
>But she was already too far gone
>"Where were my people's rights and privileges when the Empire left them to burn? Where was the Empire when those on its doorstep needed them?" she demanded
>"You northerners make nice promises, you promise everything under the moon and sun with your fancy speech and your talk of "legitimacy" and "true sovereignty", but when push comes to shove you will abandon those who need you the most."
>"Why, you don't-" the emissary began again, going red in the face
>"King Rex has done more for the south than the Empire ever has. You know what I have to say to your offer?" Iasa asked
>She spit on the ground at the emissary's feet
>"Take it back to the Emperor, we don't want his help, or need it." she hissed, storming off through the crowd
>You were shocked
>You couldn't even find words to speak at what you just witnessed
>The emissary, his face now red as his glistening robe, turned to King Rex
>"Do you let your subjects speak for you, your "majesty"?" he asked
>"Is this how your subjects see the Empire?"
>The king finally lowered the scroll and looked at the emissary with a small grin on his face
>"Our Iasa is a fiery one, you'll have to pardon her." he said, rolling up the scroll
>"But I do believe some sort of arrangement can be made. Though, I'd like to discuss it with the Emperor personally."
>The emissary looked confused
>"I am the Emperor's emissary, any message you have for him may be relayed through myself."
>King Rex shook his head
>"It isn't so much about the message as having a man to man talk. I feel it is more fruitful than passing notes, and it is on that condition that I will consider the Empire's offer."
>The emissary sighed and shook his head
>"Very well, if it means that you will consider it, the Emperor would not object to a meeting."
>Rex nodded and handed the emissary back the scroll
>"Then I shall set out for the Imperial City in the morning, with the Blueblood Crown."
>"I will assemble a personal escort for you, in that case." the emissary said
>Rex shook his head
>"That won't be necessary, I will travel with my own companions." he replied, turning to you
>"After all, I have a debt to repay."
_____________________________________
"Rifle destroyed." you said, tossing your remaining magazines onto the bed
"Vest, totally shredded."
>You removed your soft armor and vest, ruined in your battle with the golem, tossing it aside as well
"You really outdid yourself this time, Anon." you scolded yourself
>King Rex had told you to be ready to leave Hayven in the morning, your company would be taking a different route up to the Crystal Empire to meet with someone that Rex felt could help you learn about the last human to arrive in Equestria
>More importantly, they might be able to tell you more about where he went
>"There'll be a personal guard." Iasa said, reassuringly
>"I don't think you'll need them."
>You rolled your eyes
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't exactly like depending on these part timers for protection." you replied
>Iasa frowned
>"I'm sure they'll have something for you if you feel that strongly."
>You sat on your bed, looking at your helmet before tossing it aside as well
"Yeah, just give me a sword or something to swing, that'll work out just fine."
>Iasa couldn't suppress a chuckle
>"Do you even know how to use a sword?"
>You smiled and shook your head
"I don't know if it takes too much knowledge to swing a piece of steel around."
>She sighed and put a hoof on your knee
>"It's going to work out, don't worry." she said
>"Besides, I'll be going with you, so you're in good hooves."
>A knock at the door interrupted the two of you
"Come on in." you called
>Mason stepped into the room
"I guess you'll be heading home, eh?" you said
>He shook his head
>"Not just yet, my instructions were to stay until I could come to some sort of agreement with the King of Hayven," he explained
>"though it seems that has just become a lot more complicated."
>Iasa snorted
>"Glad to know I'm not the only one unhappy with this." she said
>Mason waved his hand dismissively
>"Merely a setback. In time the king will see Griffonia is the better partner going into the future."
>"Yeah well, I don't know if I'd go that far." Iasa replied
>Mason smirked, undeterred
>"Perhaps we'll see." he said, turning to you
>"Anon, if I may have a word in private?"
>You and Iasa looked at each other
>Private?
>What for?
>"Keeping secrets now, huh?" Iasa questioned
>"The king has a message for Anon alone, he wants the information to remain contained to a few individuals. It is better that you don't hear it." Mason replied
>The look on Iasa's face protested, and she looked to you for support
>But you knew the king wouldn't be keeping secrets if it wasn't necessary
"Maybe it's for the best, Iasa." you said
"I doubt the king is messing around at a time like this."
>She groaned, giving in
>"Fine. I'll be down at the bar." she said, throwing a hoof in the air in exasperation
"I'll meet you down there in a bit." you called after her as she shut the door behind her
>Mason listened for a moment as Iasa's steps grew too faint to hear
>"The king has a job for you, Anon."
>You furrowed your brow at him
"A job? I thought we were leaving first thing in the morning?"
>"We are," Mason replied
>"it's something he needs you to do during our trip."
>He reached into his bag and pulled out a band of gold, covered in blue gems
>Your eyes widened
"The crown? Have you had it this whole time?"
>Mason nodded
>"The imperials would never expect a pony to trust a griffon with something like this, they never searched me." he explained
>You began to understand what he was getting at
"You're giving this to me?"
>"For the duration of our journey, yes. The king doesn't trust that the Imperials won't attempt to...liberate...the crown. It's why he turned down their escort." he said
"And he trusts me with it?" you asked
>Mason nodded
>"He trusts in your capability to keep it safe," he replied
>"that you have nothing to gain from stealing it doesn't hurt either."
>You smirked
>"Yet he trusts a griffon would have plenty to gain?"
>Mason shrugged
>"Calculated risks." he said matter of factly
>"It so happens he bet on an honest griffon. I would not dishonor my people by betraying a potential ally."
"But you'll risk the wrath of your king by turning down such a bargaining chip?"
>The griffon smiled
>"Calculated risks."
>Mason tossed the crown to you and opened the door, stopping halfway into the hall
>"Any known carrier will be a potential target."
>"No one can know you're carrying the crown, Anon." he said
>You looked at the crown in your hands
>Seemed like a whole lot of trouble for a few ounces of gold
"I understand." you replied
>He took one more look at you before leaving the room
>"I believe that." he said
>"I hope you don't prove me wrong."
_________________________
>"And so that was the THIRD time I had to rebuild the keep. They told me building on the marsh was crazy, but I showed them!" Rex declared triumphantly
>"Aye, that ye did, sir." Tawny said
>The young guard was the latest addition to the King's personal guard unit
>Nice kid, but you were beginning to see him as a bit of a suck-up
>Being the one tasked with pulling the king's carriage, you could see it wasn't particularly effective
>"Ah...good days, the old days. Not that anyone at the time would have said so, seeing as the world was going to hell and all but we were all young enough to take advantage of it!"
>You shifted your pack trying to find a more comfortable position
>The Blueblood crown was stashed inside, but it had been jabbing into your back for the past three or four miles
>Iasa noticed your shifting and elbowed you
>"You alright there?" she asked
>You nodded
"Yeah, just getting a little restless is all."
>She smiled at you
>"This hike doesn't do it for you?"
"It's the anticipation. I want to know about the last guy who came through here." you said
"Whoever Rex's contact is, they just might have my ticket home."
>You glanced over to Iasa and swore you saw the slightest tinge of sadness in her eyes
>She had deigned not to wear her mask today, on account of the low possibility of encountering any plague related dangers
>"Maybe." she replied
>"Just...don't get ahead of yourself, okay? Nobody really knows what happened to him."
>Cautious, as always
>Iasa was determined to protect you, even from disappointment it seemed
>But you had a good feeling about this
>It had to lead to something, anything
"I learned a long time ago not to put all my eggs in one basket," you said
"but it's a start."
>She gave a half-hearted smile and turned her attention back to the king, who was still rambling on about something or other
>"He talks a lot." she said
"Old-timers usually do." you chuckled
>"Eh? What was that Anon?" Rex called back to you from his seat
"I said those are really nice shoes!" you called to him from your spot toward the rear of the party
>The king looked down at his rather plain boots
>For a king, his wardrobe was not particularly opulent
>"These? Hah! These are nothing! You should have seen what I had back during the first Great War! Sturdiest boots you ever did see! Why I remember I..."
>You and Iasa collectively rolled your eyes and sighed, tuning out from another long winded story
>The sun hung bright in the sky, but the pleasant breeze staved off the heat as your party marched down the dirt road
>You had seen nothing but rolling plains for the last couple of hours, aside from the occasional fellow traveler heading south
>The Imperials had taken a more direct route headed north, but Rex assured you that this path, though longer, was the only way to meet up with his friend
"Sorry, sir, but how much farther is it before we find your contact?" you asked, presumably interrupting his tale about the wonders of hoofwear
>"Huh? Oh, it's not too far off my boy, just a few more miles, a small hike..."
"So...sometime today?"
>Rex scratched his beard
>"I suppose if we don't stop for lunch...but who wants to do that I say, my man isn't going anywhere and I'm famished as is!"
>"Well said, sire." Tawny replied
>"You're always thinking with your stomach, Tawn." one of the other guards said
>You frowned
>You wanted to get there as soon as possible, and the pace of your company was agonizing
>Mason patted your back
>"Don't worry Anon, slowly but surly, I'm confident you'll find what you seek."
"Yeah..." you replied half-heartedly
>He looked at you questioningly
>"We need to take this journey with every precaution, it'd be no good to get caught off guard because we were rushing ahead or otherwise distracted." he said
>"It's too important."
>You understood, but that didn't make the waiting easier
>Hours passed, and the sun began to drop below the horizon
>"Well, I think we had better stop for the night, start setting up camp!" Rex announced
"What about meeting with your contact? I thought we'd reach it today?"
>Rex simply shook his head
>"I suppose it has been a while since I've made this trip, it's a little longer than I remembered. We'll reach him tomorrow, of that I'm sure." he said
>You felt your fist clench involuntarily
>You didn't want to spend another night waiting to get home, your desire to know anything that could help you was burning in your chest, demanding relief
>After a few hours of the king's stories around the campfire, most of your company went to bed
>Except for you
>Once you were sure that you wouldn't be spotted, you slipped out of your tent, sneaking through the campsite toward the road
>Every step against the damp grass seemed to make enough noise to wake the whole countryside, but you pressed on until finally, you felt the crunch of dirt beneath your feet as they met the road
>You took a look back at the camp
>Surely a friend of the king wouldn't mind a late night visit from the king's own company, a human no less
>No, your mind simply would not let you waste any more time, if you stuck to the road, you would find him, and the others would catch up in the morning
>You walked for an hour through the cool night air when suddenly the light of the moon was obscured by thick clouds
>A low rumble reverberated across the sky, a grim herald of the rain that began to shower down upon you
"Great..." you muttered to yourself, trying to see through the downpour
>Retrieving your night vision goggles, you found that they provided little help in the rain, the droplets blocking out what the darkness could not
>Still, you pressed on as the road began to turn to mud under your feet
>As the downpour grew heavier, you found it harder to keep yourself on the road
"Good idea Anon..." you said to yourself
>As if responding to you, your night vision's batteries died, leaving you totally in the dark
>You were beginning to think you had made a mistake, there was no way you could continue in this
>Squinting into the distance, drenched in water, you looked for any sign of shelter
>By a stroke of luck, you saw a light off the side of the road a few hundred meters away
>Even through the rain, the light of a fire was unmistakable
>You quickly trudged through the slop in the direction of the light, eventually finding that it was shining through the window of a small cottage nestled just off the road in the treeline
>Well, whoever's house this was, they were awake at least
>You approached the cottage door and knocked on it
"Hello? Is anyone awake in there? I need help!" you cried
>No response
>You knocked again
"Please, I was caught in the storm and lost my way!"
>Still nothing
>You growled
>You knew they were in there, who could just leave you out in the elements like this?
"I'm in the service of the king of Hayven, if you let me in he'll be happy to repay your kindness!"
>In a moment, you heard the door's lock click, and after staring for a moment, you reached down and grabbed the knob, opening the door and quickly stepping inside
>Closing the door, you panted and wiped the water off of your face before turning to the interior of the cottage
"Thank you...I don't know what I was-"
>Your words failed you as you saw that the room you were in was massive, too large to fit in the building you had observed outside
>Shelves upon shelves of books lined the walls, a great roaring fireplace, and a ceiling that seemed to reach to the sky
"I...wha...?"
>"Please, make yourself comfortable, Anonymous." a voice called from behind a massive book
"How do you know my name?" you asked, taking a step closer to the fire
"What is this place?"
>"This," the voice replied, still obscured behind the giant tome,
>"is my home. And the king already sent word to expect you."
>Your eyes widened
"You're the one with information about the last human to come here?"
>"I have a great deal of knowledge about many things." the voice said as the book lowered, revealing an aged, grey bearded pony, his robe bearing a number of stars and moons and studded with gold
"Who are you...?" you asked as he approached you, his curious eyes seeming to inspect you
>"I am a conjuror of sorts. Though these days most of my work revolves around research and preservation of knowledge that might otherwise be lost." he replied
>"But you may call me Star Swirl."
____________________________

>You took a long sip from your cup, staring into the fire
"So you're...how old, exactly?" you asked, not quite believing what you'd heard
>"Well over a thousand, by your reckoning." he replied
>"I was not exactly a young stallion even before going into Limbo."
>Over a thousand?
>How was that even possible?
"Right...no offense but...how are you still alive?" you asked
>Star Swirl scoffed
>"Anonymous, you have been in Equestria for weeks now, you have seen magic, and still you struggle with this sort of thing?"
>"There are many ways of extending one's lifespan, intentionally or unintentionally."
>You couldn't argue with that
>It's magic, what *isn't* possible in this place?
"Tell me about the last human, what happened to him?" you asked
>He raised his eyebrow at you
>"Many things happened to the last of your kind to find himself in our world, he was quite a storied individual."
"Yeah, yeah, I read the book," you said
"part of it, anyway."
>"You want to know where he is now then." Star Swirl replied
>You nodded
>With a small sigh the old wizard stared deeply into the fire
>"Even with all my knowledge, I do not know for certain what fate befell him." he said
>"But, I did have the opportunity to meet with him on the eve of his last known expedition."
>Now you were getting somewhere
"And? Where was he going?"
>Star Swirl got up from his seat, wandering over to a desk and muttering to himself
>His horn glowing, a scroll came whipping out from the stack of documents, suspended by his magic
>He laid the scroll in front of you on the table, unfurling it to reveal a map
>With his hoof, he pointed at what appeared to be a mountain range in the far north
>"Here." he said
>"To the fabled location of a lost shrine from before even my own time." he said
"What sort of shrine?" you asked
>"Considering it is just a rumor, we're not quite sure." he replied
>"My research leads me to believe that there are several such shrines in Equestria dating back to the Dark Ages. But these are based on oral tradition of fringe tribes that have long since gone extinct or assimilated into the dominant Equestrian society."
>You put up your hands expectantly
"So...old gods maybe?"
>"It is a possibility, but I suspect that it is not that simple." he said
>"Magic flows throughout the whole of this world, but in certain locations, those who can feel it and wield magic report increased sensitivity and control over their power."
>Taking his seat once again, he looked down at the map
>"I have visited some of these places, and often found that the cause is the presence of an incredibly powerful magical anomaly."
"Anomaly?"
>He nodded
>"Something unusual."
>Something clicked in your mind
"Star Swirl, where have you found these anomalies?"
>He thought for a moment
>"It has been some time, but I have confirmed the presence of several anomalies of great power in the Great Dunes of the southern desert, Karnag's Cave in the Badlands, and the Everfree Forest."
>Your eyes widened
"I was dropped into this world from a portal in the forest." you said
>"Were you? Curious that I did not find such a thing." he replied
>"Perhaps it is not always visible, but that would certainly explain the effects in the area."
"Is it possible that there is another portal in the north?" you asked
"Maybe that's what he was looking for?"
>Star Swirl considered it
>"I suppose it is possible, but it is just as likely that it is a powerful object, or..." his voice trailed off as he stared off into space
"Or...?" you asked
>"Nothing, nevermind." he said
>"The thing is, the northern mountains, this range specifically, are treacherous. Conditions are brutal and the area has been off limits for generations because of it."
"And yet the last man went." you said
>Star Swirl nodded
>"Yes, he did. He went with several companions, none of whom returned." he said
>"But enough of this for now, there will be more time in the morning when the others arrive."
>Nearly as soon as he finished, there was a rapid banging on the door
>"Star Swirl!" Rex's voice called from the other side
>"It's Rex! Let us in!"
>Star Swirl sighed and unlocked the door with his magic
>"Does nopony sleep anymore?" he lamented as the door flung open, your rain drenched and shivering companions collapsing inside and onto the floor
>Your eyes met Iasa's as she glared at you from underneath a pile of guards
>You gave her a guilty smile and a small wave
"Fancy meeting you here guys." you chuckled
>"As soon as I get dry, I just might throttle you." she hissed
________________________________
>Star Swirl stood close by as your company readied itself to get back on the road
>You hadn't slept much, but at least the storm had passed
>"Anonymous, a word?" he said, beckoning you over
"Sure thing, Swirly." you said, slinging your pack over your shoulders
>"Don't...ever say that again." he replied
>"I have something for you. A parting gift that you might find useful."
>The two of you stepped back inside of his house, and with his magic, he summoned a roll of cloth
>"The griffon mentioned that you have been disarmed since the incident in Canterlot. It's dangerous to be wandering these parts without any sort of protection." he said
>You took the roll out of mid air and suddenly realized the weight of whatever was wrapped inside it
"What is this?" you asked
>He nodded down at the object
>"A piece of Equestrian history, one that I think will be of particular use to you."
>You flipped back part of the cloth to reveal a metal handle wrapped in black leather
>You gave Star Swirl a wary look before uncovering the rest of the object, revealing an exceptionally bright, and elaborately engraved steel hammer's head and a wicked spike opposite of it
>"The Warden's Fist." he said
>You took the hammer in your hand and almost as soon as your hand wrapped around the hilt, you felt the weight suddenly shift, as if it was tuning itself to you
>"This hammer was forged long before even my time, before the time of Discord, it is said." he explained
>"Never rusting, never breaking, it has survived through the ages, waiting to be reunited with the kin of its makers."
>You pried your eyes away from the hammer at that
"Kin?" you asked
>"This weapon was forged by humans, Anonymous." he replied
>The gears of your mind began grinding, threatening to halt
"Humans? How?"
>"Very little knowledge has survived, but I have gathered that there once existed in our world a rather large population of your kind, who co-existed alongside mine." he explained
>"In fact, it is from these early interactions that I suspect much of our own culture was derived."
>You couldn't believe what you were hearing
>Here you had been, thinking that you were one of a few to ever come to this place
>But in fact, there had once been a human civilization living here
>Not only that, but it was a powerful enough civilization to influence those around it!
"What happened to these humans?" you asked
>Star Swirl frowned
>"As I said, there is precious little information that remains about them, so little that even the majority of our scholars do not know that they were ever here." he said
>"But it is likely that some sort of magic is to blame for their disappearance. An experiment by human wizards gone awry, or a decision to even leave this plane."
>He gestured to the Warden's Fist with his hoof
>"This artifact is one of the last magical weapons they ever created, wielded by a knight whose name has been lost to time, but was tasked with keeping the forces of chaos at bay."
>You swung the hammer around to get a feel for it
>Truly, it fit like it was made for you even though you'd never laid hands on such a thing before
"Star Swirl, I don't know what to say..." you began as he put up a hoof to stop you
>"I believe such a thing deserves to be reunited with its own, and I have a feeling that you will need it in days to come."
"I hope not, but I'm grateful, all the same." you said, tucking the hammer into your belt loop
"Look at that, perfect fit!" you said, jumping around to demonstrate its sturdiness
>Star Swirl rolled his eyes and turned his back to retire to his study
>"Oh, there is one last thing," he said
>"give this to the pony of the night that travels with you."
>He handed you a small black box, barely larger than your hand
"Iasa? Why not give it to her yourself?" you asked
>"Because you are here, and she is not." Star Swirl replied
>"She will know what it is and what to do with it, besides, I've kept you all long enough. You don't want to keep the emperor waiting."
>You nodded and turned to leave, stopping as you got to the door
"Thank you again, Swirly." you said with a cheeky grin
>"I told you not to call me that!" he cried back as you closed the door behind you, stepping out into the bright sunlight
>You found that the party was already gone, except for Iasa who stood leaning against the house
>"The others got a head start, I told them we'd catch up." she said with a smile
>"If we hoof it a little bit we'll find them in no time."
"Sounds like a plan to me." you said as the two of you got onto the trail
>"So what was all that about?" she asked
>"Old pony likes to talk a lot huh?"
>You shook your head
"He's got a lot to say," you replied
>"but he wanted to give me this."
>You pointed to the hammer now dangling from your hip
>Iasa's eyes went wide
>"Wow, what's someone his age doing with something like that?"
>You chuckled
"You're surprised by anything a wizard has laying around?"
>"Good point." she said
>"It looks like it'll suit a human better than a pony anyway."
"That'd make sense, given that it was made by humans." you said slyly
>Iasa stopped in her tracks
>"Run that by me again?" she asked
"Don't worry, I'll give you the quick-rundown later." you said
>Suddenly, you remembered the small box in your hands
"By the way, Star Swirl told me to give you this, Ms. "pony of the night"." you said, tossing the box to her
>Caught off guard, Iasa nearly dropped it in the mud, looking at the box curiously
>"What is it?" she asked
>You shrugged
"He said you'd know, didn't tell me." you said
"Let's pick up the pace, I'd like to not spend another night wandering around in the dark."
>She put the box away and smiled
>"Sure," she said suddenly bolting ahead of you
>"try and keep up!"
>You grinned and starting bounding after her
>Despite the difficulties you'd had, you felt like things were going to be smooth sailing from here on out
_____________________________
>"Are we there yet?" Tawny groaned
>"No, Tawn, we've still have a ways to go." Iasa replied, looking at her map
>"I think so at least...I never was very good at reading these things."
>You had been on the road for almost two days now, the alternate path that your company had opted for resulted in a longer trip to the Imperial City
>Still, your mind was not on the city itself
>Your mind was set just north of it
>As soon as you had completed your business with the emperor, you knew you would have to brave whatever those mountains held in store for you
>"Hold on, stop, stop." she said, putting up a hoof to halt to the company
>"I think we may have taken the wrong path back at the fork."
>The group collectively groaned as she glared at them
"It's all going north, how bad could it be?" you asked
>"That depends, do you want us to end up in Stalliongrad or the Imperial City?" she replied
>Not knowing where exactly either of those were, you could only reply with a blank stare
>Iasa seemed to realize this and rolled her eyes
>"They're far apart. We want to make this a shorter trip, right?"
>"May I?" Mason asked, reaching for the map
>Iasa grumbled, handing it to him
>"Knock yourself out." she said, trotting off to the side of the road
>Mason gave a slight bow anyway and took the map over to Rex, discussing how to proceed
>You joined her over at the side of the road and sat down, taking the moment to rest your legs
"It's quiet." you noted, noticing that the only sound you could hear was the breeze
>No birds, no bugs, nothing else
>"We left the midlands hours ago. The north got hit by the plague as hard as we did, the cities are the only major population centers left." she replied
>"Funny what you can do when you actually support your people when they need it."
"You know you're going to have to keep your comments to yourself when we're talking to the emperor, right?" you asked
"Something tells me he's not used to your brand of criticism."
>Iasa failed to suppress a grin
>"Yeah, I know. It's just hard, you know?" she said
>"Maybe they should hear it. How can things change if you don't point out the problems?"
>You chuckled
"Back home it sometimes feels like you can point out issues all day and things still don't change when you need them to." you said
>She looked sideways at you
>"That doesn't sound...good." she replied
>"How does that even work?"
"Not well." you said
>She laid on her back and sighed
>"And you want to go back to such a place?"
>You shrugged
"Home is home." you said
>"Hmm."
>The two of you sat there for a moment in silence
>You could hear Mason and the others trying to figure out how to get back on track without backtracking too much
>"I used to wonder what it was like." Iasa finally said
"What what was like?" you asked
>"Hollow Shades." she replied
>"I can't even begin to imagine a place full of ponies like me."
>You paused
>It never occurred to you that Iasa grew up likely not knowing anyone else like her
>"The empire and the griffons robbed me of my home before I was ever even born. I don't think anything will ever make up for that." she thought out loud
>You nudged her
"Home is what you make it." you said
"You've got some fine folks in Hayven who are glad you're with them."
>She blew a raspberry at you
>"Who?" she asked
>"Flik? He's like family, he practically has to care."
"I don't think that-"
>You were cut off by the sound of a distant explosion
>The thunderous sound soared through the air, followed almost immediately by several more
>"What is that?" Iasa asked, shooting up from the ground
>You stood up and rushed over to the rest of the company
"Did you guys hear that?" you asked
>"Hear what, Anon?" Mason asked
"Listen." you said
>They all stopped talking and stood in silence
>Another round of thunder came rolling over the hills
>A look of dread suddenly crossed Mason's face
>"It's probably just a storm. Let's keep moving, we've got a route figured out." he said, regaining his composure
>For miles you walked, still hearing the sounds far off in the distance, and eventually no longer
>That night, you sat around the fire, staring into it as the moon hung bright above you
>Most of the company had gone to bed, but Iasa and Rex remained with you
>"We should arrive at the Imperial City tomorrow." Rex said
>"Have either of you ever seen it?"
>You and Iasa shook your heads
>Rex smirked
>"It's a big place. Much bigger than Hayven." he explained
>"I want you two close by when we get there, you hear me?"
"Is it dangerous?" you asked
>"It has been some time," he replied
>"but I don't want to take any chances. Politics can drive ponies to do all sorts of things."
>"We'll be right there with you." Iasa said, smiling at the old king
>"Besides, we were invited by the emperor himself, surely that counts for something?"
>Rex scoffed
>"So long as the aristocracy respects the emperor. I've heard many things about the current climate, tensions are high, and we need to tread carefully."
"We'll hoof it straight to the palace then," you suggested
"the sooner we get under the emperor's roof, the less likely we are to have any sort of incident."
>Rex nodded
>"That's the idea."
>The three of you sat in silence, just watching the flames flicker
>"Well, I suppose it'd be wise to get some sleep, tomorrow, we make history!" Rex said, rising to head to his tent
>"Sleep well, your majesty." Iasa said as he disappeared into the tent
"What was all that about?" you asked
>Iasa shrugged
>"He's just worried is all. Wouldn't you be?"
"I don't know, I've never done anything like this before." you replied
"I just wonder what he thinks could possibly happen."
>Iasa raised her brow at you
>"Really? Assassins, hostage-takers, thieves..."
"I get it, I get it." you said, cutting her off
"He just seemed so confident until now."
>She frowned
>"He has been acting a little funny since we heard those noises earlier, come to think of it."
>You nodded
"Mason too." you said
"Honestly? I don't think that was thunder. I think it was something else."
>"Why do you say that?" she asked
>You paused
"It's just a feeling." you said
>You didn't want to put your fears into her mind if they weren't already there
"Can I ask you something?" you asked, hoping to change the topic
>"Of course." she said
"What was in that little box Star Swirl gave you?"
>Iasa reached into her bag and pulled out a small vial, handing it to you
>You looked at the glass cylinder, a clear liquid sitting inside it
"What is it?" you asked
>"I think Star Swirl may have overestimated me, I'm not sure." she admitted
>"I've never been much for identifying potions."
>Well, that was disappointing
"What're you going to do with it?" you asked, handing the vial back
>Iasa shrugged, tucking it back into its place
>"I'll have to find an alchemist or something, it must be important, I just can't think of it."
>"Hey, I'm pretty beat, I think I'll check in for the night." she said
>"Don't stay up too long, okay? We've got a long day tomorrow."
"Sure," you replied
"I'll only be a bit longer."
>She smiled at you, heading off to her tent
>As the flap of her tent closed, you turned your gaze back to the fire
>You knew you wouldn't be sleeping much that night
>The others might not have recognized it, but you did
>That was no thunder...
>Those were cannons
>And somehow, you knew that would not likely be the last you heard of them
___________________________
>You didn't remember falling asleep
>And yet, the fire you had been tending was now just a pile of ash and embers
>You fought the desire to close your eyes again, the early morning mists hanging around you thick and heavy
>Sitting up from the ground you had slept on, you stretched with a deep groan
>Looking around the camp, it was quiet
>Except for Rex's snoring, of course
>But aside from that, silence
>It seemed like you were the first up this morning, none of the other tents were open
>Climbing to your feet, your stomach growled hungrily
"Time for breakfast then..." you said to yourself
>You wandered out into the nearby treeline in search of firewood
>You didn't know about the rest of your company, but you were getting tired of the vegetarian diet you'd been subsisting on
>Raiding a few bird nests, you managed to scrounge up some eggs
>They weren't much, you weren't even a sure they would taste any good
>But if it meant some meat, you were willing to risk it
>The mists were cleared by the time you emerged from the trees, a nest of eggs in one hand, and a bundle of wood in the other
>You wondered if the others would object to your choice of breakfast
>Lost in your thoughts, it took you a few moments to notice the purple clad formation approaching your camp from the road
>"You there, stop where you are." the lead pony called from the front of the formation, armor glistening as the sun began to break through the mist
>You stood in the road, mere yards away from your camp, looking at the newcomers
>You recognized their uniforms
>They were the same as the Imperial troops in Canterlot
>But these ponies...they were different
>They did not seem to be made of flesh and bone, instead they gleamed almost like their armor
>Crystalline even
"Can I help you gentlemen?" you asked, still standing in the middle of the road
>The lead pony approached, from the elegant nature of his uniform, you figured he was the one in charge
>"Is this your camp?" he asked
"Who's asking?" you replied
>He narrowed his eyes at you
>"Captain Aurelian of the first legion." he stated
>"I won't ask again, is this your camp?"
>A quick headcount showed thirty in his ranks
>Even if you could have managed to wake everyone up in time, you didn't like those odds
>For the moment, cooperation would have to do
"I'm staying in it," you said
"I don't know if that makes it mine necessarily."
>Aurelian looked at the camp, then back to you
>"That's a nice tent there. Fit for a king." he said, nodding toward Rex's tent
>You kicked at the dirt
"Suppose it is," you said
"what concern is it of the captain's?"
>Rex's tent flap opened, the old king poking his head out with a yawn
>"Anonymous? Who are you talking to?"
"I'm handling it, Rex." you called back
>Aurelian turned his attention to Rex
>"Rex as in, king Rex of Hayven?" he asked
>Rex emerged from his tent, still laden in his sleeping robe
>"Indeed, I see the empire has managed to track us down despite our unconventional route."
>Aurelian smirked, nodding to the ranks behind him
>Quickly, the soldiers encircled the camp
>You dropped what you were carrying and drew your hammer as the rest of the company began emerging from their tents
>You were surrounded
>Aurelian shook his head with a sigh
>"Lower your weapons, we mean you no harm." he said
>"We've come to escort you the rest of the way to the city."
"And what makes you think we want your help?" you replied
>Aurelian approached you, unfazed by your hammer
>"The fact that you won't make it there alive if you refuse." he said flatly
>He turned to the rest of your company, seemingly unafraid to turn his back to you, even with your weapon
>"You are all in grave danger."
>It was late afternoon by the time you reached the city
>You stared in awe at the towers of crystal surrounded by a city glistening in the falling sun
>The large, imposing walls surrounding the city obscured all but the magnificent tower at its center
>Surrounded by your escort of Imperial troops, onlookers watched anxiously as you marched straight for the palace
>Unlike Hayven, this city was clean, orderly
>Everything and everyone seemed to have a place, and like clockwork they went about their business, stopping only briefly to observe you as you passed
>By the time you reached the palace, the sun had nearly fallen behind the mountain range in the distance
>As you boarded an elevator platform in the palace, Aurelian finally spoke to your company again for the first time since the camp
>Since then he had spoken only to his subordinates, maintaining a distance from the rest of you
>"The emperor would see you tonight, rather than tomorrow." he explained
>"Weapons will not be permitted in the throne room, neither will your personal guard."
>Rex scoffed
>"Is that just a bit overcautious?" he asked
>"After all, he invited us here."
>Aurelian shook his head
>"Recent events dictate we exercise increased caution." he said
>"Additionally, only three of you will be permitted to appear before him."
>Rex thought for a moment
>"I suppose that makes sense." he finally said
>"Anonymous, Mason, you will join me in the-"
>Aurelian shook his head
>"The griffon will be escorted to an ambassador's room and placed under guard for the time being." he said
>Mason suddenly looked afraid
>"This is preposterous!" he protested
>"I am an emissary of Griffonia and I demand that-"
>Aurelian turned and stared him down
>"You are in no position to demand anything, you will not be harmed, but we must take certain measures to ensure our mutual safety." he said
>"There will be no debate on this matter."
>Mason opened his mouth to speak again, but seemed to think better of it and resigned himself to his fate
>Rex scratched his chin
>"Very well then, Iasa, you will join us then." he said
>She looked surprised
>"Me? But...but I don't-" she began
>"Just do me a favor, keep your comments to yourself unless spoken to." Rex said
>"Do it for Hayven."
>Iasa seemed to struggle with the request for a few seconds before sighing deeply and nodding
>"Yes, your majesty."
>The elevator stopped, and you exited into a circular hallway, a path on either side of you and a large door directly in front
>Aurelian nodded to the guards on his left, and they escorted Tawny and the other members of Rex's guard down the hall
>He then nodded to those on his right, who roughly pushed Mason in the other direction, alone
>He turned to the remaining three of you
>"You may leave your arms with me," he said
>"I cannot enter the throne room with you."
>You eyed the Warden's Fist warily
>You still were not convinced this wasn't a trap
>Aurelian noticed your hesitation, and held out a hoof
>"I assure you, your weapons will be returned to you once your meeting with the emperor has concluded. No harm will come to them, or you. I give you my word."
>His voice still held the tone of command, but it carried something deeper
>A hint of sincerity and understanding you had not noticed before
>You decided to trust him, though it wasn't like you had much choice
>Slowly, you handed him your hammer, and he accepted it with a slight nod
>"You may go inside," he said
>"the emperor is waiting for you."
_____________________________
>The large double doors opened, and your jaw nearly dropped
>What lay in front of you was a room of unimaginable beauty
>The crystalline walls seemed to glisten and shimmer even in the faint light of the falling sun, reflecting all the colors you could imagine
>The ceiling resembled the night sky, a deep blue studded with thousands of bright white gems that you swore were glowing of their own accord
>The floor beneath your feet was etched and carved into mesmerizing geometric patterns
>Lining the walls, stretching the full length of the room, were radiant bronze statues of crowned, robbed ponies standing in all manner of poses
>Each bared a plaque with the same odd script you'd seen down south
>Although even in your inexperience, you could see that this was more stylized, elegant
>Your eyes drifted around the room until finally it settled at the very back
>On an elevated position, backed by massive windows overlooking the darkening valley behind the city and the mountain range beyond, was a lone figure looking out over the city
>The closer you got, the figure still didn't turn around
>Each step you took seemed to echo through the room until finally you stood at the foot of the throne itself
>The three of you looked at each other, then back to the pony facing the windows
>What were you supposed to do?
>A few tense moments passed before finally Rex gave a small cough
>The figure in front of you perked up, quickly spinning around to face you
>Upon seeing the three of you, he sighed with relief
>"You must be my honored guests from Hayven," he said
>"welcome to my home."
>To your surprise, this pony, the ruler of what was supposed to be the most powerful country in this land, gave the three of you a deep bow so low that his violet robes nearly reached the ground
>"You must forgive my distraction, I was lost in prayer." he said as he rose, eying the three of you once again
>"I am Basil, emperor of the Crystal Empire, Lord of the North, and Protector of all Equestria."
>Rex stepped forward standing up as straight as he could, despite the crookedness of his age
>"And I am King Rex, of Hayven," he said
>"I'm not much for titles."
>The emperor smiled, his face radiated a calmness you were not expecting
>"Just as well, such things often go to the heads of many ponies. Our pride is a dangerous thing to feed." he said, turning his attention to you and Iasa
>His emerald eyes widened when he realized what he was seeing
>"My, my..." he said
>"Truly, this is an honor and a privilege."
>He took a few steps toward the two of you, examining you closer
>"Seeing either of your kind is a rare thing, but to have both in the same room?" he said
>"That is something else entirely."
>You thought you heard the faintest snort come from Iasa, causing you to tense up a bit
>Basil approached you first
>"What is your name, human?"
"Anonymous, your majesty." you said, not overly confident in your address
>You had only been dealing with royalty for a short time, you weren't sure how all these titles and formalities worked yet
>"I've read quite a bit about your kind," Basil replied
>"there are many stories of heroism and great deeds done by your people when working with ours. It is an honor to meet one of you."
>He then turned his attention to Iasa, who you could tell was supremely uncomfortable with the situation
>Basil smiled and took her hoof
>"My lady, this city has not hosted a pony like you in far too long. The friendship between Hollow Shades and the Crystal Empire is still recalled with great fondness in these halls." he said, kissing her hoof
>"If you require anything at all, I will personally see it done."
>Iasa's face was turning a bright red, and you could feel the steam practically flowing out of her ears
>"T-thank you..." she managed to squeak out
>You couldn't help but wonder if this was a feat of restraint, or something else
>Basil smiled and took his seat on the throne, looking down at the three of you
>"I realize that your coming here was under...unexpected circumstances." he explained
>"I apologize for that, but recent events have forced my hoof to ensure your safety."
>"Your captain said the same thing," Rex said
>"what's happened that we had to be brought here under guard?"
>Basil frowned, burying his face in his hooves for a moment before continuing
>"For months, we have been getting reports of discontent among some radical elements of the legions in the eastern provinces on the border of Griffonia," he said
>"yesterday morning, that discontent turned into mutiny."
"Mutiny?" you asked
>Basil nodded
>"The third and fourth legions have taken up arms against the Empire, declaring their own state in the east and marching into our lands, and against Griffonia." he explained
>"There was a skirmish not far from where we found you on the road yesterday morning, and I could not risk you falling into the hands of these traitors."
>Rex's face turned grim
>"What of our business, then?" he asked
>Basil sighed
>"I have not forgotten our arrangement, but this matter requires my full attention before our talks can begin."
"So...you're saying we're just going to sit here until your civil war is over?" you asked
>Basil shook his head
>"Not quite." he said
>"I am hoping to quell this rebellion before it gets out of control. Griffonia will no doubt seize this opportunity to invade Equestria proper under the pretext of defending itself. We must not let this happen."
>"We?" Iasa asked
>Basil nodded
>"My scouts indicate that the rebels are fractured, it should not be difficult to defeat them under such circumstances," he said
>"I would ask that you ride out with me to put an end to this, as a show of good faith and so that you can see that the Empire is capable of protecting you as we say we are."
>You and Iasa looked at each other
>Was this a joke?
>You just got here and now you were supposed to ride off again?
>Fight for someone you had only just met?
>"Very well then." Rex said, breaking your train of thought
>"We would be happy to accompany you."
>"We would?" Iasa asked
>Basil grinned happily
>"I'm glad you all agree." he said, standing up from his throne
>"Don't worry, the legions are strong, this will be a quick endeavor and then we can get on to our true business."
>He stopped for a moment, as if remembering something he had forgotten
>"I understand that you have brought the Blueblood crown with you, correct?"
>Rex nodded
>"Yes, we have the crown." he said
>Basil's eyes widened
>"May I see it?"
>You still had the crown in your bag, and you were hesitant to reveal it
>But as Rex nodded approvingly to you, so what choice did you have?
>You retrieved the crown, and held it up before the emperor
>He gazed at it with astonishment
>Truly, it was a thing of beauty to rival his own
>"So it is true...after all these years." he said, turning it in his hooves
>He pried his eyes away from the crown and looked at you
>"If only you knew how important this small thing of gold and stone is to our people," he said
>"you would understand what an honor it is to bear it."
>To your surprise, he handed it back to you
>"As an act of good faith, I will not request the crown stay in our hands until we have discussed our terms." Basil said to Rex, seeming to surprise even him
>Rex bowed slightly
>"Thank you, Basil." he said
>The emperor nodded at the three of you
>"You should all get some sleep," he said
>"we march at dawn."
____________________________
>A chill ran through you as the wind swept over the camp
>You hadn't experienced cold like this since you had arrived in Equestria, but the north was proving to be a much different animal than back down south
>For starters, the Crystal Empire retained one working railway leading to the east
>Apparently "marching" was just a figure of speech for Basil, who spent the majority of the ride with his advisors, keeping the rest of your company in the car next to his
>You weren't complaining about the easy trip, but you wished someone had told you how cold it was going to be
>As it stood, you were woefully under prepared, and it was too late to turn back
>Scouts had spotted a rebel force on the move toward the town of Fillybaeum
>The plan was to stop them here, before they could reach the town and cause any further damage
>Some of the company were clearly more excited about this than others
>"Can you believe it?" Tawny asked, walking beside you through the camp
>"An actual battle! Some of the imperial boys say it'll be a piece of cake."
>With Mason still back in the Imperial City, It seemed the young guard didn't have anyone else to bother except you
>Unsurprisingly, he was eager to put his training to good use
>You listened to him, but in the back of your head you wondered if he was truly prepared for this
>Were any of Rex's guard prepared for that matter?
>You had seen some of Hayven's guards in action in Canterlot...
>But those were nearly mindless zombies, not a trained and well equipped fighting force
>"I tell you, Anon, I feel like I could take on these guys all by myself!"
>You frowned
"How old are you, kid?" you asked through chattering teeth
>Tawny stuck out his chest
>"Eighteen." he said proudly
>"Youngest of the king's personal guard."
>You shook your head as the two of you finally found a campfire to warm yourselves by
"How long were you in training?"
>"About a month." he replied
"And you joined right out of school?"
>The young stallion laughed
>"School? Do I look like some fancy boy to you?"
>You rolled your eyes
>"What's wrong with being fancy?" Iasa asked, seeming to appear beside you out of thin air
>Tawny shrugged
>"I don't know, just don't seem to suit a tough guy like yours truly." he said with a wink
>Iasa feigned a gag
>"You better keep an eye on this one, Anon." she said, nudging you
>You gave a half-hearted smile, but kept your gaze in the fire
"Have you ever been in a real fight, Tawn?"
>For the first time, the young stallion seemed to hesitate
>"Well, I mean...no, but I've been trained!" he said, suddenly sounding defensive
>"How hard could it be?"
"You trained for a month, you're barely old enough to be here, and you've never so much as been in a fight?" you asked
>"So what?!" he protested
>You still had not pried your eyes away from the flames
"I just think maybe you shouldn't be so eager to get into battle." you said
"Getting in over your head is the worst thing a rookie can do."
>Tawny's face scrunched with anger
>"And what would you know abo-" he began before being cut off
>"Is there a problem over here?" Aurelian said as he approached, his armor shining like a mirror
>You shook your head
"No, Captain, I was just warning Tawny here not to be too eager to get into all this." you explained
>Aurelian looked at Tawny, his expression like a stone
>"Anonymous is right." he said
>"Our enemy is experienced and well equipped, do not underestimate them, or overestimate yourself."
>Tawny grumbled, but did not reply
>Aurelian turned his attention back to you
>"The emperor would like to speak to you, Anonymous." he said
>Figures, just as you were getting warm you were getting dragged back into the cold
"Sure," you said, standing up slowly to suck up as much of the warmth as you could before relinquishing your seat
"what's it about?"
>"Scouts just reported in, he sent me to bring you to him immediately."
"That's it?" you asked
>He nodded
>"I suppose we'll both know more soon enough."
>As you approached the emperor's tent, you saw a small group crowded around an altar that had been set up in the lot beside it
>Basil was front and center as what you could only assume to be a priest seemed to bless the crowd
>Aurelian nudged you
>"The emperor is a pious pony. He never goes on campaign without his chaplains, or a blessing before battle."
>The crowd began to disperse and Basil spotted the two of you watching the service, waving you over to him
>"Anonymous, it is good to see you. I trust you are finding our camp accommodations adequate?" he asked
>You nodded with a feigned smile
"They're as I expected, your majesty."
>Basil chuckled
>"I figured as much." he said
>"King Rex tells me you are a military man, correct?" he asked
>You nodded again, not quite sure where he was going with this line of questioning
>"Excellent, then I am not wasting my time by summoning you." he said
>"It appears that the enemy does not wish to waste any time, our scouts have spotted them on the move toward our camp as of this morning."
"And what does this have to do with me, exactly?" you asked
>Basil pointed to Aurelian
>"The good Captain here is in need of a junior officer for his cohort, I would ask that you assist him in this skirmish of ours."
>Aurelian looked confused
>"What happened to Lieutenant Lepidus?" he asked
>Basil shook his head
>"Lieutenant Lepidus has fallen ill and is unfit for service at this time, I have been assured of Anonymous's cooperation in this matter." he said, turning back to you
>"Or have I been misled?"
>You hesitated
>You didn't know the first thing about how these guys fought, how much help would you be in a commanding role?
"I, uh-"
>"Excellent, it's settled then." Basil said
>"By imperial decree, I proclaim you, Lieutenant Anonymous of the Imperial First Legion."
>Welp, so much for that
>Basil patted Aurelian on the shoulder
>"Go do what you do best, Captain." he said, turning back to the altar and bowing before it once more
>With a sigh, Aurelian looked to you
>"Come on then, we have work to do."
____________________________________
>"Form a line! Faster!" an imperial NCO shouted, corralling his section of the line into position
>You squinted into the distance from your position on the far left flank
>Aurelian decided to entrust you and Rex's guard with guarding the flank while he would command the center
>You were not alone, you still had imperial troops at your disposal, but the plan was to hammer the rebel forces with artillery from your position, speeding the enemy toward the makeshift fortifications that had been set up earlier that day
>Unfortunately, for all the advantages your artillery offered, there was a major problem
>Given the urgency of setting up the fortifications, there had not been time to properly cover or store the artillery shells, many of which which explosive
>They were simply rolled out into position and stacked up for use
>Functionally, your position occupied space with a massive bomb
>Uncomfortable as you were, there was no time for other arrangements
>Emerging from the fog, you could see the first of the enemy marching toward you
>You inspected your small contingent of troops
>Rex's guard seemed eager, but were unfamiliar with the imperial weapons they had been given
>Odd pike like contraptions with what looked like a small cannons mounted on the end
>If this was what Mason meant by this world's guns being primitive, you couldn't help but agree
>"Lieutenant Anonymous! Lieutenant Anonymous!" a runner called from behind you
"Yes, what's up?" you asked, not looking away from the massive formation marching toward you
>"Captain Aurelian wants the first volley launched in five minutes." he said, sounding nearly out of breath
"Understood, we'll get ready then."
>With a quick salute, the runner sped off back to the center
>You looked over to your cannons
>Old things, no real way of aiming them other than to point the massive steel tube in the direction of the enemy and fire
>You frowned
>This was not what you were trained for, but if you failed to stop these rebels here, they would march on to the towns behind you
>Not just the towns, but your own camp, where Iasa still remained
>Your world or not, you weren't about to let that happen
"Artillery, load 'em up!"  you ordered, the cannoneers heaving the massive shells into the tubes, packing them down as quickly as they could
>The enemy formations were coming into full view now
>You had been expecting an aerial assault like in Canterlot, but you didn't spot any pegasi among them
>Were they really going to march over an open field like this on foot?
>Maybe it would be an easy victory after all...
>You raised the Warden's Fist like an orchestra conductor about to commence a symphony
>With a glance at your watch, you saw the seconds ticking ever closer to your mark
>5...
>You heard more shouting from further down the line
>4...
>A few shots rang out, though you could not tell from where
>3...
>The enemy formation in front seemed to stop, setting up their own guns to return fire
>2...
>More shots from your side, closer this time
>1...
>Through the enemy ranks, a roar erupted as innumerable troops charged through the line of guns, running straight at your fortifications
"Fire!" you shouted as a massive, deafening boom cried forth from behind you
>You watched as the shells soared through the air, hurtling toward the enemy as they approached
>The shells exploded upon striking their marks, tearing through earth and flesh, whatever the shrapnel managed to find
>Cries of pain could be heard from the enemy formations, now reeling from the explosive shots
"Gunners, fire at will!" you ordered, having trouble hearing your own voice after the volley
>The line in front of you fired with their crude guns, sending a hail of bullets into the charging enemy, cutting down more than you expected
>You looked down the line, and it seemed to be holding well, none of the enemy wave had broken through
>Behind you, the cannoneers were reloading as fast as they could
>Your gunners fired off a second volley, cutting down even more of the soldiers out in the field in front of you
>"Anon!" you heard Tawny shout to you from the line
>"I told you this would be a piece of cake!" he said as he fired off another shot
>You shook your head, raising your hammer to call order your artillery to let loose once again
>For what seemed like an eternity, the cycle seemed to repeat itself
>The rebels would charge only to be cut down by volley fire and artillery shells
>Your watch said it had only been ten minutes, but time seemed to be lost in this place
>Suddenly, a loud horn bellowed out from the enemy lines, and you watched as they began to fall back, not quite out of sight, but definitely out of range
>"Look at them run!" a voice cried from the line
>"We did it, boys!"
>You looked through your binoculars at the enemy formations, reforming out of your range
>Something didn't sit right with you about this
>You broke your gaze on them for a moment to spot Tawny, looking exhausted, but in good spirits, smirking at you
>You opened your mouth to speak before something appeared in the corner of your eye
>Coming through the clouds, you began to see a swarm of shining dots
>In moments, those dots began to take shape
>Pegasi
>And they were rocketing straight toward you
"Heads up!" you shouted
>Your line saw the new threat approaching from above and scrambled to load their weapons
>The pegasi would be upon you in moments
"Fire at will!" you commanded
>A few shots rang out and you saw a lucky shot strike one of the pegasi, causing it to plunge to the ground
>As it hit the earth, you were caught off guard by the explosion that immediately followed upon impact
"What the f-" you began before a single pegasus broke through your line as they frantically tried to reload
>You spotted the bomb in its hooves just a moment before it collided with the stack of artillery shells behind the line
>There was a flash of light, a deafening roar, and then nothing
___________________________
>Your eyes slowly opened to a dark red haze surrounding you
>Trying to breathe, you choked on the sediment floating in the air
>Weakly, you pushed yourself up to your knees, fighting the urge to vomit from the splitting pain in your head
>What you could hear through the deafening ringing sounded like it was coming from under water
>You shook your head trying to banish the daze you seemed to be trapped in
>It was at that moment it came back to you
>The explosion
>You looked around rapidly trying to see through the dust
>A crater
>A massive crater was all that remained where your cannons had been
>Fire spread through the area and the ground was littered with the bodies of the dazed and the dead
>You climbed to your feet in time to see that most of the line appeared to have survived the attack, and were trying to regroup as best they could
>Just then, you heard the yells coming from your flank
>The rebels had regrouped, and now that you were vulnerable they were throwing everything they had at you
"Regrou-" you began to shout before bursting into a coughing fit
>Your lungs felt thick with dust, making it hard to breathe
"Regroup on me!" you finally managed to get out
>Over and over again you called out and what remained of your forces staggered over to you, not in much better shape than yourself
>There was no time to do much more than form a line
>You had to hold the flank, or the enemy would get behind the rest of the imperial troops
>Truly, you weren't even sure what the rest of the line was doing, or if they had fared the attack any better
>But right now, the only thing you could think to do was hold off this charge
>You stood with your troops, listening to the thundering hoofbeats rapidly approaching through the fire and the haze
>All of the sudden, you noticed the weight in your hand
>Your hand, reflexively gripping the Warden's Fist, was steady despite the rest of your body still reeling from the blast
>The enemy was almost upon you now
"Spear wall!" you ordered, barely able to hear yourself over the commotion
>The pikes seemed to fall into place just in time to catch the first wave as it crashed upon you
>A bayonet missed its mark, passing just over your ear as the enemy line smashed into yours
>Reacting as quickly as you could, you grabbed the gun, pulling it toward you with its wielder still holding onto it
>You yanked the pegasus holding it down to the ground, bringing your hammer down upon his helmet, and he fell
>You heard screaming and yelling on both sides of you as you saw pikes and bayonets poking and prodding back and forth, hooves flying and bucking, and ponies on both sides falling
>You continued to swing the Warden's Fist at the enemy waves as they crashed into you over and over
>Despite your disorientation, the hammer seemed to know just where to fall with every strike, piercing armor and crushing exposed limbs
>Even so, you could feel yourself being forced backward, toward the massive crater that the blast had left behind
>Glancing to your right and to your left, with little room to maneuver, you still couldn't see through the thick smoke and haze to the rest of the imperial forces
>What you did see, was Tawny, no longer looking confident as before, but with a look of madness in his eyes
>He thrust his pike erratically, smacking the enemy weapons out of the way more than striking back
>If he was any indication, your defense was not going to hold out much longer
>Before long, you felt your feet hit fall on uneven ground as you were backed against the slope of the crater
>You could not fall back any further
>Turning to climb up the slope would leave you exposed
>Staying would see you crushed between the earth and the waves of enemy soldiers pouring onto you
>A pike came thrusting forth from the enemy line and struck your shoulder, hitting the gap in your armor and cutting into your arm
>Through the adrenaline rush, you barely even noticed
>You tried to raise your arm to take another swing when you felt resistance, like someone was holding onto your sleeve
>You looked at it to see the spear still sticking through your sleeve and into the earth behind you, pinning you to the dirt wall
>Struggling against the spike holding you here, you looked back up to see another rebel leveling their pike, aiming direct at your face
>You closed your eyes, bracing for the thrust
>Suddenly, the sound of a horn broke through the noise of battle, turning all heads in its direction
>You had heard that horn before
>It was the same as the one in Canterlot
>You could hear the the thunder of hooves far on your flank as the horn blew
>The rebels now seemed panicked, falling back and relieving the pressure on your line
>Finally working yourself free, you watched as Imperial troops burst through the dust from the side, pushing the rebels into a full rout
>But from the other side, more Imperials appeared, cutting off their escape
>You watched as the two groups quickly encircled the rebels who had not already fled
>Within minutes, they began to throw down their weapons in defeat
>As the dust began to settle, and the morning fog lifted, you could see that the day was won
>Absentmindedly, you simply sheathed your hammer and turned to head back to camp
>You stopped as you spotted Tawny, who had only been a few feet away from you against the earthen wall of the crater
>He sat staring off into space, motionless, unblinking
>A bit of blood was running from his nose and mouth
>You waved a hand in front of his face
>No response
"Tawny, you alright?" you asked
>A slight cough was all the response he could muster
>With a frown, you grabbed a passing medic
"Get this one back to the camp, he's seen enough of this." you said, patting him on the back
>With one last look out at the battlefield, you finally saw the extent of the carnage
>The field was nearly covered with the fallen
>It appeared the rest of the line fared much better than yours
>You shook your head, and turned your back on the battlefield, limping back to camp
_________________________
>"Anon? Anon!" Iasa cried, charging you at full speed the moment you set foot in the camp
>Crashing into you with unexpected force with her embrace, you stumbled backward and fell onto your back
"Jesus-" you groaned, the adrenaline now wearing off and the aching radiating through your tired body
>"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she said, her voice trembling
>She quickly hopped off of you and her eyes dashed to your bleeding arm
>"You're wounded!" she cried
"It's...it's nothing." you groaned, sitting up and trying not to wince
>"It's not nothing, let me see."
>Pulling back your torn sleeve, Iasa gasped as she saw your wound
>"We need to clean this, now." she said, grabbing your arm, removing the armor and exposing the wound
>Pulling out her waterskin, she poured water over the wound, washing away the dried blood and grime from the area
>She retrieved a small jar and rubbed a small amount of orange substance onto the gash
>She caught your wince as you recoiled from the touch
>"Oh sit still, this could be a whole lot worse." she said, finishing off the coating
>"That root paste should help you heal faster." she explained, producing a roll of linen wrapping and covering the wound
>You looked at her as she went about her work
>There was something about her movements, her posture that you hadn't noticed before
>But you couldn't quite put your finger on what it was that seemed different
>Her eyes drifted up to yours, catching your stare
>They had a glassy look to them, as if she was on the verge of tears
>She threw herself around you once again, squeezing tightly around your waist
>"I'm just glad you're alive...."
>You hesitated for a moment, not sure how to respond
"Y-yeah, so am I..." you replied
>The two of you stood there in silence for a while, as if you were the whole world around you just paused
>"What about the others...?" she asked,, breaking the silence as she pulled away from you
"I...saw Tawny." you said
>You didn't know what else to tell her
>Now that you thought about it, you hadn't seen any of the other members of Rex's guard except for him
>"That's all?" she asked, her face suddenly heavy with sadness
>You nodded
"I lost track of most of them during the battle, he's the last one I saw by the time it was over." you explained
>Iasa looked around
>"Is he alright? Where is he?"
>What could you even say?
>Would she understand if you tried to tell her the state you saw him in?
>She had seen plenty of horrible things, but this...
"Tawny will be okay, he's probably just resting in the medical tent." you said
>She sighed with relief
>"Thank Celestia..." she said
>"Anonymous." you heard from behind you
>It was Aurelian, his once shiny armor now covered in a layer of dust and dirt, but looking otherwise no worse for wear
>"Join me at the emperor's tent."
>You nodded to him, turning back to Iasa
"Do you want to come with?"
>She shook her head
>"I'm going to head over to the medical tent and try to find Tawny, I'm sure the medics could use some help as well." she replied
>"Come find me when you're done, alright?"
"Of course." you said, turning to follow Aurelian
>The two of you walked in silence through the camp
>Many of the soldiers had returned by now, and the mood was one of celebration
>"I saw what happened to your end of the battle line," Aurelian said suddenly
>"you have my condolences. Your guards fought with great valor in the face of unexpected force."
"Thank you, but they were Rex's guards. I just wish I could have gotten more of them through it." you replied
>You hadn't even seen Rex since returning to the camp
>Did he know?
>Would he blame you?
>Aurelian seemed to read your thoughts as he spoke again
>"You shouldn't dwell on it. You handled a bad situation as well as any officer could be expected to." he said
>"It's because of your efforts that we were able to rally and win."
>You couldn't believe you hadn't thought of that
>You had been on the flank
>If you had failed to hold the line, the rebels would have gotten behind the Imperial troops
>If that had happened...
"Thank you, I didn't realize..."
>Aurelian looked straight ahead toward your destination
>"They'll be honored as heroes in the Empire, as will you." he said as you approached the emperor's tent
>"Are you ready?"
>You sighed and nodded to him
>The two of you stepped inside
>Basil was speaking to two magistrates as you approached, drawing his attention to you
>"Captain, Anonymous, I am overjoyed to see you!" he said with an almost musical tone to his voice
>"I take it that the battle has been won then? After all you don't appear to be in any hurry." he chuckled
>Aurelian bowed his head
>"Yes, your majesty. The rebel forces have been defeated, we were able to secure small number of prisoners."
>Basil looked at Aurelian in confusion
>"A...small number?" he asked
>Aurelian did not raise his head
>"The rebels were persistent, they did not relent as quickly as we had hoped."
>Basil suddenly looked worried
>"I see...and the casualties?"
>Aurelian finally looked up at Basil
>"Heavy, my lord." he said
>"Both the rebels and our own soldiers."
>Basil stood motionless, his eyes looking straight into Aurelian's
>"I...I see." he said after a few tense moments
>"Thank you, Aurelian, you are dismissed."
>"But, your-" Aurelian began, cut off as Basil put up his hoof
>"You are dismissed, Captain."
>For the briefest second, you thought you saw a flash of disappointment on the normally stoic officer's face
>But as quickly as it had come, it was gone, and with a slight bow, Aurelian exited the tent, leaving you with Basil
>His gaze turned to you, and he grinned weakly
>"I see you had quite a time out there." he said, gesturing to your wound
"It was...something." you said
>His eyes lowered, as if to avoid your stare
>"Your friend, the night pony. Did she take care of that for you?" he asked
>You nodded
"Yes, your majesty. Seems to be becoming a bit of a habit of ours." you joked
>His face brightened just a bit at that
>"I imagine she will not be too happy with me for putting her friends in harm's way." he said
>"Truth be told, I am not happy about it either. My entire reign, I have striven to cause as little harm as possible," he explained
>"but it seems that not even emperors can control their destiny."
>You stood there in silence, unsure of what to say
>"My father wanted my brother and I to be great conquerors, one to rule at home, the other to reclaim the birthright of all Equestrians." he went on, seeming to speak more to the air than to you
>"My brother...he always did take to his duty to our father more than I did. Perhaps I am naive, but I always sought to compromise, to placate dissent...but now we can see how well that has served my people."
"What happened to him? Your brother?" you asked, not wanting to pour the proverbial salt into the wound
>"I had him stripped of his rank and nearly imprisoned for disobeying my orders to stand down during the last rebellion the empire suffered." Basil said
>"I couldn't bear to see my soldiers raise their weapons against our own people, no matter how far they had strayed. I was committed to peace at any cost...even if that meant temporary hardship would be endured by some."
>He turned to you
>"But my brother, he refused to watch any suffering be endured when he could stop it, even if it meant inflicting greater suffering on our misguided brethren."
>You frowned
"Sometimes we have to do things we'd rather not in order to protect people." you said
>Basil sighed
>"A lesson I have struggled to accept ever since I became emperor." he sighed
>"I have often wondered how our country would have fared had he been in my place."
>He turned his back to you
>"A small garrison will remain here to placate the area and protect the population against any remaining rebel holdouts. We will be heading back to the Imperial City in the morning, and conclude our business."
_____________________________________________
>You exited Basil's tent, nearly blinded by the sunlight
>So this was it, the final stretch
>Once you finished this business back in the Imperial City, you were sure you would be nearly home free
>Home...
>At that moment, it occurred to you that you should probably begin a report on your findings for your return
>For the first time since you arrived, you felt like you were genuinely making progress in your mission
>You took out a small pad and pen from your pack and began jotting down notes about everything you'd seen and experienced
>From the world itself, to the individuals you'd met, you wrote down everything that came to mind as you made your way to the medical tent
>"Whatcha doing?"
>Your head shot up as you heard Iasa's voice, breaking your concentration
>She was standing just outside the tent, looking at the pad in your hand
"Oh, just, uh...writing my report." you replied, stuffing it into your pocket
>She cocked her brow at you
>"Report?" she asked
>You nodded
"For when I get home." you said
>Iasa smirked, but her eyes betrayed her smile
>"Always on work-mode, aren't you?"
>You shrugged
"That's funny coming from you." you said
>She rolled her eyes
>"Well excuse me for trying to look out for the guy stumbling through an alien world."
>You chuckled
>She had a point, most of her attitude really did seem to center around keeping you out of trouble
"Did you find Tawny?" you asked
>Her smile seemed to drop a bit, and she nodded
>"Yeah, he's...had a difficult time." she said
>"No major injuries, he's just..." she continued, trailing off
>"maybe you should see for yourself."
>The two of you entered the tent, walking between the rows of cots
>Soldiers lay recovering from, most seemed to be in good spirits considering
>Finally, you came to Tawny's cot, and you saw him
>His eyes just continued to stare straight off into space
>The blood had been cleaned off his face, but he looked just as dazed as he had when you found him on the field
>"He hasn't said a word," Iasa said
>"my expertise is in disease, but I think he's in shock."
>You waved your hand in front of Tawny's face
"Tawny?" you asked
"Can you hear me, kid?"
>The young stallion only blinked in response
>Iasa sighed
>"I've seen similar reactions before, during an outbreak in one of Hayven's outlying villages." she said
>"Some ponies just...shut down."
>You frowned
"Is he going to be alright?" you asked
>She shrugged
>"Physically he'll be okay, mentally..."
>The two of you stood in silence, looking at Tawny laying nearly motionless on the bed
>Only the movement of his breathing and the occasional blink letting you know he was even alive
>You put your hand on his shoulder
"We'll be heading back to the Imperial City tomorrow, kid." you said reassuringly
"God knows those folks are going to treat you and the other guys like heroes for what you did this morning. The ladies love a war hero, you know."
>Iasa cocked a brow at you and opened her mouth to respond
>Suddenly, you saw the end of Tawny's mouth curl just the slightest bit
>You grinned
>Patting him on the shoulder, you motioned to Iasa to follow you
"Nothing to lift the spirit like a little lovin'." you said
"Young guy like him, he'll get through this."
>Iasa rolled her eyes
>"You males are really something else." she said
>The two of you exited the tent, a loud whistle rang out in the distance, but you didn't pay it much attention
"Basil said we'd be concluding our business tomorrow." you said
"Looks like Equestria might be reunited after all."
>Iasa grumbled something under her breath
>You looked at her questioningly
"You're not happy about it." you said
>"I just don't think we should be too quick to trust him." she replied
>You frowned at her
"You hold him responsible for what happened to Hollow Shades?"
>She sighed
>"He wasn't even alive when that happened." she said
>"But his father was, and he doesn't seem to have any issue with that."
>You held your hand out to stop her as a group of soldiers ran past you, nearly trampling the two of you
"I know I've got no real stake in this...but I feel like you should give the guy a chance." you said, watching as they passed
"He's his own man after all. He seems to be committed to doing right by you guys."
>Iasa scoffed
>"Yeah, well, some ponies will say anything to convince you they're not so bad." she said
>"As for me, I'll believe it when I see good reason to."
>Suddenly, a party of soldiers came rushing over to you, led by Aurelian
>"Anonymous, Iasa, the two of you need to come with me." he said, his voice slightly alarmed
"What's going on?" you asked
>"Your king has been placed under quarantine," he said
>"he has the plague."
_________________________________

>"Make sure it fits tight, you don't want any exposed skin if you can help it." Iasa said, rummaging through the camp's medical supplies
>You stood there pulling on your garments
>They were meant to protect you from exposure to the plague when in contact with a patient, but this outfit was clearly not made with humans in mind
>Instead, you had been wrapped in the protective wardrobe of a large stallion, quickly modified to accommodate your shape at all
"I don't think this is going to work..." you said
>Iasa shook her head
>"It has to, you have no other safe way of getting close to Rex." she explained
>"At this stage of the disease it is highly contagious, it's not like those changelings were."
>You scratched your head
"Those guys weren't contagious?"
>Iasa sped past you as she threw on her own protective gear
>"The plague takes a few different forms after it manifests itself. The early stage is when it is most contagious, those changelings were in the very late stage of the psychosis infection. They were not likely able to spread it anymore." she said, motioning toward you
>"Otherwise we'd have shown signs of it by now."
>Well, that was reassuring
>You put out a hand and caught her as she tried to speed by you again
>She looked up at you and even through her goggles, you could tell she was panicking
"He's going to be alright," you said
>"you'll be able to fix him."
>Through the red tint of her goggles, you could see her eyes drop to the floor
>"Yeah..."
"Is there something wrong...?" you asked
>She shook her head
>"No, you're right. I'm just worried." she said, grabbing the last of her supplies before making for the exit
>The two of you stepped out into the sunlight where Aurelian stood waiting for you
>"We need to hurry. This infection has been quarantined but we need to get it under control before any of the others hear about it." he said
"What do you mean, "under control", exactly?" you asked
>Aurelian grimaced at you
>"If the two of you can't manage this, we cannot risk bringing your king back to the city. He would put the whole capital in danger."
>You were baffled
"You would leave him here?"
>Aurelian sighed
>"There is no way I would endanger the lives of everyone in the Imperial City by bringing the plague into it." he explained
>"If we cannot fix this, we will have no other choice."
>Iasa seemed to tense up even more
>"I can treat the disease, Captain, but you have to understand that there is no instant-"
>Aurelian shook his head
>"There's no time, you two need to speak to him now, in case he deteriorates too quickly." he said
>"An old pony like that, there's no telling how long he's got."
>The three of you quickly passed through the camp toward the quarantine zone
>Aurelian's elite guard blocked off the area, now abandoned compared to the cluttered nature of the rest of the camp
>As you approached Rex's tent, your mind began racing
>What if Rex died?
>What would this mean for Haven?
>Should you even be going in there?
>You stopped at the entrance, looking to Aurelian
>"Whenever you're both ready." he said, gesturing toward the flap
>You looked down at Iasa
>"Well...here goes nothing." she said, stepping in first before popping her head back out to halt you
>"Don't. Touch. Anything."
>You weren't going to object
>You figured it would probably be best for you to just play this one safe and let the professional handle it
>Stepping into the tent, you saw it almost immediately
>Rex lay on his bed, and even from across the tent, you could see the rapid spread of the disease
>His mouth hung open, and he looked drenched in sweat
>Buboes had already begun to form and spread over his face
>He hadn't acknowledged your presence yet, and you weren't sure how to proceed
>You nudged Iasa, who stood as frozen as you were
>She did not move, only her mouth dropped open
>"I've never seen it spread so fast..."
>Well, there's a first time for everything
>You would have been happy to let this one go to someone else though
_____________________________________

"Iasa?" you said, prodding her again
"Iasa, we have to do something."
>She shook her head and took a deep breath
>"Okay...let's get a closer look." she said
>The two of you slowly approached the bed, your eyes locked on your friend
>"By Celestia..." Iasa gasped
>"This isn't normal, it takes days for the disease to do this..."
"Well, something's changed, that's for sure." you said with a shrug
"Poor guy..."
>Iasa stepped up to Rex's bedside, examining the buboes on his face
>"Anon, grab bring me my bag." she said, not taking her eyes off of him
"You got it, boss." you replied, taking your place beside her
>You placed the medical bag on the bed in front of her
>If anyone could do something about this, it was Iasa
>You just hoped that she had whatever she needed to do it
>She dug through the bag, producing a jar with a muddy looking substance inside
>You eyed the jar
"What is that?" you asked
>"Blackroot paste, I've used it to help reduce the swelling of the lymph nodes." she explained
>Quickly, she rubbed some of the thick goop onto Rex's neck and jaw where the buboes had formed
"And, that's just something that works immediately or..."
>She glared at you
>"Don't be ridiculous, Anon, this is going to take a while."
>She put her hoof on Rex's forehead
>"He's burning up..." she said
>"Anon, can you get me a wet rag?" she asked
>You nodded and went looking for a cloth to use
>Your eyes darted around the room, searching for anything that would work
>Suddenly, an idea struck
>You rifled through the laundry basket by the exit, finding a fine linen shirt
>Quickly, you tore it in half, producing a loud ripping sound
>Iasa looked at you in surprise
>"Anon, what the hell?" she asked
"What? I don't think he's gonna miss one shirt." you replied
>You took the rags and dunked them in the water bucket next to the laundry
>Once they were soaked, you brought them over to Iasa
>With a shake of her head, she lay one of the rags across Rex's forehead
>"Sorry Rex, we're doing our best with what we've got..." she said, mostly to herself it seemed
>The thick goop squished and squelched as it covered Rex's skin
>When she seemed satisfied, Iasa stepped back, taking a deep breath
>"Alright...now we-"
>With a snarl, Rex shot up from the bed and grabbed at Iasa
>"Holy shit!" she cried, stumbling backward
>Rex leapt off the bed and fell to the floor, still snarling and snapping after her
>Quickly, you jumped onto his back, trying to pin the stallion to the floor
"Iasa, what the fuck is this?!" you shouted, surprised at the strength the old stallion fought you with
>"Ps-psychosis!" she cried, quickly getting up off the floor and running back to her bag
>She tore through it, searching desperately for anything that might be of use
>"No...no...damn it!" she shouted, a myriad of jars and vials falling out of the bag
>You felt your grip on Rex loosening as he continued to violently struggle against you
>A glint in the corner of your vision drew your attention to the side, and you saw it
>The small vial Starswirl had given Iasa
>You looked back to her, only to see her still tearing through the bag
"Fuck it," you thought to yourself
"what's the worst that could happen?"
>With all the strength you could muster, you wrapped one arm around Rex, attempting to keep him from escaping, and reached for the vial
>It was so near, but so far as you strained to hold onto the thrashing stallion
>Just as you felt that Rex would break free from your grasp, your fingers wrapped around the vial and quickly snapped it toward you
>You pulled off the cork with your teeth, and pulled back the old stallion's head
>With his mouth gnashing and snapping, you watched for your opportunity
>As you saw his mouth open for a split second longer than the others, you poured a bit of the unknown liquid down his throat
>With a gurgling gag, Rex immediately stopped struggling and began writhing on the ground
>You still pinned him to the floor as he did, not sure what you had done, but not willing to give up just yet
>It was at this point that Iasa noticed what you had done
>"What did you do?!" she shouted, rushing to your side
"I-I couldn't hold him," you said
"I had to do something."
>Slowly, the gurgling stopped, and Rex became very still
>You looked at Iasa, but she was still staring in shock at the old stallion on the floor
>You got off of Rex slowly and the two of you watched him lie there
>Moments passed, but they felt like an eternity
>"Anon, do you see that?" Iasa asked, pointing at Rex
>You looked more closely at the stallion, trying to see what she was showing you
>Then you noticed very subtle movement
>He was breathing
"He's alive!" You said, quickly dashing to his side, flipping him over onto his back
>Rex lay there, breathing raggedly with his mouth wide open
>The two of you stared down at him, and watched as his eyes slowly opened
>Almost immediately, all traces of the plague began to disappear from the old king's face
>"Iasa...Anonymous..." he gasped, his voice sounding as if he'd spent a day breathing nothing but dust
>"I had...the strangest dream..."
>You and Iasa looked at each other, relief finally displacing your fears
>"You'll have to tell us later, Rex." Iasa said
>"You need to get some rest."
____________________________________

>You sat in your seat, gazing out of the window of your booth as the train sped you back toward the Imperial City
>The night sky was as clear as you'd ever seen it, even back home
>Streaks of light zipped across the blackness, making it seem as if the stars were falling from their places
>You were so enthralled by the spectacle that you didn't notice the hoofsteps approaching you
>"Meteor shower." Aurelian said
>"It's rare that the skies are clear enough to see them these days."
>You smiled, not tearing your vision away from the sky
"I remember watching one of these back home. A long time ago." you replied
>Aurelian took a seat across from you in the booth
>He let out a deep sigh as he did, looking out at the sky with you
>The two of you sat there for a moment watching in silence
>"What you two did, back in the camp..." he said, turning his attention back to you
>"Nopony has ever managed to actually *cure* the scourge before."
>You smirked
"Nobody?"
>He shook his head
>"It seems to be something of a miracle. A gift from God."
>You turned to him
"Or from a wizard..."
>Aurelian narrowed his eyes at you
>"A wizard?" he asked
>You nodded
"Starswirl the Bearded gave us that vial of...whatever it is." you said
"He said that Iasa would know what it was but...she says she doesn't."
>Aurelian looked back out the window
>"Perhaps your meeting with this wizard was not a coincidence."
>You chuckled
"I didn't take you for a man of faith, Aurelian."
>He turned back to you, and you swore you could almost see something of a smile at the corner of his mouth
>"In days like these, a little bit of faith can mean the difference between standing and falling. I would rather stand, if I have any say in the matter."
>You smiled at him
"That's pretty deep for a military man."
>"Yes, well, we're all more than just our station in life, Anonymous."
>You looked back out at the sky
>The meteors continued to zoom across the sky
>Weren't these only supposed to last a few minutes?
"I guess you're right about that." you said softly, still enraptured by the sight
>A few more moments passed, and the two of you were quiet
>"He won't make it through the night." Aurelian finally said
>You looked at him, confused
"What are you talking about?"
>The captain suddenly looked very sad, but not turning his eyes away from you
>"You two cured your King of the plague...but it had already ravaged his body." he explained
>"Old as he is...the strain took a heavy toll."
>You shook your head
"No...he was fine, we took care of-"
>"Anonymous," he said, putting up his hoof
>"Nopony blames you for this. The two of you did something incredible...but we can only do so much."
>It couldn't be true
>After all that, Rex was dying?
>You shook your head in disbelief, and looked back out the window
>Aurelian gave you a few moments before speaking again
>"I just wanted to let you know...before...that what you did was extraordinary, and you have no reason to feel guilt over it."
>You got out of your seat and started toward Rex's car
>Surely this couldn't be true?
>You had to see it for yourself
>As you walked up to the door of the car, you stopped
>Your hand hovered over the knob, and you sighed
>If it was hitting you like this, you could only imagine what Iasa was going through
>She was closer to Rex than anyone here
>You braced yourself, and stepped inside
>The car was quiet, with only a few of Rex's guard and Iasa there to watch over him
>As you approached, Iasa saw you, giving you a weak smile
>Her eyes were red and glassy
>"Anon, I was just telling Rex how much better he was looking." she said
>"Isn't he looking like his old self again?"
>You looked at Rex, who seemed barely able to keep his eyes open
>He didn't look good
>Though the traces of the plague were gone, for the first time you saw a truly old pony laying on that bed
>His energy, the glow that had once surrounded him, it was gone
>You stepped beside Iasa and tried your best to keep a happy face
"How are you feeling?" you asked
>Seconds passed as Rex seemed to gather his strength for a reply
>"I haven't felt this...beat...since the morning after my coronation party..." he said, a slight chuckle escaping his lips
>That chuckle quickly turned into a cough, sounding from the depths of his lungs it seemed
>"Anonymous, Iasa...I need to speak to you alone for a minute." he said, putting up a hoof and waving off his guard
>As the guards filed out of the room, the old king looked at the two of you, briefly seeming to regain his strength
>"I want you to know...I am thankful for everything you have done for Hayven in the short time I have known you, Anonymous. I wish that there was something I could do to repay you." he said
>"But, there is one last service I must ask of you and Iasa, one that I trust you will do for a dying pony."
>You nodded
"Of course, Rex. What is it?" you asked
>"Do you...still have that crown?" he asked
>You reached into your bag and produced the Blueblood crown, the gold gleaming in the light of the car
>He smiled
>"Funny how such a simple thing can create such a fuss...isn't it?" he said
>His eyes locked onto the crown, and his face suddenly turned very serious
>"This crown will ensure my people a fair deal with the Empire...I need you to make sure this happens."
>He turned to Iasa
>"I know that you have your issues with the Empire, my friend. But you must find it in your heart to do what's best for Hayven..."
>Tears streamed down Iasa's face, and her face contorted in anguish
>"I...I'll try, Rex..." she said
>Rex reached out and touched her hoof, trying to comfort her
>"I am putting my trust in the two of you...please see that my life's work was not in vain..."
>His eyes closed, and Rex let out a long breath, his hoof slipping form Iasa's
>Iasa's eyes went wide and she quickly shook him
>"Rex? Rex!" she cried
>His mouth opened just a bit, his voice barely more than a whisper
>"Just...a moment..."
>Then he was still, and you knew that Rex was gone
>Iasa could tell too, and she laid her head on the bed, sobbing quietly into the bed as she held onto Rex's hoof
>You stepped back from the bed and sat down at the small table at the side of the car
>You tore your eyes away from Iasa as she mourned her king, and turned back to the night sky out the window beside you
>There were no more meteors falling now, only the twinkling stars against the sea of darkness
______________________________________

>You stared across the round table in silence as you waited for Basil to finish his prayer
>You shifted in your seat, causing it to creak under your weight a bit
>Iasa quickly jabbed your arm, narrowing her eyes at you with a sideways glance
>When they told you that this meeting was starting promptly, you hadn't been expecting to be sitting around a bunch of strangers in silence
>Finally, Basil opened his eyes and unclasped his hooves
>"Are we ready to begin?" he asked
>Affirmative nods bobbed around the table, and with a drawn out sigh Basil began
>"Though God has seen fit to challenge us with further heartbreak in the wake of our esteemed ally's death, we all know the importance of this meeting for the future of our nation." he said
>"Nations." Iasa said quietly
>Basil smiled and nodded quickly
>"Unfortunately so, but let us hope to make strides here in mending this...separation." he replied
>His eyes turned to you
>"As the deceased's appointed representatives, this monumental task falls upon the two of you to help decide what good may come from these negotiations. Do you understand the gravity of this situation?"
>You hesitated
>You had only been in this place for a short time, and now here you were possibly with a country's future in your hands
>Only a madman would believe he truly understood it
"I think...I think Iasa is probably the one that you should be asking that." you said
"She's the one who has lived here her whole life, after all."
>Iasa smiled at you
>"Rex appointed both of us, Anon." she said
>"I trust his judgement. If he thinks-"
>You saw her recoil a bit as she realized her mistake
>"...thought you will help do what's best for Hayven, so do I."
>"As do I." Basil added
>You took a deep breath and shrugged
"Then yes, I guess I do." you said reluctantly
>"Very good." Basil said
>"Then let us move on to our first order of business."
>Basil lifted up his hoof and called forward one of his servants
>The servant laid down a piece of parchment on the table, and magically pushed it toward you and Iasa on the other side
>"Hayven showed its commitment to our alliance in battle, shedding southern blood in defense of Imperial lives and livelihoods." Basil said
>"For that, we owe them a great debt, no matter what else happens here."
>You read over the parchment
>It contained all manner of legal jargon and and numbers you didn't quite understand
>Iasa, too, looked a little confused
>"What is all this?" she asked
>"A promise." Basil replied
>"In your hands is a written commitment from the Empire to provide monetary aid and support to Hayven over the course of the next five years, no strings attached."
"What sort of support?" you asked
>"Anything from infrastructure development to defense, the Empire intends to repay its debt to our friends in the south."
>You were shocked
"And that's just a gift? There's nothing you want in return?"
>Basil shook his head
>"Not a thing."
>"And at the end of that five years?" Iasa chimed in
>Basil sighed
>"After the end of the term, the Empire would no longer provide the same level of aid, barring additional treaties and agreements which I'm sure would arise."
>Iasa looked at you
>"I don't see anything wrong with this, do you?"
>You shook your head
>How could it hurt?
>This seemed very generous, given the level of Hayven's involvement in containing the rebellion
>"Of course, there are ways in which this sort of relationship could become more...permanent." Basil mused
>There it was, the moment you knew was coming
>"I can ask my citizens to dig deep in the aid of an ally for so long...but to aid their own countrymen..." he said
>"A formal unification between the north and the south would open the door for indefinite assistance and cooperation between us. In time, Hayven and the lands surrounding it would be restored to their former glory."
>There it was, the pitch
>You could feel Iasa tense up next to you
>"And if we aren't so sure we want to join you?" she asked
>Basil shrugged
>"Then we cannot say for sure what sort of relationship will exist. The Empire means no ill will toward our southern brethren, but we must look after Imperial citizens first, wouldn't you agree?"
>Iasa narrowed her eyes at Basil
>Basil coughed and shifted his eyes to you
>"Anonymous, what do you think?"
>Your heart froze
>Well, shit
___________________________________________________

>Any confidence in this process you had just went out the window
>You had to think fast
"What about Mason?" you asked
"What's going to happen with him?"
>Basil looked at you, confused
>"What? What does he have to do with any of this?"
>You folded your hands on the table, trying to appear as if you were doing anything but stalling
"I just want to know what you all have planned for him, he helped me when I got here, I need to know he'll be treated well."
>Basil looked around at his advisors, who all collectively shrugged
>"The griffon will stay here as our guest until we have determined the exact nature of his visit here." Basil said
"Uh huh, and how long will that take?"
>Basil furrowed his brow and sighed
>"These matters are complicated, Anonymous, there isn't really any way that I could-"
>With an exaggerated motion, you threw your hands in the air
"Well, I don't know if I can really give my approval to any sort of deal unless I know that a good friend will be treated fairly." you said
“In fact,” you continued
“I would like to see him now, it’s been days since you took him into custody.”
>The room stood so still that not even the air seemed to move
>Everyone around the table, even Iasa, stared at you wide eyed
>”Very well,” Basil said, finally breaking the silence
>”we will reconvene this meeting in the morning after you have met with your friend and assuredly concluded that he is being treated very well.”
>Derailment complete
>Commitment: Avoided
>As you and Iasa walked down the halls toward Mason’s room, you noticed her eyes kept shifting to you
>”What was all that about?” she asked
“What was what about?” you replied
>She shook her head at you
>”Don’t give me that, you know exactly what I’m talking about.” she said
>”Why didn’t you tell Basil what you thought?”
>You shrugged
“Look, I just didn’t feel ready to make a decision like that, okay?” you said
“This is way above my pay grade.”
>Iasa sighed
>”Well, we’re going to have to get ready. Rex trusted this decision to us.”
>The two of you stopped in front of the ambassador’s room, a guard on either side
>”Only one at a time.” one of the guards said
>You and Iasa looked at each other
>”Well, go ahead. This was your idea anyway.” She said
>You looked to the guard, then back at her
>She smiled at you
>”I’ll be fine, I’ll wait for you right here.” She said reassuringly
>You nodded to her and twisted the door handle, walking into the room
>The Ambassador’s chambers were as extravagant as you’d come to expect from the Imperials
>Crystalline walls and gilded furniture abound, the grandeur bordered on gaudiness
>”I’m surprised they let you in here,” Mason’s voice drifted in from the far side of the room
>He sat beside a roaring fire, turning to greet you
>”awfully pleasant way to treat a prisoner.”
>You shrugged, still standing near the doorway
“Supposedly this is for your own protection.” You said
“How are you holding up?”
>Mason held up his book
>”I’ve had plenty of time to do some reading, say what else you will, but the Imperial library is magnificent.”
>You smirked and walked over to join him
>”Well, that and my other visitor has been keeping me company.”
>You stopped, noticing for the first time that the chair beside Mason’s was occupied
“Other visitor?” you asked
>”I believe you two have already met.” Mason replied as the other occupant twisted to see you
“Starswirl?!”
>The ancient wizard stood to face you, giving you a slight bow
>He looked calm, but his eyes told you he was troubled
>”Hello again, Anonymous. I see you’ve really been making a name for yourself around these parts since we last met.” He said
“Yeah, well, I mostly feel like I’m kind of just along for the ride to be honest.” You replied
>Starswirl gave you a slight smirk before approaching
>”So I’ve heard.” He said
>”Starswirl has been making his way here since shortly after the rest of you left for the battle,” Mason said
>”He and I have been doing some digging into this plague of yours.”
>You cocked your brow at Starswirl
“Have you?”
>”Indeed.” Starswirl said
>”And, I’m afraid our findings have been rather…grim.”
>Oh, great
>Good news
“How do you mean?” you asked
>Starswirl beckoned you to the seat, inviting you to sit down
>This must be FANTASTIC news
>”I will not bother you with the trivialities Anonymous, but you must be made aware of the situation.” Starswirl said
>”This plague…it is no normal disease. It is not caused by any pathogen or other worldly force.”
>Worldly force?
>What could he mean?
“I’m not sure I follow you…” you said
>”Mason, bring me that book of yours.” Starswirl said
>Mason dutifully got up bringing the rather aged looking tome to you
>Your eyes drifted over it
>It was old indeed, but you were surprised that you could read the title
“Spirits?” you read out loud
>Starswirl’s horn began to glow, and the book in your hands snapped open, the pages flipping until it stopped on one name
>Pestis
>The Rotten One
“What is this?” you asked
>Starswirl’s face grew dark
>”An ancient evil,” he said
>”one that will end all life in Equestria if we do not stop it.”
___________________________________

>"Anon, I don't think that this is a good idea, we don't even know if this is legit." Iasa said, pacing back and forth as you quickly threw your bag together
>You sighed
"Iasa, Starswirl is an ancient wizard with God knows how many years of knowledge in that head of his. I think we can trust him when he says something like some kind of evil demon or whatever is trying to destroy the world." you said
"We need to go check this out and be absolutely sure."
>She put her hoof to her face with a groan
>"The emperor isn't going to wait very long for our decision. Hayven is counting on us to see this through."
>You couldn't believe your ears
>Was she even listening to you?
"The WORLD is counting on us if this Pestis guy is actually back."
>"It's superstition Anon." Iasa insisted
>"Starswirl has spent too much time buried in that library of his, the world isn't like it was back then, and mythical beings don't just appear out of nowhere like they do in the old stories."
>You threw your pack over your shoulder
"Are you willing to bet the world on that?" you asked
"Because last I checked, people couldn't travel between different worlds or whatever, yet here I am. This doesn't sound too far fetched."
>She frowned, but picked up her bag
>"Fine, but if this turns into some wild goose chase..."
>As you opened the door, you were greeted by Aurelian's face
>But he wasn't alone
>Starswirl and Mason stood at his sides
>"Your friends here had quite a story for me when I checked in."
"Aurelian? I-"
>He put his hoof up to silence you
>"Don't worry, Anonymous. I'm not here to stop you. I want to help you." he said
>"My father often told me stories about the ancients, including this spirit you seek. I think that this wizard may be on to something."
>You shot a quick "told you so" look at Iasa
>Her face scrunched up as she listened
>"Imperial physicians have been unable to find any biological source of the plague in their travels, and with the city having been clear of infection, there has been little incentive to venture out and put themselves in harms way." Aurelian explained
>"With the case of your king...I think it is high time we get out there and stop this plague before it returns."
"Won't the emperor want you here?" you asked
>He looked to Mason
>The griffon has information that may prove useful to the Empire. He may leave under guard. The city will be fine in my absence."
>You smiled at the captain
"How convenient." you said
"Where to first, then?" you asked Starswirl
>"There is a ruin to the north of here, at the foot of the Crystal Mountains. It may hold the answers we seek...or at least point us in the right direction." he said
>"It will take us several days to reach, no train runs that far north anymore."
"Well then," you said
"let's hit the road."
>...
>Three days
>Three days had passed, and for the last one and a half all you had seen for miles in any direction was the tundra of Equestria's northern reaches
>Not a soul had passed your small company since
>A bitter wind blew right through your camp, threatening to extinguish the fire keeping you from freezing
>Starswirl had retired to his tent, but the rest of you sat around the fire, staring into the flames
>"How much further do you think we are?" Iasa asked Mason
>"Not far." he replied
>"Maybe another day's travel."
>Aurelian snorted
>"And to think, the Empire once maintained a railway spanning all the way from the south to Crystal Mountains themselves."
>He looked deep into the flames
>"During better times."
>Mason grunted in agreement
>"Perhaps for some." he said
>You heard the howling of wolves off in the distance
>They were common up here, apparently
>Aurelian had assured you that your nightly fires would keep them at bay, and after your experience with the timber wolves, you were fine with that
>Still, you kept the Warden's Fist close
>Just in case
>You weren't the only one who had heard it, as Iasa's ears perked up at the sound as well
>"Down in the south, we only have timber wolves. Are there no hunters to keep the population down up here?" she asked
>Aurelian shook his head
>"Very few. Pony settlements are few and far in between. It has been quite some time since I've been this far north, so I couldn't say where they might be."
>You heard crackling twigs in the brush a short way away
>You could tell the others had heard it too, as every head turned toward the sound
>The four of you stared off into the pitch black held at bay only by your fire
>For a few moments, you were faced only with the void
>And then, green and yellow eyes began to appear
>The sound of grass and dirt being trod upon grew louder as they began to move closer, stopping just out of the reach of the light
>A knife could cut through the tension like butter
>There were dozens of them all around the camp
>Suddenly, a sound unlike any you had ever heard before rang out through the air
>You couldn't tell if it was laughing or screeching, but as quickly as they had come, the eyes turned and fled back into the abyss
>Then, all was silent
>Nobody but Starswirl would sleep that night
>And you weren't sure you would for the rest of your journey either
_________________________________

>The snowy peaks of the Crystal Mountains glistened in the morning sunlight as your party pressed onward
>Light flurries had begun late in the night, and continued into the morning with no sign of stopping
>Bitter cold as it was, you honestly expected worse
>The frost accumulating on the ground did nothing to stop you or slow your progress, but served to remind you of the harshness of this land
>Aurelian seemed stoic as ever, pressing onward without so much as a grumble
>Iasa, on the other hand, appeared to be read to shake out of her skin
>The warmer climate of the southern regions had not prepared her for this sort of weather it seemed
“Are you going to be alright?” You asked, tapping her on the shoulder
>”Yeah…I’m fine.” She replied, her teeth chattering
>You frowned and looked around at the others
>Either it was an exceptionally stoic crew, or the others were simply better conditioned
>Perhaps they were just keeping their minds on anything but the cold so as not to be bothered by it
>You slid off your jacket, and laid it across Iasa’s back
>”Anon, what are you-?” she began before you cut her off with a wave of your hand
“Don’t, we can’t have you freezing to death.” You said
>”What about you?” she asked, looking worried
>You shrugged with a cocky grin
“I’ve had worse.”
>Aurelian let out a small snort
>”You’re going to change your tune come nightfall,” he said
>”this is just the beginning.”
>”Reminds me of Northpeak back home.” Mason chimed in
>”Nice place to visit if you like freezing your beak off. Only place on the continent with Stone-Birch trees though.”
“Yeah? What’s so special about that?” You asked
>”Strongest wood in the East.” Mason said, seemingly boasting
>”Demand for it comes from every corner of Equestria.” he explained
>”In fact, it’s been said that more than-OOF”
>As he bounced off Aurelian’s back, Mason and the rest of the group stopped and stared in awe at the sight ahead
>The road ahead was not empty as it had been for miles
>It was packed
>Hundreds of ponies crowded the narrow path, slowly trudging along
>You and the others stepped off the path, watching as the sullen looking caravan passed by
>One by one, they passed like ghosts, not even bothering to look at you
>”Aurelian, what is this?” Iasa asked
>The captain scanned the passing crowd, confusion on his normally stoic face
>He quickly grabbed one of the ponies out of the line and pulled them to the side of the road
>”Identify yourself, citizen.” he said
>Barely looking at Aurelian, the pony barely let out a mumble
>”Dew Dancer…” she said
>”What is all of this? Where are you coming from?” Aurelian asked
>Dew Dancer pointed off toward the mountains
>”Starpoint…Dawn…Merrytown.” she replied
“What are those? Did something happen?” You asked
>She looked at you with tired eyes
>”From the mountains…didn’t follow us…”
>”Who didn’t? Are you alright?” Aurelian asked
>Iasa stepped forward and examined Dew Dancer, turning her head from side to side with seemingly no resistance
>”She’s under the influence of the Sleeper’s toxin…I’ve seen this before.” she said
>”It can last for days, in a half conscious state. If these ponies are all infected, they’re not going to be able to tell us anything useful for quite a while.”
>With a frown, Aurelian let the exhausted looking pony wander back into the crowd, marching along the narrow path.
“She mentioned something “from the mountains” not following them…what do you figure that might be?” you asked Star Swirl
>”I do not know, but this use of toxins unfortunately seems to confirm what I have feared. The Rotten One has returned, and he has already begun making his moves.” he said
>”I only hope we’re not too late.”
_________________________________________

>Your foot slipped as you scaled the rocky slope
>Cursing under your breath, you regained your footing and took another step
>After the incident with the caravan on the road, Star Swirl decided that there was no time to take the road the rest of the way
>A more point A to point B solution meant a trek off the beaten path
>Now, at the foot of the mountain range, you could feel the tension building as you neared your destination, trailing behind the others
>What would the ruins be like?
>Was it possible that this Pestis demon had already gotten there first?
>So consumed in your thoughts, you didn't notice as you felt a hoof grab the back of your shirt
>"Watch your step Anon, you nearly went over!" Iasa said, pointing ahead of you
>She was right, the slope had ended, leading straight down into a crater
>And you were one step from going straight over the ledge
"Wow...I uh...I was distracted." you admitted, letting out a nervous chuckle
>Iasa smiled at you, though you could tell she was just as shaken as you by what you'd seen
>"Don't worry about it, Star Swirl is just making sure the coast is clear before we head down into the ruins."
>Star Swirl's eyes scanned the area below, narrowing suspiciously
>Mason tapped his foot, and let out a sigh
>"What's the hold up? Shouldn't we get down there?" he asked
>Star Swirl shook his head
>"It is said that a powerful guardian watches over the entrance to the temple, I do not wish to walk blindly into such a thing."
>Peaking over the ledge, you began to look around for yourself
>It seemed to be mostly just a dirt pit
>But then, something caught your eye
>A glinting object sticking out of the ground
"Star Swirl, you see that down there?" you asked, pointing down at it
>The old wizard's eyes focused on where you were pointing
>"It's probably nothing..." he said
>Not taking your eyes off of it, you slid yourself over the ledge and began making your way down into the pit
>"Anon! What are you doing?!" Iasa cried
>"Star Swirl didn't say it was clear!"
"I just want to check something out, I don't see anyone guarding it." you called back
>"Anonymous, get back here!" Mason said
>As you hit the bottom of the slope, you began slowly making your way toward the glinting object
>"Oh, screw it." Iasa groaned, jumping down after you
>Mason and Aurelian looked at each other
>"After you." Mason said
>With a smirk, Aurelian slid himself down the slope, Mason following close behind
>Star Swirl sighed
>"Sure, just go right in, not like the centuries old wizard knows what he's doing..."
>You crouched over the glinting object, still half buried
>You knelt down and began brushing the dirt away
>And then you saw it
>A steel helmet
>You grabbed a hold of it and lifted, but it seemed stuck to something
>Iasa and the others came up behind you
>"Wow, excavator now, eh?"
>You adjusted your grip and pulled even harder
>With a final effort, you felt it come free
>You fell backwards, still holding the helmet in your hands
>Landing on your back, you held the helmet above you, but the weight shifted as something inside began to slide
>Suddenly, the weight inside the helmet completely left it as a heavy object fell from inside, hitting your stomach
>You looked at your side and saw it
>A skull
>A human skull
>It was then that you noticed you were laying on something hard
>Rolling off of it, you saw that you had knocked more dirt away from yet another metallic mass in the ground
>Your eyes darted along the ground and only a few feet away, you spotted a third
"What is this place...?" you asked
>A low rumbling from inside the cavern shook the ground, drawing all of your attention toward it
>Scrambling to your feet, the five of you readied yourselves for whatever it was that was coming out of the darkness
>The rumbling grew closer, and more intense
>Then, as quickly as it began it ended
>And out of the cave, hopped a small white rabbit
>The give of you stared at it, dumbstruck as it hopped toward you
>It stopped about fifteen feet away, staring straight back
>It almost seemed to smile as it looked at you
>Iasa breathed a sigh of relief
>"By the Sisters...I was worried for a second that-"
>In a flash of light, the rabbit transformed, and before you, standing ten feet tall, was a monstrous creature
>You could not tell if it was made of flesh or stone, but it was the green cracks that radiated with a sickly glow that truly worried you
"Maybe you should keep worrying a bit longer..."
___________________________________________

>The beast let out a thunderous roar that would have caused you to stumble if you had not already been on the ground
>Quickly, you crawled backwards to create some distance between the monster and yourself
>Scrambling to your feet beside the others, you felt something vibrating at your side
>You looked down to see the Warden's Fist shaking slightly, a faint glow seeming to eminate from the shining steel surface
>"So, what's the plan then?" Mason asked as the beast took a step toward you
>You took the Warden's Fist in your hand and as soon as you touched it, the vibration stopped, but the glow remained
>Aurelian quickly raised his handcannon and fired a shot at the fast approaching enemy
>The shot made contact, but other than causing it to pause briefly, it seemed to have little effect
>With a snort, the beast pushed forward
>Star Swirl quickly conjured a bolt of lightning from his horn that arced forward, striking the beast squarely in the chest
>The blue bolts englufed it, but still the thing pressed onward
"Let me try something." You said, gripping the Warden's Fist tighter
>The beast was almost upon you, and raised its clawed arm to strike
>As the others around you scattered, you braced yourself, waiting for the right moment
>With a swiftness you didn't know you had, you ducked beneath the huge clawed hand as it sliced through the air just above your head
>Before the lumbering beast could recover, you swung upward with the Warden's Fist
>The heavy hammer's head crashed against the side of the creature's face, sending it spinning away from you
>For a few moments, it fell to its knees, sitting still
>Then, it began to turn back toward you
>Its jaw hung loosely, dangling toward its chest
>Despite this, the beast's eyes flashed an almost blinding green light
>You covered your eyes and took a step back as the creature climbed back to its feet
>Closing the gap, it attacked again with a renewed fury
>You tried to evade the swipes and swings that it took at you, and for the most part, succeeded
>Eventually, one of the clawed hands made contact, raking you across the chest and leaving several bleeding scratches behind
>As you winced from the stinging pain, the other hand swung again, this time in a fist the size of a bowling ball
>It struck you in the chest, sending you flying backwards through the air
>You felt the wind knocked out of you as you hit the hard ground, and lay there trying to catch your breath as the others rushed forward to defend you
>You lifted your head to see Mason dancing around the beast as quickly as he could, striking at it with his smallsword with seemingly little effect
>It was enough to disract it, however, and Aurelian quickly loaded another round into his hand cannon, firing into the beast's back as Mason held its attention
>It staggered forward as the bullet lodged itself into its back, forcing it to stumble straight onto Mason's blade, impaling its waist
>You watched as the beast took a moment to recover before backhanding Mason, sending him hurtling to the side
>It turned to face you once again, blade still stuck in place
>You barely noticed as Iasa flew overhead, dropping emptying the contents of a jar onto the beast
>The powdery substance did not appear to have much effect as it began to bear down on you once again
>"Star Swirl! Do it!" she shouted
>Suddenly, a stream of fire shot over you like a flamethrower
>As it struck the beast, it seemed to react with the powdery substance, causing an intense flame, hotter and brighter than any you had ever seen
>The beast thrashed and bellowed out in pain
>It threw itself to the ground, rolling about in an attempt to smother the flames
>Eventually, the flames did begin to die, but the damage had been done
>The beast, smoldering, its flesh blackened and still smoking, barely managed to push itself off of the ground, unable to rise from its knees
>You suddenly noticed the bright light in the corner of your eye
>The Warden's Fist was glowing, almost like it too was on fire
>This was your chance
>You grabbed it off of the ground and quickly rose to your feet, making your way over to the beast
>It continued to lay there prostrate
>You raised the hammer above your head as it began to stir once again
>Swiftly, with all the strength you could muster, you brought down your weapon upon its head
>With a crunch, the beast's head collapsed under the hammer's weight, and its body went limp
>Breathing heavily, you watched as the light radiating off of the Warden's Fist began to shift
>It arced off of the hammer itself, and engulfed the body of the beast
>You could not tell what it was doing, but after a few moments, the light was gone
>"W-what was that?" Iasa asked, looking at you
>You stood there, standing at the hammer, not quite sure what to say
"I...I don't know." you said, as shocked as the others
>"Star Swirl, what just happened?" Aurelian asked, reslinging his weapon
>The old wizard stepped forward, taking the Warden's Fist from you and inspecting it
>He narrowed his eyes, and then a look of realization lit up his face
>"It would appear that this weapon has absorbed the spirit of this creature." he said
"Its spirit...?" you asked
"Like, it stole that thing's soul?"
>Star Swirl nodded
>"More like it is caging it. I have heard of such weapons, but never thought this would be such a thing." he explained
>"The Warden's Fist must be endowed with the ability to absorb dark magical power. Fitting, now that I think of it."
>You took back the hammer and looked at it
>It felt warm to the touch, but otherwise did not appear any different than it had before
>A soul-stealing hammer...lovely
>Cautiously, you put it back on your belt
"Well, I'm sure that will end up coming in handy..." you said, turning to face the cavernous opening in the mountain
"So who's going in first?"
_________________________________________

>The darkness seemed to grow deeper with every step you took down into the cavern
>Of course, you had to draw the short straw on this one
>Each step echoed off of the cavern walls, seemingly traveling down into an endless abyss
>After what seemed like forever, you were quickly feeling stifled by the still, dusty air
"How much further do you think it is? We've been walking forever."
>Starswirl frowned, the light from his horn no longer sufficiently lighting even a foot in front of you
>"It shouldn't be much further," he said.
>"I'm surprised that we haven't already reached the sanctum."
>"Sanctum?" Mason asked
>Starswirl nodded
>"Yes, the inner sanctuary of the temple, where the relics are typically held on display."
>You grunted
"Well, wherever it is, I just hope that we can find what we need and get out of this dank fu-AHHHHHHH!"
>You cried out as your foot failed to make contact with the ground ahead of you, plunging you face first down into the inky blackness
>"Anon!" Iasa cried out, rocketing down to catch you
>You felt the dry, stale air rushing past you as you seemed to accelerate more quickly into the chasm
>You could hear Iasa crying after you, but you could neither see her nor hear what she was saying anymore
>It seemed that you were falling faster than she could fly in this place
>Your heart raced faster as you fell, expecting to make contact with the ground at any moment, sealing your fate
>Suddenly, you felt very tired, and your eyes struggled to stay open
>With a deep sigh, you let them close, resigning yourself to your fate
>Way to go Anon, you really screwed the pooch on this one
>Then, as quickly as it had begun, you felt yourself suddenly laying still
>You were no longer falling, but laying on a hard, warm surface
>You felt around with your hands, feeling some sort of smooth stone beneath you
>All around you, you could hear the slow gurgling of calmly flowing water
>You opened your eyes, and instead of the inky blackness of the cave, you were blinded by a piercing light
>Shielding your eyes, you groaned as they struggled to adjust to...wherever you were
>"Calm yourself, Anonymous. You are in no danger here," a gentle voice said somewhere off to your right
>Your heart began racing again as you quickly leapt to your feet, still half blind from the abrupt lighting change
>You squinted in the direction of the voice, your eyesight finally seeming to be returning
>You could make out a blob of purple, slowly beginning to take form
>A unicorn, a purple unicorn
>It sat upon an elevated platform, surrounded by bowls that seemed to glisten with pieces of glittering gems inside them
>You looked around the room and realized where you must be
"Is this...the sanctum?" you asked
>The unicorn nodded
>"Indeed, it is."
>Suddenly, you noticed something off about this unicorn
>There were wings on her back
>Visions of the stained glass scenery depicting the Princesses of these ponies rushed back to your mind, and your eyes went wide
>You quickly and awkwardly bowed
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize who you were..." you said
>The alicorn smiled softly at you
>"And who do you think I am, exactly?" she asked
>You raised your eyes back up to meet hers
"You're one of the Sisters, aren't you?" you asked, not sure of what she meant
>Still smiling, the alicorn shook her head
>"No, once I was a princess, but I am not Princess Celestia or Princess Luna."
>You rose from your bow, confused
"So...who are you?" you asked
>The alicorn bowed her head, returning your show of respect
>"My name is Twilight Sparkle, I am the guardian of this place."
>You looked from Twilight to the bowls around her
"What are you guarding, exactly?"
>She noticed your eyes drifting around her and gestured knowingly to them
>"These containers hold the fragments of the Elements of Harmony. Once, these artifacts helped to keep Equestria safe, now..."
>She looked at the shattered gems with a great sadness in her eyes
>You didn't understand what she was getting at
>These rocks protected this world?
>How could that be possible?
>Then again, magic was something new to you entirely, so you weren't about to question it
"If the Elements are destroyed...why are you guarding them?" you asked
>Twilight looked back at you
>"They are broken, but I was tasked with protecting them until one who proved themself worthy of restoring them came to claim them."
>You looked up at her
"How long have you been waiting?"
>Twilight stared off into space for a moment, seeming to gather her thoughts
>"Decades."
>The two of you stood in silence, listening to the gently flowing water surrounding you
"Do you know what's going on outside of this place?" you asked
"It seems like these Elements could do some good out there."
>Twilight nodded
>"I have seen the storm clouds gathering, very soon a day of reckoning is coming," she said, looking into your eyes
>"But, I feel that the one I have been charged with waiting for is near."
>You narrowed your eyes at Twilight
"Who, me?" you asked
>Twilight gave you a slight shrug
>"Perhaps. That hammer on your hip is a promising sign."
>You reached for the Warden's Fist instinctively
>"A legendary weapon, wielded by a great hero. Perhaps you too will be a hero to this world."
>Twilight's gaze lifted from the Warden's Fist back to your eyes
>"I cannot force you, the decision to claim the Elements must be your own. Be warned, there is a test for any who would claim them. It is not easy, as few have ever proven worthy of wielding all of the Elements at once."
>You looked around at the Elements, then back at Twilight
>What sort of test could this be?
>If these things could help, didn't you have an obligation to at least try?
"What will happen if I fail?" you asked
>Twilight shook her head
>"The last time an unworthy claim was made on the Elements, they destroyed themselves to prevent it. If another potential claimant should fail...I can only guess what might happen to them."
>You frowned, turning over the possibilities in your mind
>But in your heart, you knew what you had to do
"Alright," you said
"Try me."
_______________________________________

>Almost as soon as you finished those words, you found yourself no longer where you been standing
>Instead of the quiet of the sanctum, your senses were being assaulted by the commotion of a bustling city street
>"'Scuse me," a yak said, pushing you to the side.
>You nearly stumbled into the middle of the street
>"Move it!" one voice called out
>"Out of the way!" shouted another
>Looking up, you saw a flow of traffic that almost looked like home
>Where were you?
>The sunlight was nearly blinding as you scanned your surroundings
>White streets, gold trimmings everywhere the eye could see
>And in the distance...tall towers
>Suddenly, you knew exactly where you were
>Canterlot
>But it was so...alive
>It was so unlike what you saw down south
>Was this part of the test?
>It had to be...but what were you supposed to do?
>Twilight had not given you much direction, but perhaps that was the point
>Still, standing in the street wasn't going to accomplish anything
>You darted across the street, dodging traffic as best you could manage
>Just as you were about to reach the other side, you looked up to see a large stallion pulling a cart bearing down on you
>He couldn't see where he was going, his eyes closed as he strained to maintain his pace
>You braced for the impact before you felt yourself being tugged out of the way
>You stumbled over your savior, taking both of you to the ground
>You felt a hoof catch your leg just before it cleared the road, and heard a yelp, followed by a loud crash behind you
>"Are you crazy? You nearly got yourself killed!"
>You looked up and saw who had pulled you (mostly) out of the way of certain doom
>A griffon, disheveled and scruffy looking
>He looked at you in disbelief
>"What were you thinking?" he asked
"I'm sorry...I didn't think that-"
>"Yeah I can tell you weren't thinking," he said, cutting off your explanation
>The two of you glanced over to the road to observe the damage
>The crowd rushed around the overturned cart, its cargo strewn around the street, blocking the flow of traffic and causing great distress
>Two golden armored pegasi came swooping down upon the scene
>"Alright, alright, move along everyone, nothing to see here," one of them announced
"Shit," you muttered to yourself
>You didn't have time for this
>You tried to slip away before anyone noticed you, after all, you were mostly responsible for this
>"Yeah, I think it was him," you heard a male voice say
>Turning to the voice, you saw the stallion who had been pulling the cart that nearly crushed you pointing in the direction of the griffon who had pulled you from the road
>"What?! I didn't do anything!" the griffon protested
>"Yeah, yeah, you can tell us all about what you didn't do downtown," one of the guards said
>By this point, a unicorn guard had arrived and was watching the scene progress
>His horn began to glow, and the griffon was enveloped in an aura of blue magic
>He was forced to the ground, unable to get back up no matter how much he struggled
>You looked on in disbelief as the guards began dragging the griffon away, panged with guilt
"Are you really going to let this happen?" you thought to yourself
>You didn't have time to get dragged down to a police station for whatever sort of interrogation they had in mind
>But that griffon saved you...rude as he may have been
>He didn't deserve this
>You ran over and stood in the way of the guards
"Let him go, it was me," you said
"That griffon had nothing to do with the accident."
>The guards looked suspiciously at you
>"What, are you some kind of griffon sympathizer? Don't you know we're at war?" the lead guard asked
>"This scum was probably just looking for some extra fun at these good ponies' expense."
>You shook your head
"No, I ran across the street and got in that cart's way. This griffon tried to pull me out of the way," you explained
"If you're going to hold anyone responsible, take me."
>The guards scowled, looking down at the griffon, and back to you
>"Suit yourself," the leader said as the griffon was released from their grasp
>Suddenly, felt yourself being grasped in the same magical bonds as he had been
>You felt your feet lift up off of the ground as your body refused to obey your commands
>Well...shit
___________________________________________________