Magic and Mud

>”And of course, as many of you may have observed over the previous moons since the Great War started…”
>Murmurs of nervousness arose throughout the classroom
>”All of the major powers involved have become known for their signature weapon. One may say that they are a calling card of sorts.”
>The teacher reaches under her desk and grunts as she hefts a weighty looking case onto it
>”Today…”
>She unclasps the locks and opens the case
>”We will be learning about the signature weapon of the Kingdom of Prance: The lance-flammes. Or, as we call it here: The Spitfire.”
>”This one was graciously donated to us by Princess Celestia’s forces in the capital, and naturally, they want it back in one piece, so be careful when handling it, please.”
>As she begins to speak, going over the intricacies of its speculated manufacturing, you begin to zone out
>You are Rewind, a mare in the final weeks of your schooling before you’d be drafted
>Everypony gets the draft, save for those who are incapable, or those who don’t meet the requirements set by the province
>You however are shaping up to be able-bodied, unfortunately
>Many other classmates do not share your sentiment however
>They see this conflict as a rite of passage, or something
>Like it would be a place to prove themselves
>You enjoy living just a bit too much to be excited about graduation
>”This particular model uses a single canister of an unknown flammable element, that only ignites upon contact with the flame on the wick at the front of the barrel.”
>”The Spitfire teams come in pairs, with one carrying the canister and frame, while the other carries additional fuel, and depending on if they’re a Unicorn or not, a piece of flint and steel to strike a spark.”

>The rest of the lesson goes on predictably, with your teacher making doubly sure to hand out the homework
>”Class is dismissed. Make sure to finish that homework! It’s the last bit of it you’ll ever get from me!”
>You pack your things into your saddlebag and place it on your back before leaving
>And as usual, you take the same route home
>It was quick, and shaved off enough time from the walk back that you still had extra time to spare before going to work
>It’s such a habit that you can simply turn your brain off and think
>Which comes with its own risks as well
>As your hooves step onto the wooden beams of the railroad, you hear a loud, blaring horn sound from your left and are instantly snapped out of your thoughts
>There’s never supposed to be any trains that run at this time
>As the light gets nearer, you shut your eyes as your horn flares to life, the orange aura enveloping your horn as all sound disappears in a flash
>You open your eyes and watch as you repeat your actions in a muted, darkened realm of reality
>You can feel your body moving back, as well as all of the minute movements
>And in another flash, all of the sound and color comes back to the world as you stand on the platform again, watching the train speed by
>You shiver a bit and take a few deep breaths to calm your racing heart
>You thought you’d be used to that by now
>The first time was the worst
>You had thought you died after falling off some scaffolding
>Eventually you experimented with your magic
>You learned the intricacies of what it did
>It only affects you, and time flows normally both before, during and after you use it
>You retain your momentum
>As well as any injuries sustained in that 4 seconds
>It works well keeping you out of trouble
>And of course, not getting run over

>You take a seat at your desk back in your tenement and groan as you look at the clock in your room
>You’d hoped for at least a moment’s respite before work
>Oh well
>Everypony has to do their part to help out, even before you’re drafted
>You had the luxurious job of working at a Spellsphere factory
>With some of the most powerful magic users in the world right under Celestia’s reign, she realized it’d be far too dangerous to send them out into the field
>So after imparting their knowledge to various Unicorns, they found a reliable way to store magic
>Within thin, crystalline spheres to be launched from trebuchets
>Of course, their range lacked, compared to things like cannons, but it was a result of their manufacturing
>The thin outer layer of the sphere designed to shatter on impact to release to volatile magic within was too fragile to be launched from a mortar or cannon
>You weren’t here as a filler, however
>Your magic wasn’t nearly as combat effective as theirs
>You instead got to work with others on the assembly line creating the casing
>It was mind numbing
>And occasionally dangerous
>Two things that weren’t meant to mix together
>Luckily, nothing too horrible happened here
>And if it did, you were never around for it
>But after a few hours your uneventful shift comes to an end and you’re free to go about your day however you wished
>And right now you wished to go back home and go to sleep

>2 WEEKS LATER
>”Rewind. Unicorn. Eyes… Orange. Mane and tail… White. Coat color… Beige.”
>So this was it then
>Canterlot, that is
>Arriving here for the first time made it seem almost larger than life
>Seeing Celestia’s Royal Guard trotting around in their armor was imposing, to say the least
>Unfortunately, you doubted your chances of being placed in the ROYAL guard
>Sure, it would be nice to not have to go to the trenches
>But it was only an option for those that performed well enough in training
>Some of these ponies seemed like they could manage it
>Some of them you recognize from school
>Others were complete strangers
>You knew what was gonna happen of course
>You’re stripped of individuality and learn discipline, as well as teamwork
>All while having your body broken down and built back up to be in fighting shape
>Fun
>After the rest of your information was taken, you were ushered onto a train with everypony else
>You watched the scenery go by from the window as the train began to chug along
>Your thoughts slowly began to wander
>And you started to wonder just how long you’d be training for

>4 MONTHS LATER
>You blink a few times as wind rushes past your head
>You can hear the sound of propellers and fire
>You look up and watch your helmet tumble into the abyss of the sky below
>You look down, noting with a skip of your heart that the only thing keeping you from falling were a few ropes caught on your leg
>Immediately you panic and activate your magic
>Your horn once again flares to life and all of the sound is sucked away as your body goes through the motions it did in the last 4 seconds
>You hope that you being on solid ground was 4 or less seconds ago
>Unfortunately you only feel yourself being pulled up into the air towards a platform when the spell cuts off, instead of directly above it
>You fall again and barely manage to catch onto a steel rung of the zeppelin you were on
>It was only marginally better than being upside down, but at least you could pull yourself up from this position
>You do so and hop to the wooden platform, heaving a sigh of relief as you did so
“I swear if this thing is falling out of the sky…”
>You peek your head over the platform and squint your eyes to try and discern if the ground is getting closer
>You’re above the cloud cover still, so you can’t tell
>You stand back up
>Apparently somepony, somewhere, did something, and got a good hit on the zeppelin
>If the fire was anything to go off of at least
>Something exploded nearby, and you got lucky and got caught on the ropes
>As you’re trying to think of what to do, and whether or not the massive war machine you’re on is slowly falling from the sky, you hear hooves on the platform behind you

>As you turn, you see colors of uniform you don’t recognize
>Your eyes widen and you immediately trie to materialize your magic around your sidearm
>It’s not there however
>Your magic grasps at nothing as the full view of a Prench soldier comes into your vision
>And what else would he have but a Spitfire
>You’re really regretting not paying attention in class now
>There was something about a startup time when the wick had to be ignited on its own if the other igniter pony wasn’t there
>You had about half a second before he set you on fire
>Your mind races and you do the only thing you could think of in a situation like this
>You gallop towards him as fast as you can
>You duck down low and you can feel heat singeing the tips of your coat as you tackle him off the platform
>You hear him yell from behind his mask as the gout of fire burns through the zeppelin and both of you go hurtling out into the open air
>He grabs onto you tightly, intent on taking you with him
>Instead, you pop out of existence and start to go back in time once more
>4 seconds ago, to where you were still on the wooden platform
>You look over the edge, but the other pony has completely disappeared into the clouds
>You try not to think about the fact that he’s still falling as you climb the ladder onto the top of the zeppelin
>As you crest the top, you realize that the zeppelin is DEFINITELY falling from the sky
>The fire is spreading, and that stunt you pulled only added to it
“Ah ffffiddle faddle.”
>Now is not the time to panic
>You have to keep a cool head during any situation, right?
>That’s what a royal guard does, right?
>Technically even if you aren’t royal, you’re still a guard
>First order of business was getting out of here alive
>You doubted anypony else was stupid or brave enough to stay on this thing while it was simultaneously going down AND being boarded
>Perhaps they’d boarded before it started going down
>Maybe that’s why it’s going down…

“Parachute, parachute… where’d they put all the parachutes on this thing?!”
>You yell out loud to nopony in particular as you continue your search
>You estimated… Oh a good few minutes or so before you hit the ground and went up in a giant fiery ball of death and steel
>You just had to get off before that
>It was proving to be a bit harder than anticipated however
>And you’re starting to wonder if you’re the only pony left on this thing
>After thorough searching, you come upon a metal cabinet labeled “parachutes”
>Unfortunately for you…
“Oh thank Celestia there’s one left.”
>You quickly strap the parachute to your back and head back up to the top
>From here you can see that you’ve descended below the cloud cover
>And it’s absolute pandemonium
>None of the Pegasi bomber squads made it through
>The other zeppelins were being torn to shreds
>And you were about to drop right down into the middle of it all
>It perhaps wasn’t your brightest moment, but it was all you could do right now
>You’d deliberate on other possible solutions if you had the time, but as time went on there was less and less zeppelin to go around
>With the flames licking at your hooves you take a deep breath, a running start, and leap from the balloon
>The wind rushed past your ears, bringing your eyes to water as you grit your teeth
>You were falling considerably faster than the burning wreckage of the zeppelin, so that was a plus
>You’d reach the ground in time and not have to worry about your impromptu foray into the life of a Pegasus
>You pull the cord and grunt as all of the momentum is transferred directly to your groin
>You groan loudly and hang onto the straps
“I feel really bad for the stallions using these things.”
>You relax and let your head hang for a moment
>You’d be here for a bit, daintily floating to the ground
>Sometimes you wished that your power worked in reverse so you could speed up towards somewhere 4 seconds ahead

>You look down
>You’re still too far away from the ground
>A fall from here would certainly kill you
“Maybe I should have waited to open this thing.”
>You hear somepony respond to you
>Unfortunately it’s not in a language you understand
>It’s actually in the worst language you’d want to hear right now:
>Prench
>It’s coming from behind you
>You turn your head to get a better look
>Swell
>It’s that soldier from before
>The one you tackled off the platform
>You see large, black, feathered wings keeping him aloft
>This was perhaps only the second worst way you could’ve encountered an enemy soldier
>Unfortunately, as you seemed to be easy pickings, you see him level the Spitfire not at you, but at your parachute
>You can hear the same noise from before
>Of flames spewing from the barrel
>They immediately turn the parachute to cinders and you return to freefalling
>You’re able to turn in the air and watch as the Pegasus follows your descent
>You count the seconds off under your breath
“1… 2… 3... 4.”
>In an all too familiar flash of white light and sound being sucked away, you’re pulled back into the air 4 seconds ago
>And thanks to your new friend’s inclination to watch you splatter against the ground…
>Once you come back into the real world again, you’re behind him, and on the perfect trajectory tograb onto him
>You crash into him in midair and grasp at his body for a hoofhold
>Your frantic scrabbling finds purchase and you catch the straps of his uniform, as well as the hose leading to the Spitfire
>”Agh! De! De! Se libérer!”
>You can’t understand his language, but you can make a few guesses
“You’re my ticket to the ground! I’ve got at least 5 more years of living left in me!”
>You’re far too close for him to torch you, and from your position, he couldn’t reliably get a hold on the Spitfire anyway

>As the combined weight of both his body and yours begins to drag him down, he makes a concerted effort to shake you free
>This involves erratic flying and the occasional strike to the face
>He’s one tough stallion
>You can taste blood inside your mouth
>But luckily you’re close enough to the ground now that you can flip the both of you over
>Thanks to his wings, you both slam into the ground at a relatively safe speed
>Relatively
>He takes the brunt of the impact and you use him as a cushion
>You wanted nothing more than to collapse right there
>But if you did, you would end up scorched, or worse yet, taken prisoner
>You stagger to your hooves and quickly look around as the Prench soldier reels on the ground
>Spying his fuel canister nearby, you dive for it and heft it between your hooves
>It’s heavy, which meant it was exactly what you needed
>You straddle atop him as he writhes in the mud
>You lift the fuel canister up and bring it down with all the force you can muster, right into his mask
>It’s not enough
>You hear him yelling as he tries to fight back, but you bring the heavy canister back down onto his skull
>You repeat this over and over for what feels like an eternity until you feel the stallion stop moving
>You drop it into the mud and flop over, exhausted
>As you lay there, you can only stare upwards at the mayhem in the skies
>The raindrops patter lightly against your face
>This was far too much for you to handle
>Your heart is racing, pounding against your chest as if trying to burst out and escape
>You can feel a clawing in your gut
>You feel like you want to throw up, but you can’t muster the energy to do so
>As all the adrenaline starts to recede, pain starts to become clearer, and you’re left clutching at your abdomen as you lie there
>You cough, over and over, before laying your head back with a wet thunk
>It could’ve always been worse

>But as much as you want to rest your weary eyes
>You become acutely aware of the fact that the massive, flaming wreckage of the zeppelin was going to come crashing down nearby as well, in fact you could see it still in the air above you
>And you weren’t too keen on your chances of survival versus twisted, smoldering metal
>You roll over and rise to your hooves, looking around
>Nopony’s Land stretched on for miles in either direction
>Long since abandoned barbed wire and trenches as far as you could see
>You didn’t know where you were
>All of your gear, save for your armor, was gone
>Most likely thanks to your time spent upside down
>You’d worry about that later
>What mattered now was getting a suitably safe distance away from this area
>You ran for the nearest trench and dove inside, following it until it led out and up a hill
>You end up in what appeared to be an abandoned homestead
>A small farm that had once been converted into an outpost that was later abandoned
>Now it would serve a third purpose to shelter you
>You seek refuge inside the nearby house, closing the door behind you
>You’re able to watch from a distance as the crashing of the zeppelin you were on just moments ago lights up the night and sets Nopony’s Land ablaze
>Luckily, there’s not much to burn but mud and soaked wood
>As you sit there at the windowsill, the ever present weight upon your eyelids makes itself more and more apparent
>Soon enough you can’t ignore it
>And you find yourself slowly nodding off
>Maybe you should find a bed
>Or maybe the windowsill would make a good pillow
>Yeah, that sounded good…

>Did the sun rise already?
>How long have you been asleep here?
>Your eyes creak open
>Immediately they begin to ache as the light hits them
>You squint to lessen the aching sensation
>Where were you?
>You gently rub your eye with a hoof as events from yesterday begin to play over in your brain
>That’s right
>You had done something absolutely stupid yesterday
>How were you not dead?
>You really should be
>You can almost feel the creaking of your bones as you begin to move again
“Note to self: Find a bed next time.”
>Gently massaging the kinks from your neck, you stand and trot about the house
>There’s a stark dichotomy to see between the homely decorations and the remnants of the military occupation
>You run your hoof along the bannister, collecting dust as you go
“Wonder how long it’s been since anypony set hoof in here.”
>Eventually you find your way to the bathroom
>Upon testing the water, it seems that your luck still persists
“Well, it’s clean at least.”
>Hoping for hot water may be pushing it a bit though
>You take the time to clean the muck from your coat, mane and tail
>As well as your armor
>Your hooves run over the crest upon the chest, as well as the numerous dents and scratches it’s already sustained
>How’d it manage to get like this so quickly?
>15 minutes later and you’re back to being squeaky clean
>Or as much as you could manage
>You head outside and note the odd, out of place decoration on the roof
>It’s no chimney, that’s for sure
“Wait a second…”
>You climb your way onto the roof
“Well look at that.”
>You pry your helmet loose from the wood and examine it
“Still wearable.”
>Perhaps this was a sign of good things to come

“Right… So what’s on the agenda for today.”
>You talk to yourself as you meander about the homestead
“Find out where I am. Find out how to get back to friendly forces.”
>You look out over the horizon and see nothing of note
”Simple enough, right?”
>Trying to convince yourself wasn’t quite working
>There was Nopony’s Land behind you
>And a road that seemed to go on forever in front of you
>Perhaps sticking around this farm for just a bit wouldn’t be remiss
>So you explore
>You check the windmill first, trotting up the steps and looking around
>At least from here you could get a better view of your surroundings
>You can’t quite make out any landmarks from here
>Nothing but Nopony’s Land, dead fields, and that road
>The road doesn’t look like it leads anywhere
>But all roads gotta lead somewhere, right?
>You think you can just barely make out a city in the distance, but without binoculars, it’s hard to tell
>You also spot something odd
>Near a pockmarked oak tree in the field there appears to be bottles set up on a wooden platform
>It seems the small balcony you’re standing on used to be where somepony was firing from
>The question was whether or not this was before the conversion to outpost or not
>If it was before, you may have luck in finding a weapon here
>You take another, more thorough look around the top of the windmill
>There’s a box underneath the chair that you’d overlooked
>Upon sliding it out and popping it open, your eyes widen
“Now why are YOU here little buddy…”

>You’d gone and stumbled upon a Traponi Mk II
>Or as the Equestrian forces called it: The Killer 7
“So either I managed to end up in Haytaly, the ponies living here managed to import one, or Haytalian forces set up shop here and left…”
>You think for a moment
“The last one is far more likely.”
>But they’d taught you about these in class before
>It takes you a few moments to recall all of the knowledge
“Let’s see here. If I remember correctly…”
>You attach the metal-framed leather straps to the sleeve of your uniform, giving your right hoof slightly more added weight
>The metal frame was to absorb and dampen the recoil when firing and distribute it evenly throughout your foreleg
>It came with the added benefit of looking pretty cool too
>But the most important bit was what you were attaching to the front of your hoof right now
>The design was simple and rugged
>There was a single large barrel to be loaded from the rear
>After being loaded in, you would slide the breech block horizontally to lock and seal the bore
>A coil within that stores magic then discharges to fire it
>Then you were to slide the block away, let the round slide out, then repeat the process
“Thank youuu Mrs. Morning Glory.”
>Even better was that this particular model had a blade attached on the coil’s housing as a bayonet
>You level the sights at the bottle in the distance after loading in one of the spike shots
>So why was it nicknamed the Killer 7?
>Simply put, because there were 7 different types of shots that could be loaded in
>Spike, gas, scatter, incendiary, bounce, sticky, and shock
>All of them were lethal
>You fired off the Killer7 with a resounding BANG
>The spike flies through the air and shatters the glass bottle, embedding itself in the tree
>You’re almost rattled by the recoil this thing gives off
>You understand now why there’s an entire frame on your foreleg to dampen it

>You’re happy that the guardspony armor includes multiple pouches to store all the shots you found in the box
>Heck, if this is what was hiding at the top of the windmill, what else could be lying about the homestead?
>You descend the steps back to the ground
>Trotting along with the recoil dampener on your foreleg would take a little getting used to
>Oh well
>The rest of your search however is rather fruitless
>That is, until you check the barn
>It’s been sealed shut
>There are chains threaded through the handles of the barn door
“Just what was so important that they had to lock it up?”
>You’re able to crawl through a hole where the wood at the bottom had broken away
>You stands up and dust yourself off before turning around
“What in the name of Celestia…”
>You’re greeted with something straight out of a movie poster
>There’s a golem
>A golem just sitting there, resting against the back wall of the barn
>There are bayonets stuck into it every which way
>You can see spikes that were fired into it, among other things
>There’s shrapnel embedded into the surface of it
“Now what are you doing all the way out here, friend?”
>You never expected to see one of these up close, let alone at all
>Normally they were only created in the Republic of Zebrica
>And only saw action against the rebels of the Trottoman Empire
>This one looks like it went down fighting
>Or rather you thought that before the sphere in the center started glowing green

>PANIC
>DON’T PANIC
>You take a few steps back and watch as the massive, bipedal golem begins to stand
>It’s got hands just like a minotaur does
>But its hindlegs were like your forelegs
>How does this thing stand up and not fall over?
>And what is it made of?
>Oh no it’s looking at you
>It’s noticed you
>What do you do
>What DO
>Oh Luna it’s leaning down
>It’s right in front of your face
>”WHO AH YOU.”
“…W-What?”
>”WHO. ARE. YOU.”
>It’s a deep, baritone voice that shakes the interior of the barn as it speaks
“I’m uh… I’m Rewind. 34th Battalion of Celestia’s Royal… Er, Imperial Guard.”
>It pauses for a few moments, seeming to stare straight forward
>”FORMER RIDER, MUDDY WATERS. STATUS, DECEASED.”
“Oh… What happened to them?”
>It takes a few steps back and points at a raised mound of dirt that it had been covering with its hands earlier
“Ah… I’m sorry. What was he like?”
>”HE WAS A GOOD FIGHTER AND FRIEND. WE FOUGHT MANY BATTLES TOGETHER.”
>You sit down for a moment
“What’s your name?”
>”I WAS NOT GIVEN A NAME AT THE TIME OF MY CREATION. MUDDY WATERS HOWEVER REFERRED TO ME AS BANDIT.”
“Bandit huh? That’s a nice name.”
>”THANK YOU. IT WAS GIVEN TO ME BY MY FORMER RIDER, MUDDY WATERS.”
”Right.”
>Bandit simply stands there, looking down at you
“Do you know where we’re located?”
>”INSIDE A BARN.”
“No I mean, what country.”
>”WE ARE CURRENTLY LOCATED IN GERMANEIGH, ON THE FAR OUTSKIRTS OF MARELIN.”
“I’d say far outskirts is a bit of an understatement.”
>”FAR, FAR OUTSKIRTS.”
>You nod a few times before standing up
“Well then don’t you think it’s time to get out of here, Bandit?”
>”NEGATIVE, I MUST STAY HERE TO GUARD MY RIDER’S BODY.”
>You sigh softly

“Wouldn’t it be better to honor his memory by coming with me? We would end up fighting against the ponies that caused all this to happen.”
>”SPECULATION OF HAYTALIAN FORCES OCCUPYING GERMANEIGH AND REPORTED DEATH COUNTS OF NON-ALLY FORCES SET STATISTICAL ODDS OF ENCOUNTERING THE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE AT 27997 TO 1. I AM ALSO NOT DESIGNED TO FEEL URGES COMMONLY FOUND IN PONIES, SUCH AS: REVENGE.”
>He wasn’t wrong, in fact he was objectively right
“Darn, it would be nice to have some assistance. I don’t think I’ve got very good odds of getting back to Equestria alive. I’m sure you can figure that out.”
>”WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DIVULGE YOUR ODDS OF SURVIVAL.”
“No thanks, I’m okay.”
>”HOWEVER.”
>Your ears perk up
>”THE DEATH OF ANOTHER ALLY AS A RESULT OF MY INACTION IS UNACCEPTABLE.”
>He picks you up by the scruff of your neck and you flail about for a moment before he places you upon his back, between his shoulders
>You watch as a circular indentation begins to open up, extending inwards in a cylindrical shape
>”PLEASE INSERT YOUR HOOF, REWIND.”
“U-Uh, alright.”
>Tentatively, you insert your hoof into the slot, shivering as the cool insides envelop your hoof
>Your foreleg is sucked in all the way up to your shoulder
>”DO NOT BE ALARMED. PAIN IS ONLY TEMPORARY.”
“Wait what pain-AAAH!”
>You yelp as you feel multiple, rapid stabbing sensations upon your foreleg
>You’re unable to wrench your foreleg free, but after a minute or so, the pain is replaced by a cooling sensation
>”PROCESS COMPLETE. PLEASE REMOVE YOUR HOOF.”
>Upon doing so and examining your foreleg, you see a strange symbol etched upon the back of your hoof
>It looks like a vertical spear, flanked on both sides by a garland and text at the bottom that you can’t understand
>”YOU ARE NOW MY NEW RIDER, IMPERIAL GUARD REWIND.”
“A-Alright, but was the tattoo really necessary? I already have one on my rear end.”

>Bandit easily breaks down the wooden doors of the barn as if they were nothing more than cardboard
>No longer having to stoop inside the confines of the building, Bandit is able to stand at full height
>”WHERE ARE WE TO PROCEED, REWIND.”
>The only obvious path is of course, the road leading away
>Going back into Nopony’s Land is a bad idea
”Let’s follow that road and see where it goes. I suppose our best bet to get back to Equestria is hitching a ride on a zeppelin… Or stealing something else that flies.”
>”VERY WELL, WE WILL PROCEED WITH THESE NNEW OBJECTIVES.”
“They aren’t really objectives, Bandit. I don’t even have a concrete plan in mind.”
>”SUGGEST REINFORCING PLAN WITH REBAR FOR STABILITY AND RELIABILITY.”
>You sigh and rub your head
>It was quite the odd construct
>But with him on your side, plus your Traponi, you felt that the odds were in your favor just a bit more
>You didn’t plan on dying anytime soon
>You were going to make it out of this
>And boy would it be a story for the future
“Hey Bandit.”
>”YES, REWIND.”
“What are you made of?”
>”I AM COMPRISED OF A MIXTURE OF CLAY, MUD, STONE, AND IRON. COMPOSITION SPECIFICS: IRON AND CLAY BASED ENDOSKELETON. PRIMARY LAYER COMPRISED OF STONE MADE UP OF GRANITE, JADEITE, AND BASALT. SECONDARY OUTER LAYER COMPRISED OF MUD AND CLAY.”
>”Why all those materials specifically? Seems random.”
>“IRON AND CLAY PROVIDE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY FOR THE REST OF MY FRAME. STONE MIXTURE CHOSEN FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT ABSORPBTION AND TOUGHNESS. MUD AND CLAY OUTER LAYER FOR FURTHER IMPACT DAMPENING.”
>Huh
“That’s pretty smart.”
>”I WILL REPORT ALL COMPLIMENTS TO MY ARCHITECTS WHEN REUNITED WITH THEM.”

“How long have we been following this path, Bandit?”
>APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS, 37 MINUTES.”
“Sweet Celestia how long do you think it’s gonna take until we reach that city over there?”
>”ESTIMATED TIME UNTIL ARRIVAL: 4 HOURS, 12 MINUTES.”
“Guess we’ll be walking for a while.”
>”THAT IS CORRECT. STAY ALERT, WE STILL RESIDE IN HOSTILE TERRITORY.”
“I doubt there’s anypony out here looking for us.”
>”ODDS OF ENCOUNTERING ENEMY FORCES ARE LOW, BUT THE CHANCE IS THERE.”
>As the two of you pass over a railway, you make note of it
“So you said we’re in Germaneigh? And we’re heading towards Marelin?”
>”CORRECT. LAST REPORTS OF CONFLICT FROM MARELIN: REPELLING HAYTALIAN ASSAULT. MAY STILL BE ONGOING.”
“So we could be walking straight into a firefight without knowing it.”
>”THAT IS CORRECT.”
“What do we do in that situation?”
>”HYPOTHETICAL: RETREAT TO FORTIFIED LOCATION, SEARCH FOR MEANS OF QUICKER TRANSPORTATION.”
“I mean you’re pretty quick as is, Bandit.”
>”MY CHASSIS CAN REACH TOP SPEEDS OF UP TO 45 KILOMETERS PER HOUR, BUT I RECOMMEND RAPID TRANSIT IF WE ARE TO ESCAPE ENEMY FORCES.”
“Got it. You know, I’ve never been fired at by two separate enemy forces before.”
>”IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE A PROSPECT THAT SHOULD BE SOUGHT OUT.”
“No, you’re right. I suppose it’ll give tactical insight?”
>Bandit remains silent
“You know I’m joking, right? I’m not an idiot I swear.”
>”I MADE NO REMARKS ON YOUR INTELLIGENCE, REWIND. MORE DATA IS REQUIRED FOR SPECULATIVE IQ.”

>As you come into view of the city of Marelin, you stretch upwards a bit to get a better look around. The place looks almost deserted
>Certainly not a good sign
>”STAY ALERT, REWIND.”
“My thoughts exactly. Isn’t this the capital? Shouldn’t there be more ponies around?”
>As you go to slide off of Bandit, he immediately stops you with a hand
“What?”
>He says nothing
>Instead you feel his hand tighten slightly around you and pull you closer to his chest
>He curls around you and suddenly you hear an explosion to your right
>”TAKING HEAVY FIRE. ARTILLERY BASED. RECOMMEND RETREATING FURTHER INTO THE CITY.”
>Guess these golems have almost higher situational awareness or something
“My thoughts exactly! Get further in!”
>Bandit starts to sprint further into the city as presumably Haytalian artillery fire begins to rain around you
>”RECCOMMENDATIONS FOR SUITABLE COVER, REWIND?”
>Your eyes dart around and you spy a large mansion
>You point towards it
“The mansion over there! Hurry before their aim gets better!”
>He holds you close as he bounds towards the building in question
>Unfortunately it appears that you weren’t the only one that thought it was a good place to hole up in
>Assumedly Germane soldiers are pointing and starting to level the cannons at you
“What do we do? The mansion is already occupied!”
>You feel Bandit grip you tighter
>He looks down at you
>”REWIND, DO NOT BE ALARMED.”
>A bubble of green magic appears around you
“Wait what? What are you-“
>Bandit suddenly flings you towards the mansion as you both begin to close the distance
>You hurtle through the air screaming
>The glass of the window shatters and you end up clotheslining two Germane guards with the bubble
>You hit the wall indoors and the bubble dissipates, having absorbed all of the velocity
>Now you were stuck in the occupied mansion with two less guards
>But you didn’t plan for a breach and clear at Mach 1

>You stagger to your hooves and do your best to calm your racing heart
>It feels like it’s going a mile a minute
>You lean upon the graying, peeling wall, a few flecks of paint falling to the ground
>How did it end up like this?
>You shake your head a bit and brush some glass away from your hooves
>Nothing used to be this way
>At least if what mom and dad said was true
>You shake your head again
>Now wasn’t the time to get introspective
>As far as you knew you were still stuck in here with ponies that wanted you dead
>It wasn’t as if they were going to stop and ask if you were Haytalian before attacking
>But…
“…Did I just invade Germaneigh?”
>You ponder the ramifications of somepony reporting that Equestrian forces were sighted engaging Germane guards
>Would it create an entire new front that Equestria would have to fend against?
>As far as you knew Germaneigh was allied with Equestria
>At least until now
>More and more problems just seem to keep cropping up
>You continue to ponder this
>At least you do until a few tiny pucks were lobbed into the room
>There were only about 3
>But it was enough to make you break out in a cold sweat
>It was time to leave this room
>It was time to leave this room NOW
>You gallop away as you hear the telltale pop, and sound of gas filling the room
>You duck into the next room and close the ornate wooden door behind you
>There were a few things of note in this room
>Like a grand piano in disrepair
>Numerous chairs strewn about
>Oh, and two Germane guards

>It seems you’ve caught them by surprise
>At least that’s what it seems like from their facial expressions
>They look at each other, then you
>You’ve already pointed the Killer7 at them
>But you haven’t fired
>Why not?
>It wasn’t as if you outnumbered them and could get them to surrender
>But perhaps it was what you were hoping for
>Unfortunately not
>The Unicorn among them sets up a magical barrier as the other rotates the cannon from the window towards you
>Like the rest of their armaments, it would be gas based
>But the impact would surely kill you if it hit directly
>And from this range it was almost impossible to miss you
>You would have to pull off some kind of miracle to not die here
>Or your reflexes needed to be fast enough to go back in time right as they fire
>The magical aura swirls around your horn in anticipation
>You hear a loud bang and crash and immediately send yourself back
>You were standing still so you really only popped out of existence for 4 seconds and then back in
>But they were gone
>The glass behind them had been broken inwards
>You quickly trot over to find Bandit standing outside of the window, two struggling guardsponies held firmly within his grasp
>Just as you begin to speak up, Bandit crushes them within his grasp with a sickening crunch
>Red splatters over the exterior of the mansion
>Their blood speckles upon your armor
>It runs in rivulets down Bandit’s arm
>”REWIND, I DO NOT ADVISE HESITATION.”
>Why did you hesitate in the first place?
>They were just about to kill you
>If you don’t kill them, they’ll kill you
>”There’s no room for second guessing on the battlefield.”
>Who told you that?
>You can’t seem to remember
“R-Right. Got it.”

>With the construct of war assisting you, clearing the rest of the mansion goes almost smoothly
>Almost scarily efficient
>You push the breech block away and the spent shot falls out
>You load in another one and look around
>There are guards pinned to the walls thanks to the spikes
>Some are dead, others are dying
>The peeling paint had been given a new spattering of red tonight
>You take the moment to sit down and close your eyes
>Right now you didn’t think you could muster the force of will to mercy kill the dying guards
>You rub your eyes with your hooves and open them
>Everything is still the same
>When you think about it longer, they truly didn’t have a chance
>Germaneigh is proficient at long range bombardment, and area denial
>But they’ve only just begun to develop reliable weapons for their infantry
>Once you’d gotten inside, it was already over
>Save for perhaps one of them spearing you with a bayonet
>The one that tried to do that was laying in the hallway
>She had caught you reloading
>So you’d gone back in time and appeared behind her
>Your own bayonet made short work of the poor mare
>You made the mistake of looking into her eyes as she tried to struggle
>You can feel a lump forming in your throat
>You shut your eyes tight and swallow hard, biting back the rising tide of emotion
“Deep breaths. Deep breaths.”
>In through the nose, out through the mouth
>How did it end up like this?
>You carefully wipe your bayonet clean on your thigh
>It’s best not to think about it
>After all
>It’s not like you could change it

>It was just the way the world worked now
>And it was best not to overthink things too much
>You stand up and turn around, immediately being greeted by Bandit’s large glowing eye sphere
>”IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG, REWIND.”
“GAH SHhhhhhelestia…”
>Startled, you stumble backwards and fall
“Oh, it’s just you Bandit. How’re you holding up?”
>”SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO SECONDARY LAYER. SHRAPNEL.”
>You wince a bit as he speaks
“Is there any way you could maybe lower your voice?”
>He looks upwards for a moment, as if thinking
>He moves his hand up to the glowing sphere and twists it counter-clockwise
>”Is this sufficient?”
“Yeah, that’s better.”
>You stand back up and dust yourself off, straightening your helmet
“So are we safe now?”
>You ask as you glance over your shoulder
>”Yes, Rewind. It appears the Hayltalian bombardment has ceased as well.”
“Good. Good…”
>You turn and do your best not to look at the bodies as you trot over to a nearby chair and sit down
>”You did not respond to my earlier inquiry.”
>Bandit has moved over and pushed the window near you open
“What?”
>”Are you okay.”
>Opening your mouth to answer, you’re interrupted as you hear something hit the floor behind you
>You quickly spring to your hooves, pointing the Killer7 in that direction

>One of the guards had pried themselves free of the spike nailing them to the wall
>She’d started crawling away towards a nearby door
>Next to her hoof lies a tipped over end table
>It seems she was trying to open the door
>Sighing, you trot over past the trail of blood and roll her over
>You can hear muffled whimpers as, presumably, her wounds are pressed against
>She’s pale
>She’s almost petrified upon seeing you
>You can feel her quivering as your hoof touches her
>The poor mare couldn’t have been older than 19
>This could have very easily been you had things turned out differently
>You push that thought away
>Her eyes are darting back and forth between you and the door
>You glance up at the slightly ajar door, then back to her
“Something important in there?”
>She stops shaking for a moment, but quickly tries to shake her head
>There was obviously something in there
“Hey, stay with me here. What’s in there?”
>This mare wasn’t going to survive
>You didn’t have any first aid supplies
>Already you can feel her heart slowing down
“What’s in that room? C’mon now.”
>It’s no use however
>She’s already gone
>You sigh and close her eyes before standing
>Opening up the door, there appears to be very little of note in the room
>There’s ammunition for the cannons
>A few maps
>And some MREs
>But you don’t see anything that you would rip a hole through yourself to get to
>You trot inside
“Maybe she was gonna grab one of these pucks and try and take me out with her.”
>You flip it a few times in your hoof before putting it in one of your side pouches
>Could come in handy later
“Tenacious little mare if so.”
>You make sure to roll up one of the maps and stuff it in your pack
“Just what in the world was she so scared about me getting my hooves on?”

>After about 15 minutes of searching, you’re about to give up
>That is, until you spy a painting that somepony had taken off the wall and propped up against the wall
>You pick it up and examine it
>Presumably it was a photo of somepony that lived here
>Mane style indicated it was probably an ancestor from way back when
>But the important part wasn’t the painting itself
>But what it was hiding
>Right where it used to be
>Sitting ever so innocuously on the floor
>Was a small jewelry box
>Setting the painting aside, you pick up the box and examine it
>It was about as long as your foreleg up to your elbow
>You got the feeling that this is what that pony was trying to get to
>You pry open the lock with your bayonet and tentatively open up the box
>There’s an odd, golden light emanating from within
>Something definitely magical was inside
>But you aren’t dead yet, which means opening it the rest of the way wouldn’t kill you
>Upon opening the lid all the way, you’re met with an odd sight
>You aren’t quite sure what you expected, but it certainly wasn’t this
>Inside the box is a dagger
>It was stiletto style, more for stabbing than anything else
>It looked incredibly worn
“Geez… Just how old is this thing?”
>You carefully take it out of the box and turn it over in your hooves
>You can see that there was something inscribed in cursive font on the crossguard
>You hold it closer and wipe away some of the grime obscuring it
“For Fuse, may your cannons echo like thunder.”
>You tilt your head, wondering just who this Fuse was
>From how old the dagger was, you had to guess that they were dead by now
>They had to be from before the war started

>You step on Bandit’s hand and he gently lowers you to the ground
>”I suggest that we leave the city, Rewind. We may not get another opportunity.”
>Nodding, you start trotting off down the cobblestone street
“I picked up a map in there, apparently those railroad tracks that we passed lead right to the coastline. If we can hitch a ride on a train, we could cut down our journey considerably.”
>Bandit picks you up and gently places you upon his shoulder
>”What will we do when we reach the coast, Rewind.”
>Tapping your chin as the two of you begin to leave the downtown area, you think
“We steal a ship and go back to Equestria.”
>”Do you have a contingency in case of the failure of that objective.”
>Not really, you didn’t
>Wait…
>You pull out the map you’d taken from the mansion and unfurl it
“Where is it where is it…. Aha!”
>You hold it down in front of Bandit’s eye
“Right there.”
>You point at the small, narrow stretch of land that connects the northern half of Equestria with Haytaly
“If we can’t steal a ship, then the Wendigo’s Passage is our backup plan.”
>”Duly noted. We will proceed to West Fillyfurt station and board from there.”
>An hour or so passes with little in the way of conversation between you and Bandit
“Oh! Hey Bandit, do you think you could give this a once over for me?”
>You pull the dagger out and place it in the golem’s hand
>He holds it up to his eye and examines it
>”Strong magical presence detected. Estimated over 50ssu’s.”
>By Tartarus that was a lot
>In school you’d learned that the amount of magic required to raise the sun and the moon simultaneously took a magical force of around 45 Starswirl Units
>And this dagger you found in a box in a mansion in Marelin was over that?
“Anything else?”
>”Negative. I am not equipped for magical analysis.”
>You take the dagger back and tuck it away
>You’ll be handling it with much more care from now on

>The journey to the train station proves to be like the one leaving the farmstead
>Long
>And rather boring
>But for you it’s a welcome boredom
>You’re not being fired at
>And you can relax fully
>You close your eyes as Bandit’s heavy steps leave tracks in the dirt
>You can make out stars through the leaves above
>It’s a clear night with nary a cloud in the sky
>A question however, begins to probe at the back of your mind
“Hey Bandit?”
>”Yes, Rewind.”
“What’s in that sphere?”
>You ask as you point at the glowing sphere located near the top-center of the golem’s body
>”Me.”
>You blink a few times
“What?”
>”I reside within the housing crystal.”
>Okay, but that doesn’t answer your question
“What do you mean?”
>He stops walking for a moment and reaches up to his eye
>You watch as he presses inwards, then rotates his hand to the right
>The glowing runic lines upon his surface fade
>A feeling of genuine surprise overcomes you as he pulls out the glowing sphere from his body and hands it to you
>It’s warm to the touch and pulses with an unnatural energy
>It feels like no magic you’ve ever felt before
>In fact that bubble he’d put around you when he lobbed you through the window earlier felt the same way
>It felt like you were holding fire that didn’t burn
>The magic seemed to lick at your hooves, as if probing and ever searching
>”Rewind, can you hear me.”
“Of course.”
>”You are holding me within your hooves.”
>You hold it up closer to your face and analyze it further
>Is that…
“A brain?”

>There was a brain in the sphere
>It was simply there, suspended within
>As innocuous as anything else
>”Yes. That is my brain.”
“Is… Is it real or?”
>”It is organic, yes.”
>Does this mean that…
“Bandit? Were you a pony before this?”
>”Yes, Rewind.”
>You simply hold it in your hooves as the otherworldly magic caresses your hooves
>Now more than before you hold it with practiced carefulness
>There was somepony else held within your hooves
>So that’s what he meant when he said it was him inside the orb
“What… How did this happen?”
“It is this way for every golem created.”
>Every single one?
“I meant more specifically. Just how you came to be like… This.”
>”I used to be as you were, and as Muddy Waters before you. Once the rider, now the construct.”
“So it’s a cycle…”
>”That is correct. If we are grievously injured in battle, with no odds of survival, our golem performs the final rites.”
>”It pierces the heart and extracts the rider’s brain afterwards to store it safely. The brain is then returned to the architects, who encase it in an orb like the one you hold now.”
>You glance down at the orb cradled in your arms
>It pulses with every word Bandit speaks
>”The golem is then constructed around the housing sphere and our shamans revive the brain.”
>But…
“Isn’t that a bit cruel? To never be put to rest?”
>”Our rest will come when the war ends. Every day we fight draws us closer to it.”
“Unless the crystal and the brain are destroyed, right?”
>”Correct.”

>You sit in silence within Bandit’s hand for a while
>It’s taking a bit to absorb the information he’s given you
>This wasn’t just an artificial construct
>This used to be somepony
>Somepony alive
>Somepony with a mom, dad, siblings
>A life just like your own
>And to become this artifact of war without so much as questioning it…
“So why doesn’t anypony refuse to become a golem?”
>”We are not divulged the information as to what they are created from. Only that they should be treated as your ally, and your partner.”
>You want to be angry
>You can feel it welling up within your gut
>It’s an awful, wrenching feeling
>But there’s no point
>It was a fact of life now
>Just like everything else in this world
>They were effective weapons
>However…
“Do you still feel?”
>”Emotions, yes.”
“Then why do you sound so… Artificial? Not like a pony?”
>”The more time that passes within this body, the less I am able to feel. I cannot feel sensations such as touch, taste or smell.”
>You remain silent
>”As such, my ability to process emotions and states of mind such as: Anger, pain, and joy is dampened. Enough times passes, and soon I forget what they ever felt like.”
>You muster the courage to ask another question
“How long have you been like this, Bandit?”
>”Approximately… 2 years, 9 months, 4 days, 12 minutes, 4 seconds.”
>So long…
>You hold the sphere tighter
>Nothing but the wind greets your pause
“So… For Muddy Waters did you… You know…”
>”Perform the last rites.”
“Yes… That.”
>”I did not.”

>You blink a few times
“Huh?”
>”I did not perform the last rites on Muddy Waters.”
>Confusion overtakes you
“But, I thought that’s what every golem has to do when the rider is going to die.”
>”You are correct.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
>Bandit pauses
“Bandi-”
>”I could not.”
>You sit in stunned silence as he cuts you off
“Why?”
>”Muddy Waters was my friend. My best friend. Even before I became this. As a pony, I joined the military alongside him.”
>”He was not informed when I was killed in action. But the architects assigned him to me as my rider.”
>Why would they do something like that?
>”At the time, I was still becoming used to my new body. I could still feel my visceral emotions. I could not will myself to tell him what had happened.”
>Bandit’s hand begins to grip you tighter, even as you hold the sphere in your hooves
>”When we had become cornered by Haytalian forces, Muddy Waters was injured whilst fending off infantry.”
>”Their forces locked us in the barn with magical seals when they could not destroy me.”
>They must have been gone by the time you arrived
>”I could do nothing for my friend as he died, save for accelerating the process.”
“So you…”
>”I pierced his heart and he died instantly. But I could not bring myself to remove his brain.”
>“I refused to continue the cycle and instead buried him inside the barn.”
>It’s almost jarring to hear him describe this in a nigh emotionless tone
>The pressure exerted by his grip is very apparent now
>But he seems to be making sure not to hurt you
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
>”It is not something you need to concern yourself with. I no longer possess the ability to feel grief, nor do I possess the anatomy required to produce tears.”
>You doubt that first part

>A considerable amount of time passes with no conversation between the two of you as Bandit continues to follow the path
>However there’s a question gnawing its way through your mind
“Hey Bandit?”
>”Yes Rewind.”
“Is Bandit your real name?”
>”It is not. It was given to me by the architects.”
“Then what’s your real name?”
>”I once was Sandstone, if my memories are correct.”
>Your mind lingers on his words
>Once was
“You’re still Sandstone though. That was who you were before this. What’s changed? Your body?”
>You gently hold the sphere up as you gesture to the golem
“Your memories are still the same. And even though I never met you before this, I’m sure your mannerisms, your quirks, your thoughts, they’re still your own, right?”
>”That is correct.”
“Then what do you mean you “once were” Sandstone? That’s still who you are!”
>You do your best to smile
>He seems to stop and think over your words
>”You hold an odd view of my situation, Rewind. One that has never been brought to my attention before.”
>That’s good, right?
>”Will you continue holding me.”
“What? O-Oh! Right!”
>You hold out the orb and he replaces it into the indentation within his torso
“Sorry.”
>”There is nothing to apologize for, Rewind. I thank you for our conversation.”
“Oh, uh… No problem.”
>He continues to hold onto you as you two leave Marelin’s city limits and proceed into the countryside
>”I recommend rest to relieve today’s stress. I will wake you upon our arrival at the station.”
>As he says so, you can feel your eyelids growing heavy
>Perhaps you’d just been ignoring it up until now
“Right. You’re right.”
>You curl up within his hand
“Just one more question.”
>He looks over at you
“What do you want me to call you from now on?”
>”You may refer to me however you wish.”
“Alright. Good night Sandstone.”
>”…Rest well, Rewind.”

>You dream for the first time in quite awhile
>Or rather, you’re able to recall this one as it happens
>You’re laying on the ground
>The sky is gray
>Overcast
>It’s raining
>It patters on your face gently
>Where were you?
>You crane your head to look to either side
>There’s nothing but mud, barbed wire, and trenches in either direction
>A battle took place here
>But it was over now
>Why were you still here?
>Why were you laying in Nopony’s Land?
>It wasn’t safe out here
>But the battle was over
>What happened?
>You try and sit up
>But you can’t move
>Why can’t you move?
>You start to panic as you hear hoofsteps
>Just one set
>And only two hooves
>Thump
>Thump
>Thump
>Thump
>A chill runs down your spine, but it only makes you colder
>A shadow looms over you
>You can only stare upwards as fear grips your heart
>There’s a golem standing over you
>It stares, unflinching at you
>It speaks but you can’t understand it
>It wasn’t in a language you understood
>You watch as it tilts to one side, as if confused by you
>It speaks again, and you recognize the words as it does
>”Something important in there?”
>It asks, in your voice as it places a finger upon your chest, directly over your heart
>You’re terrified
>You can’t answer as your words hitch in your throat
>”Hey, stay with me here. What’s in there?”
>You feel a sharp pain as something shoots into your chest
>You can feel it stab into your heart
>You lay there twitching
>But you don’t die
>You can feel as the familiar dagger retracts back through your body and into the golem’s finger
>You watch in agony as its hands begin to move towards your head
>As they close in and blot out your vision, you awaken in a cold sweat
>”Rewind, is something wrong?”
“What? N-No no just… Just a bad dream…”

>You do your best to go back to sleep
>Luckily, there are no more nightmares that plague you as you do
>You’re awoken a few hours later as Bandit places you in a traincar with no roof
“Huh? What?”
>”Records found within the trainyard indicate this one delivering cargo to the coast.”
“Really? That’s great!”
>”Advise lowering your voice. I am unable to tell if we are alone.”
“Right, sorry.”
>“It is fine.”
>The massive golem pulls a tarp over the two of you, concealing both of you from the outside world
>”The train will depart in the morning, and will take a total of two days and 3 hours to reach the coastal city of Haydelberg. It is unknown whether or not it will pass through security checkpoints.”
>You nod softly
>”If you wish to acquire more sleep, you would not be remiss to do so now.”
>You’d like to, but…
>That nightmare you had still rests in the back of your mind
>Something about it however sticks out to you
>It was that weird dagger you’d been stabbed with in your dream
>You still can’t figure it out
>You fish it out from your pack and examine it
>It continues to emanate a soft, golden light, even now
“Still got no idea what this does?”
>Sandstone takes the dagger between two fingers and looks closely at it
>”Secondary analysis: Temporal disruption as the cause of abnormally high magic levels. Recommend extreme caution if handled with magic.”
>Temporal?
>As in time?
>You take the dagger as he hands it back and put it away
>You try to take Sandstone’s advice and go back to sleep
>It was still dark out, so it wasn’t difficult

>”I hear they put her in a golem.”
>”What? No way, those are nowhere near our front.”
>”I’m telling you, it’s true! They brought a shaman in and everything”
>”Pff, even if they did, it’s not like Rewind would change much.”
>”I mean, that’s a bit harsh but… I can’t argue with the truth.”
>You can hear voices in your dream
>You look down
>You see hands
>You turn them over
>Your hooves are gone
>You feel cold
>You wake up
>You groan
>If you didn’t know any better you’d think Luna was up to something
>But she’s far too busy to interfere within the dreams of somepony thousands of miles away, whom she’s never met
>You can only imagine the kind of nightmares she sees during the night from everypony now
>Shuddering, you turn over and face Sandstone as those familiar words echo in your head once more
>”Something important in there?”
>You reach into your pack and remove the dagger, holding it close to your chest
>Your mind starts to race as you feel the warmth of it against your cold armor
>Just what was so important about you?
>What in your heart was so important that you were allowed to keep living?
>Why are you even laying here next to a construct that used to be a pony?
>Was living that important?
>Was that the only reason that you’re still going strong?
>Just to live?
>What kind of existence is that?
>Were you really any different from Sandstone?
>…Yes
>But he actually felt things
>He feels things even when his body is designed not to
>But what excuse do you have?
>Are your own emotions really that intrusive that you have to sequester them away?
>Why do you ignore those feelings?
>Why were you so cold?

>You desperately try to fight back the typhoon of questions in your mind
>Coming up with more and more excuses
>”There’s no room for your emotions when the world is like this.”
>”It’s better not to feel.”
>”This is just the way things are now.”
>”You still feel things, just not as much as other ponies.”
>”At the end of the day, living another day IS the most important.”
>All lies you keep telling yourself
>You lie there against the tarp as rain patters against the outside
>Between you, a piece of metal, and a golem, how did you end up being the coldest thing here?
>How did it all end up this way?
>What meaning did your life hold?
>”Something important in there?”
>Why did that hurt so much?
>After a few minutes of silent contemplation, you speak up
>You try and hide your voice cracking
“H-Hey, Sandstone? Are you awake?”
>”Yes, Rewind.”
“I’m… I’m gonna try something, okay? Don’t freak out.”
>”I will refrain from being alarmed.”
>You hold the dagger up at take a deep breath
>You close your eyes
>Magic swirls about your horn, coating it in an aura of amber-orange
>It was just like any other time going back 4 seconds
>But you had to test something
>You wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly until you did
>But still you hesitated
>What if it didn’t work?
>What if you pop back into existence and nothing’s changed?
>What if you’re still laying here?
>Perhaps it would be better not to try…
>No
>In reality, what did you have to lose?
>It wasn’t as if you had an important mission to carry out
>You just wanted to keep living
>And for what, just to wake up the next day and live some more?
>Was that really a life worth living?
>Once more, with a flash of light, you cease to exist and go back in time

>As usual you can feel yourself going back, your body repeating all of the motions it had gone through in that 4 seconds in reverse
>That is until you watch your view of the world fade out
>Normally when you send yourself back in time you see the world like a photo negative and then you pop back into reality
>Not this time
>Your vision starts to blur until you can see nothing but the faint gray haze of everything blended together
>You start to feel nauseous
>Keeping track of your surroundings has become far too difficult for your brain
>And the combined strain of your magic isn’t helping
>You black out
. . . . . . . . . .
>With a loud gasp, you fill your lungs with life-giving air
>You blink a few times
>With your head still spinning, you don’t really feel like getting up was the wisest idea
>The smell of varnished wood pervades your nostrils
>The sound of propellers chopping wind fills your ears, but it sounds somewhat muffled
>Just where in the world were you?
>Had you been dreaming this whole time?
>You weren’t back on the zeppelin, were you?
>You groan as you push yourself up and take a look around
>The dim light of a lantern sheds little light on the room you find yourself in
>There’s an unmade bed against the wall, a table with a large map draped over it, and most prominently a door with light filtering around the sides
>You stand up and take a few tentative steps towards the door
>You stop just inches away from opening it as you hear a voice from above you
>”My friends… Ze task falls to us. We are all zat stands between success and ruin.”
>There was a mare speaking
>Her accent sounded decidedly Prench in nature
>You lower your hoof from the door
>Perhaps it was best not to make yourself known to the enemy

>Somepony else speaks up
>”Captain, we’ll… We’ll have backup, won’t we?”
>You can hear a few murmurs of nervousness pervading the crowd
>You do your best to peek through the cracks in the door
>Unfortunately, you can’t see much, save for a crowd of ponies
>There’s a long period of silence from the mare speaking
>”Non.”
>The murmurs return, now more fearful than before
>”B-But that’s suicide! There’s no way we can face an armada like that!”
>”Captain, what are we gonna do?!”
>”Quiet, all of you!”
>She barks at the crowd
>”I have not called zis meeting to give you all false hopes. Zere iz ze very real possibility zat none of us will make it out of zis alive.”
>”I HAVE called you here however as a reminder. Ze artifacts in your possession, zose zat you have received, or come across in our travels, must not fall into ze wrong hooves.”
>A few seconds of silence pass before you can hear reactions of awe from the crowd
>”Even I must do my part. I ask zat, should you survive the coming battle, do not lose zese mementos, do not sell, do not flaunt, and do not dispose of zem.”
>”Hide zem. Give zem to your children when you feel ze time iz right. But do not relinquish zem to ze enemy. Take zem wiz you to ze grave if you must.”
>Had you been taken prisoner?
>Just what was this place?
>”Remember zis: Our failure here means ruin for ze rest of ze entire world. Ze armada escorts a cargo ship holding a dark artifact zat no hooves should ever behold.”
>You take a few steps back from the door
>A dark artifact? To Prance?
>For what purpose?
>”Should we fail here, and ze ship make its way to Prance, zey will surely use it to usher in an era of darkness. I do not need to tell you what consequences zis holds for ze world.”
>You’ve gone back far longer than 4 seconds

“What the fu-“
>Before you can finish your expletive, all sound is sucked away, as is your surroundings
>It feels as if you’re being torn asunder bit by bit as you’re flung forward in time
>You awaken with a start, eyes open wide as you sit up
>”Rewind, are you okay?”
>The cold metal of the traincar presses against your cheek
>”Rewind, please respond.”
>You push yourself up and look at the familiar golem
“Yeah. I’m uh… I’m alright.”
>You take off your helmet and rub the side of your head
“Hey Sandstone, can you tell me what happened?”
>”Certainly. Your vital signatures ceased to be for approximately 4 minutes. In that time, I analyzed the situation and considered updating our mission objectives.”
 “Hold on hold on. You said that my vital signs “ceased to be.” What do you mean?”
>”Brain activity and heart rate did not flatline. However, they did vanish. I was no longer able to track them as I am able to do normally.”
>All of this is slowly starting to weigh heavily on your mind
>You take a look again at the dagger in your hooves
>It pulses softly
“Sandstone… I think I went back in time before the war happened.”
>”Highly illogical. However, given your magical disposition, not improbable.”
>You keep staring at the softly glowing dagger in your hooves
>Such an innocuous thing
>Were it not for the golden light, nopony would think it to be something with the power to go back in time
>This was something that absolutely belonged in the magical archives
>And yet
>You pull it closer to your chest, up against your breastplate
>You get the feeling that allowing any of the ruling powers to acquire it would result in disaster

>But you had to try something
>You had to make sure that it wasn’t simply a window into the past
“Sandstone, I’m gonna use it again. I have to test something.”
>”Understood.”
>Once more you focus your magic upon the dagger in your hooves
>And once more you send yourself back as normal
>Again your vision blurs into one color until you pass out
>You awaken again to the smell of varnished wood and the sound of chopping air
>You wince as you stand up, stumbling slightly
>This time you examine the room more thoroughly
>First you check the map upon the table
>There’s an enchanted miniature of what you assume is the ship you’re on
>You watch it slowly move along the map
>Underneath the small figure there appear to be small glowing points of light clustered around it
>”My friends… Ze task falls to us. We are all zat stands between success and ruin.”
>That mare was talking again
>You pull away from the map and glance around the room
>This was more reminiscent of a captain’s quarters of some sort the more you look at it
>This wasn’t any kind of zeppelin, if the figure on the map was to be believed
>It was more like an airship
>”Captain, we’ll… We’ll have backup, won’t we?”
>You fight the urge to take a step out there and say that you’re the backup
>It’d be nothing but cruel to these ponies
>But you had to do something, right?
>But what could you even do?
>Warn them of their failure?
>You were gonna be pulled back to your time in 4 minutes
>You had that long to do something
>”Non.”
>”B-But that’s suicide! There’s no way we can face an armada like that!”
>”Captain, what are we gonna do?!”
>”Quiet, all of you!”

>You go quiet as well
>The mare continues with her speech as you’d heard before
>All the while you’re frantically thinking of some way to change the past
>Or if you even could
>”I have not called zis meeting to give you all false hopes. Zere iz ze very real possibility zat none of us will make it out of zis alive.”
>”I HAVE called you here however as a reminder. Ze artifacts in your possession, zose zat you have received, or come across in our travels, must not fall into ze wrong hooves.”
>Wait a second
>Right as you’re about to push the door open, her words make something click in your mind
“If they’re all here, then…”
>Your eyes widen and you scurry back to the map
>Those tiny lights
>Those must be all those artifacts these ponies have on the ship
>If you’re lucky and they all work the same way, one of them just might be the one that could send you back somewhere specific
>You take the map and fold it up, ship miniature and all, and tuck it into a pocket underneath your breastplate
>Now all you had to do was hope that you could bring things back
>”Even I must do my part. I ask zat, should you survive the coming battle, do not lose zese mementos, do not sell, do not flaunt, and do not dispose of zem.”
>”Hide zem. Give zem to your children when you feel ze time iz right. But do not relinquish zem to ze enemy. Take zem wiz you to ze grave if you must.”
>You take a few deep breaths
>Now was the moment of truth
>Your heart beat as if it were trying to escape your chest
>Your spine tingled in a mix of fear and anticipation
>”Should we fail here, and ze ship make its way to Prance, zey will surely revive him and install him as ze new ruler. I do not need to tell you what consequences zis holds for ze world.”
>Once more you’re sucked back into the space between time

>That familiar pain of being ripped apart comes back
>And you wake back up, cheek against the cold metal of the traincar
>”Welcome back, Rewind.”
>You gasp and roll over
>Sitting up, you quickly check the pocket under your breastplate
>You feel it
>The map is there
>The map you took from the past
>You start to laugh
“Aha… Ahaha…”
>It’s almost in disbelief as much as it is joy
“Sandstone. I did it.”
>He tilts his head
>”Did what?”
“I brought it back. I brought back a map.”
>You lay back down and pull it carefully from your pocket
>Upon unfolding it, you notice a few details
>The miniature is gone
>As are most of the lights that you’d seen earlier
>You take out the other map you’d taken from the mansion and compare the two
>Save for some different names and new landmasses, they were easily comparable
“So if we’re about here… Then this one should be us.”
>You move your hoof to the dull light on the map as you lean back against some crates
>You slide your hoof along the map until you stop at the only other light upon it
“And that should be another one of these artifacts.”
>You fold up both maps and tuck them safely away
>You take a deep breath
>Now moreso than ever, what you did next was important
>Perhaps not for just you, but potentially for the entire world
>You feel sick
>Like somepony had just taken your blood
>You’re lightheaded
>Assumedly, the only other ponies that knew about this were dead
>You and Sandstone are the only ponies with knowledge of this
“Hey Sandstone?”
>”Yes, Rewind.”
“I’ve got an idea.”

“That dagger sent me back in time to before the war started. And I was able to take a map back from it.”
>Sandstone stays silent, presumably to gather more information
“We could go through with our original mission. You know, going back to Equestria and all…”
>You hold up the dagger
“But this got me thinking.”
>You lean forward just a bit
>Sandstone does the same, the massive sphere glowing softly
“What if we could stop it? ALL of it. Nopony would have to die. You… You could go back to being a pony again alongside your friend!”
>For the first time in a long while you’re feeling something again
>You’re feeling joy
>Anticipation
>Happiness
>You’re actually smiling
>Smiling at the prospect of being able to change something
>Heck, not just something
>The two of you could change the entire world
>Sandstone is silent
>”New Objective: Recover lost artifacts.”
>Your smile widens and you nearly tackle the massive golem in a hug
>There was no way you would be able to do all of this yourself, that’s for certain
>At least with Sandstone on board, you’ve got better odds of success now
>Maybe this was what you were born to do
>It’s almost too good to be true
>You, saving the world
>And nopony but you two would ever know

>For the first time in a while, you’re able to get a good night’s sleep
>Even if it is in the bed of a traincar underneath a tarp
>You awaken gently with a yawn as opposed to startled in a cold sweat
>The train had already started to move
“Sandstone, are you awake?”
>”Affirmative.”
“Good, because I need your help.”
>You pull the map out from your breast pocket and unfold it, pointing to the glowing light
“Is this train able to get anywhere close to it?”
>You unfurl the other map and set it beside the older one
>Sandstone studies both maps for a few minutes
>”Knowledge of known Germane rail systems is insufficient. The one we reside on now should be able to take us relatively close.”
>You breathe a sigh of relief
>”However,”
>Uh oh
>”The train we have stowed away on is currently delivering to the coastal city of Haydelburg.”
>Fiddlesticks
>That was right
>You got on this train to get back to Equestria
“Is there a way to change the route?”
>”Indeed. However, the switching station is unlikely to be utilized for an unscheduled route change.”
“Then I guess we’ll just have to change it ourselves.”
>Sandstone removes the tarp and looks around
>Currently the train was heading through a tunnel in a mountain
>”Current location: Lattengebirge. Germane mountain range. Switching station a short distance from the exit.”
“Great! Then we wait for the train to pass through the mountains, then I jump out and hit the switch.”
>Sandstone seems to turn his sphere from side to side as if shaking his head
>“Unfortunately it will not be that easy.”

>“We currently reside on the 14th freight car. The switch at the station would have to be pulled before the locomotive passes over the track to be switched.”
>You look up as the train passes into another tunnel
>You swallow hard
“So you mean I’m gonna have to climb my way through 13 freight cars and jump off the front?”
>”Correct. I would provide assistance were it not for my body being far too large to navigate between the tunnels.”
>Deep breaths Rewind
>Deep breaths
“R-Right. It’s fine don’t worry. Just gotta be careful. How hard could it be?”
>”I recommend starting soon. We only have a few minutes before the locomotive leaves the tunnels.”
“G-Got it…”
>You get out from underneath the tarp and peek out to the side of the freight car just a bit
>You spot the oncoming light at the end and mentally prepare yourself for what’s to come
>Just don’t think about the what-ifs
>Focus only on the success
>You CAN do this
>It’s just that next step on the path to saving the entire world!
>The freight car you’re in passes into the light with a rush of air and you spring into action
>You clamber up the ladder and onto the top of the car in front of you
>The wind whips through your mane and brings tears to your eyes
>But you don’t have time to linger on it
>You gallop across the top of the car and jump to the next
>Then the next
>Then the next
>And the nex-
>Your hooves sink slightly and you notice you don’t have as firm a hoofhold as before
“What the…”
>You look down and discover that you’ve landed in one of the coal freighters
>It was just a small hurdle, but one that cut into the little time you had
>You jump for the next car, but the coals slip from under your hooves, denying the leverage you needed for a complete jump

>You hit the edge of the freight car with a thunk
>It knocks the wind from your lungs and you cough and sputter as you try and breathe again
>After a moment to get your breath back, you start to pull yourself up onto the top of the freight car
>Only to drop yourself back down again as the top of the next tunnel narrowly misses your horn
>You can almost feel it rushing past your hooves as you hang there
>If you’re passing through a mountain range, you can’t imagine how long or short this tunnel could even be
>There was no time to wait
>You shimmy over to the side of the train car and peek to the side
>There looked to be just enough room to safely hang and shuffle yourself across
>Carefully moving around the corner, a new problem appeared
>The wind itself
>It rushed and whistled past you as now you were no longer protected by the mass of the freight car
>It only made it that much more difficult to keep holding onto the lip of the car
>Don’t focus on the failure
>Just keep going
>Making it up to the middle of the freight car you’re able to find a small ledge to rest your hindlegs on
>The burning in your forelegs subsides for a moment while you catch your breath
>Why were you doing this again?
>Surely you could just wait for the train to arrive in Haydelburg and explain your situation to somepony there, right?
>But the more you think about it, the more it seemed like a bad idea
>You’d already killed at least an entire detachment of Germane guards
>Not to mention you’d stolen both a map of the area, AND more importantly a powerful magical item that they’d no doubt been expecting to receive

>Plus with this Haytalian weapon on your foreleg, they were likely to assume you were a spy of some sort
>Furthermore, after finding the dagger in the hooves of the Germanes, you can only imagine what could happen if somepony else found an artifact like the one you have and figured out how it worked
>Even IF they didn’t figure out how it worked, exploiting it for its powerful magic wouldn’t be too difficult if they found the right pony
>Even if it wasn’t direly urgent, it was still important enough to divert this train
>After your few seconds of rest, you continue shimmying along the ledge before rounding the corner and dropping onto the connector
“Guh… Just how long is this tunnel?”
>As if to answer you, the harsh sunlight nearly blinds you from above as your part of the train comes out
“Alright Rewind… Lotta ground to cover.”
>You clamber up on top of the car and start galloping along, jumping to the next car when you came to it
>Soon the locomotive is clearly in view
>You’re only about 3 cars away from it
>The steam pouring from the top hits you and dampens your fur beneath your uniform
>You hop over the few gaps between you and it
>Hopefully nopony looks to investigate the thumping on the roof
>Out of the corner of your eye you can see it
>The switching station
>To get enough speed to reach it you were gonna have to jump much earlier and keep going back to build up momentum
>Earlier as in now

>You hesitate for a moment, before gently slapping your cheeks twice with your hooves
“You can do this.”
>Taking a deep breath, you leap from the train
>The added speed from the train itself propels you along, but it’s still not enough
>You would hit the ground before you even reached the switch
>But still you wait
>You wait for enough time that you’d still be in the air when you sent yourself back
>The aura around your horn flares and a flash of white blinds you as you rewind
>The world goes negative as you repeat your motions in the last 4 seconds and come back into existence in the space you occupied 4 seconds ago
>I.e. flying through the air
>You were picking up more speed
>Just one more
>You wait for just a moment and send yourself back again
>When the world comes back you’re hurtling through the air
>The wind stings at your eyes
>This was it
>You do your best to angle yourself in midair
>The trajectory was as perfect as it could be
>So you steeled yourself for what was to come
>You brace as you hit the switch hard
>It would have winded you if not for your breastplate
>The pain throbbed in your chest but you couldn’t tend to it
>You send yourself back again
>And when you pop back in you do so again
>And again
>You can feel your head starting to hurt
>It’s a dull throb that only gets more intense as you rewind over and over
>It only occurs to you after tears are streaming down your cheeks and your nose is bleeding that you’d never used it so many times in a row
>After a total of 8 rewinds you’re back where you used to be when you were standing on the front locomotive
>The train of course had passed a few moments ago


>Your speed is still around “way too fast” but you’ve come back to the train
>Luckily for you, the speeding bullet that is your body is stopped by the coal car from earlier
>You groan loudly
>You’re seeing double
>No, make that triple
>You blink a few times to get your eyes back in focus before digging yourself out of the coal you’d become buried in
“Hopefully… They just think it’s a last minute route change.”
>After wiping away the blood dripping down your snout, you very carefully return to Sandstone
>You collapse in the bed of the car
>Sandstone promptly looms over you
>“Are you alright Rewind? Your cerebral activity fluctuated far beyond normal Unicorn metrics.”
>You hold up your hoof and let it flop over to the side where the metal of your hoof’s armor elicits a dull thunk
“Yeah. I’m alright. Just gotta lay off the magic for a bit. My brain hurts.”
>Sandstone looks out to the side of the train
>”It appears your actions were successful. The train has been diverted and is now en route to the Northern Colpogne station.”
“Hah… Doesn’t really matter. We’ll be getting off before it arrives there anyway.”
>”Understood.”
>You curl up and take off your helmet, your wavy white mane unfurling from underneath
“I’ll just be taking a… A short rest.”
>Yeah
>That’s what you’ll do
>An exhausted little pony needs rest
>Even with the subpar sleeping conditions you’re able to fall asleep relatively quickly
>Sandstone’s leg makes a great impromptu pillow as well

>You awaken around 2 hours later if what Sandstone tells you is any indication
>It occurs to you that you’ve been sleeping quite a bit lately
>You chalk it up to exhaustion
>As well as having a whole heap of responsibility shoved onto you all at once
>Granted, you were the one that assumed you’d be able to change things if you found more of these relics
>So it’s mostly your fault
>Sandstone picks you up, gently holding you in his hand as he leaps from the train
>”This is our stop.”
>You snicker just a bit
“I didn’t know you had a sense of humor.”
>”I have not lost all semblance of personality, Rewind.”
>Well, at least that’s good
>Sandstone places you upon his shoulder as he trudges along through the lush green rolling hills of the Germane countryside
>You’re able to spot what appears to be some woods up ahead
“Isn’t this exciting?”
>”The prospect of ending the war before it begins is an interesting one, no matter how far-fetched.”
>You unfold the map and lay it across Sandstone’s head-body… Area and study it for a bit
>It seemed that the woodland ahead was where the next magical relic was supposed to be located
“I find it a bit hard to believe myself. I mean, I knew time travel was a thing. But I never thought it’d be possible to change the past.”
>You rub your chin
“Heck, we don’t even know if we can yet. All we know is that we can take things from the past back to the future.”
>”It is important not to defeat yourself before we have begun.”
>Nodding silently, you return to studying the map you brought from the past
“Any idea what we can expect in the forest up ahead?”
>The sphere housing Sandstone’s brain swivels slightly to face the approaching woodland

>”Unnamed stretch of wooded area. Information on flora and fauna within insufficient. I am sorry.”
>You screw up your nose and huff
“Oh well. We’ll just have to be on guard even more than usual. Just hold me a bit lower so I don’t hit my head on any branches, alright?”
>”Noted.”
>Sandstone reaches up and gently takes hold of you, lowering you down
>You lay the map on one of his fingers as you cross the treeline
>”Where did you go?”
>Your ears perk up a bit and swivel just slightly in Sandstone’s direction
“What’s that now?”
>”When you went back in time. Where did you go?”
>That was a good question
“Don’t you mean WHEN did I go?”
>You grin at the golem
>Sandstone remains silent
>He doesn’t have a face per se, but if he did you could imagine the deadpan look he’d be giving you right about now
“I uh… I’m not sure where. I was on a ship of some kind. But I heard propellers? It wasn’t any kind of zeppelin gondola I’d ever seen.”
>”Odd. Do you have any more information?”
>You look upwards in thought as branches and dead leaves crunch under Sandstone’s heavy steps
“There was somepony talking. She had a Prench accent. She was talking about how she and her crew were supposed to stop an armada.”
>”Information given is consistent with the decline of the Prench airship era following the rise of mass production in equine-based countries.”
>You raise an eyebrow, your mouth open in an attempt to formulate a response
>”It is highly probable that you had gone back in time onto a renegade Prench airship.”
“Oh. Right. Figured as much.”
>You levitate the old map with your magic, just out to the side, and rest your hooves on Sandstone’s finger
>In a way, this walk through the woods was somewhat relaxing
>It was nice not having to fear for your life every second

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEsW-z82n9c
>After giving Sandstone directions for a few minutes and finding absolutely nothing but more woods, you let out a groan of dismay
“Arrrggh, I feel like we’ve been going in circles.”
>”I assure you we have not.”
“Then where’s the-“
>Two of Sandstone’s fingers grip the map and gently pull it up out of your face
>You’re greeted with a massive, crumbling structure
>You’re unsure of how old it could truly be
>Old enough that the forest was starting to reclaim it
>Moss grew upon the exterior brickwork
>The massive stone archways had long since collapsed
>And there appears to be a tree growing straight up through the center of it
>Upon further inspection it appears to be a temple of some sort
>Though to what patron, you’re unsure
“Oh. Heh. Look at that.”
>You check the map and nod
>This was definitely where the next relic was
>You wriggle out of Sandstone’s grip and hop to the ground
>As you trot up the cracked stone steps, you look up at the archway and step over the crumbled portion
“Just what is this place?”
>Sandstone climbs over a ruined portion of wall and joins you inside
>”I do not know. Masonry is inconsistent with known Germane records.”
>A few rays of sunlight filter in through the trees and portions of the ceiling that haven’t collapsed, illuminating the grand hall with a dim glow
>The broken wooden seats lie dashed against the walls and floor
>But even those are being pushed away by the roots growing through the floor
>You stop marveling at the scenery and set to work looking for the relic

>It’s not hard to find however
>The golden glow is apparently universal
>You dig away at some oddly glowing rubble to find…
>You quickly jump back with a yelp, closing both eyes
>You open one and sigh
>It was just a skeleton
>Whoever it was, they were long dead
>Buried underneath all of this rubble
>They appear to be clutching the broken hilt of a sword
>the blade had been snapped near the base, leaving naught but a jagged wedge of metal jutting out from the crossguard
>And sure enough, it was glowing with that same golden light that the dagger in your pack is
>You gently pry it from the skeleton’s hooves
“Sorry friend. I need this more than you.”
>It of course doesn’t answer
>It’s dead
>The rest of the blade is nearby, embedded in the floor
>But you don’t need it
>It’s not glowing
>Upon further inspection there appears to be nothing special about this broken sword
>No engravings
>No runes
>Nothing
>Just a regular old sword
>Though it must’ve been really important to this pony
>Granted, that one mare did say to take them with you to your grave
>Maybe they were just following orders
>You turn around to Sandstone
“Alright buddy. I’m gonna take a leap back. I’ll come back in 4 minutes, just like before.”
>”Be safe, Rewind.”
>You nod once and focus on the broken hilt
>You hold it with your magic and take a few deep breaths
>Who knew, maybe this time it wouldn’t be as bad?
>Upon exhaling, you flare your magic to life
>Your horn shines brightly with a golden, glowing light as everything is sucked away and you go to the world’s negative
>Then you keep going
>It feels like somepony is stabbing at your brain over and over
>Air being forced from your lungs
>And
>You black out

>No, it was still just as bad
>You come to and sit up quickly
>You look around before you begin to feel lightheaded
>The room spins and you hold your head in your hooves
“Guh… Where am I?”
>You speak out loud to nopony in particular as your vision comes back into focus
>”Temple of the Harvest. Weren’t you listening when the Captain said where we were going?”
>Your heart stops for a second
>Somepony was talking to you
>Somepony in the past was talking to you
>You had assumed that you were just an anomaly and that nopony else could see you
>Then again if you were able to take things from the past, surely that meant you were corporeal
>”Hey, you okay?”
>You’re realizing only now that you’ve been silent for a bit longer than what’s considered appropriate
“What? O-Oh! Yeah I’m fine!”
>”Good.”
>You wobble to your hooves and look around
>There are ponies of all shapes and sizes
>Unicorns, Pegasi, Earth Ponies, a couple gryphons, a minotaur and…
“Changelings?”
>You mutter under your breath
>That must be why nopony seems to bat an eye at your appearance
>They think you’re just a disguised changeling
>”Twilight, you’re sure zis will work, yez?”
>Twilight?

>THE Twilight?
>”As sure as I can be. I still don’t understand why you’re going to all this length to hide this artifact. Why not give it to me where I can keep it safe in the Canterlot Archives?”
>You stand at the wall, away from most of the other ponies to get a better look
>”Princess… You didn’t see what zis zing could do. I got to witness it firsthoof. Nopony deserves to possess zis.”
>No doubt about it
>There was Princess Twilight standing there
>But who was she talking to?
>”And what makes you different?”
>Your ears perk up
>A strong artifact?
>”I’m not different. But I’m a literal nopony. Who iz going to look for me? Who iz going to track me down and take zis from me?”
>You recognize that voice
>It took you longer than you’d like to admit, but now that pony’s words from earlier made sense
>Whoever that pony was, she was the captain of the ship you had ended up on earlier
>Unfortunately, you can’t make out her appearance
>You see nothing but a bright, shimmering light where she stands
>Nopony else seems to be reacting to it but you
>Something tells you this is deliberate
>”You have a point, but… Is this all necessary?”
>”Better safe zan sorry, no?”
>You can hear Twilight sigh softly
>”I can’t tell you that this is the right idea, but if that’s as strong as you say it is, I can’t stop you either.”
>There appear to be a wide variety of curios and trinkets laying on a stone slab in front of them
>All of which appear to be…
>Well
>Rather mundane
>A necklace
>A broken horseshoe
>And among other things, the dagger and rapier in your possession
>None of them are glowing
>”Zank you Princess. Now if you would, please continue.”
>The glowing aura of what you assume is another pony seems to place something odd and angular upon the slab

>It’s cylindrical in shape
>And just slightly smaller than your hoof
>There’s string wrapped all around it, creating a makeshift necklace out of the thing
>There’s a radiant golden glow coming from it
>You can’t make out too many details from it, but it appears there’s some sort of engravings
>You must be sometime from before that speech you’d heard from the dagger’s time
>You watch Twilight concentrate on casting a spell
>Purple magical essence flows from her horn to the cylinder
>Then from the cylinder it turns to gold, spreading out amongst the objects gathering on the table
>It infuses them with that ghostly, sunlit glow that you’d come to know
>Twilight herself seems to be visibly struggling
>Beads of sweat run down her face
>She clenches her teeth
>You can only imagine how tough it must be to pull this off for a Princess of Magic to be struggling
>You shudder to imagine how painful it would be for somepony like you to try that
>Counting yourself lucky that you wouldn’t have to, you continue to watch
>Soon the tendrils of magic had spiderwebbed their way to every trinket upon the slab
>The cylinder itself seems to have lost its own golden aura
>Twilight dispels the magic around her horn and the spell ceases to be
>She lets out a deep breath when finished
>It must have been intensely taxing
>”Right… Whew… It’s done.”
>The shimmering light of a pony seems to pick up the now dulled cylinder, as well as something else
>As you crane your neck to see what it is, all of the world’s sound is sucked away
>Your 4 minutes were up
>You’re forcefully pulled back to the present time

>Again you feel all of the painful sensations
>In your body
>And more importantly your brain
>It feels like thousands of tiny needles being shoved down your horn and into your head
>You pop back into reality with a gasp
>You’re laying facedown on the cold stone floor
>Your head is spinning
>But what else is new?
>Groaning softly you stagger to your hooves
>A large hand comes to your aid and allows you to lean on it
“Thanks Sandstone.”
>”Do not mention it. What did you discover in the past this time?”
>You rub your left temple, gently massaging the pain away
“Apparently our mysterious captain had some help. Help from a Princess.”
>”Which one?”
>Right, there’s a bunch of them now
“Princess Twilight. She got her to take the magic from a single artifact and put it into a whole bunch. I think she was trying to hide it.”
>”For what purpose?”
>You give the rapier to Sandstone, who places it inside of himself
“I think the original artifact was something powerful. They sounded scared when they were discussing it.”
>”Speculation: Artifacts found may link to the original. Finding it may be top priority.”
>What a smart golem
“I think you’re right. If we figure out where it is, we might be able to use it. I don’t know if I can do much with 4 minutes… But if that artifact is as powerful as Twilight thinks it is…”
>You let that sentence hang in the air
>It seems both you and sandstone share the same sentiment
>It’s a silent agreement
>It may be a longshot, but the artifact might be enough to go back long enough to do…
>Something
>Something you hoped would affect the present
>You unfold the old map
>Another golden circle has appeared
“Alright Sandstone, you ready to get going?”
>”Affirmative.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O39qOA60Hm4
>You hum softly to yourself as you wash yourself in a river
>The water is deep enough that it comes up to your belly
>But you’ve got a sturdy hoofhold on the rocks at the bottom, so there was no danger of being washed away
>After all, you’d gone through the training to make your body a fortress
>If there was one thing Equestria didn’t skimp on nowadays, it was their military training
>There were of course, other countries that had much harsher, much longer, and much more grueling training
>The Clydesdales of the North were one that came to mind
>But they were big ponies
>As in: The top of your head only comes up to about their lower chest-ish area
>You quiver all over for a moment as you remember your old calendar that you kept in your room
>The oddly sexual pinup one for mares
>How it ended up in your possession, you never knew
>You push those sort of thoughts away before this became more than just a wash up
“Scrubscrubscrub…”
>You mutter hastily underneath your breath before dunking your head underneath the water to wet your mane
>You resurface and brush the wet mane from your face, running your hooves through it
>You wished you had some shampoo, or something
>But that was just another thing you’d come to do without out in the field
>Still
>The water was crisp, clean, and clear
>And it felt so good to relax and wash yourself off
>It also gave you some much needed time to think
>According to the map, the next artifact was somewhere in Prance
>As in: One of the countries you’re currently at war with, Prance
>As in: The country currently being ruled over by a being made of shadows and fear
>Could be worse, right?


>Who are you kidding
>Certainly not yourself
>This was the kind of stuff saved for the real elite of the Equestrian military
>Those kinds of ponies you aren’t supposed to know about, but you just know they exist
>And what were you?
>A mare that wasn’t even good enough to get into the Royal Guard
>With an imperfect magical spell you’re really good at
>You levitate your helmet over and into your hooves
>You wrinkle your nose a bit
>You levitate the helmet again, blinking a few times
“Weird…”
>Your normally orange-hued magic seemed to have gold sparkles in it
>You’re not sure if those were there before, but it doesn’t seem to have affected your magical capabilities so far
>You just assume it’s always been there and you’d never noticed
>You wipe away some of the dirt from your helmet
>Cleaning it like this, you finally notice all of the scratches and dents it has
>But it’s a sturdy piece of armor
>And it’ll go through a lot more before you stopped this war
>You do the same for the rest of your armor, and dry yourself off as you wait for your underclothes to dry
>As you wait, you decide to study the maps
>The older one you had folded up shows signs of its age
>It’s browning and faded, but doesn’t seem to be tearing much
>It helped you learn however that taking things from the past back to the present doesn’t come without a cost
>Before you’d taken it, it showed the location of every single artifact at once
>Now it seems to only show one at a time
>And upon finding it, the marker on the map vanishes
>Maybe it’s proximity or something?
>You couldn’t understand it for the most part, only that it works
>You were of course messing with the very fabric of time itself
>This was the sort of thing that more experienced Unicorns than you had tried and failed at

>All the more reason not to screw it up now
>The slow, rhythmic thumping of Sandstone’s steps get progressively louder until he’s standing behind you, looming over you
>”Have you become sufficiently clean, Rewind?”
“Yes yes, Just letting my clothes dry off now.”
>”Did you remember to clean behind your ears?”
>You scrunch your muzzle
“Of course I did.”
>”And did yo-“
“What are you, my dad?”
>There’s a momentary pause following your interruption
>The large sphere that houses Sandstone’s brain seems to rotate slightly
>”How old are you.”
>Your jaw drops
>Sandstone pats your head gently
>”There is no need to be upset. It was a joke.”
>You stare daggers at the offending golem
>”You do not possess any traits of a half-zebra.”
>You huff and roll your eyes before returning to studying the map
“So we’re gonna have to go to Prance.”
>Sandstone leans down, casting an ever larger shadow over you and the map
>”You are aware that it is the stronghold of our enemy, correct?”
>Not the entire country, but he had a point
“Yeah, I know. But if it’s where the map is telling us to go, then we don’t really have a choice, do we?”
>”Affirmative. Based solely on distance, our journey will take several days before factoring in weather and terrain.”
>This time you tilt your head at him quizzically
“Why didn’t you factor in weather and terrain then?”
>”I do not have the ability to predict or monitor weather patterns unless I acquire Pegasi Weather team intel for said region. Likewise, I do not know the topographical layout of lands I have never been to.”
>It’s a mouthful, but you understand it just fine

>Unfortunately, time was just the least of your worries
“I still don’t know how we’re getting into Prance in the first place. The borders are heavily guarded.”
>You trot over to your clothes that have been drying for quite some time and don them once more
>”Correct. Their superior firepower makes them a threat when faced head on.”
“There’s also the fact that it’s just us two against what could very well be an entire platoon of guards.”
>You go through the steps to secure your armor to your body, buttoning your collar over your breastplate when done and sliding your helmet on last
>”Stealth is most likely our best option.”
>Stealth
>With a several ton bipedal golem following you around
>You’d laugh were it not for the fact that it really was your only option
“How do you propose we do that? It’s not like you’re very inconspicuous.”
>”You are correct. I am not suited for stealth missions.”
>You strap the Killer7 to your foreleg, making sure the shock absorber is firmly attached
>”Proposed Solution: You may have to attempt the infiltration on your own.”
>You stop in your tracks as you start to turn around
>Alone?
>You were no stranger to being alone of course
>But splitting up this early on?
>You quash those thoughts for now
“Let’s just focus on one thing at a time. First, we’ve gotta get to Prance.”
>”Affirmative. Please climb aboard.”
>Sandstone extends his hand
>You do a quick recheck of everything in your pack
>The artifacts are still there and so is the map
>The magic one is folded and tucked away in your breast pocket under your armor
>Satisfied that everything is there, you climb into Sandstone’s hand, where he then deposits you on his shoulder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYnNpc_8MrM
>DAY 1
>You have your map unfurled and splayed out across Sandstone’s head-area
>You’re currently studying the best possible route to Prance
>And as of now that looked like it was over, or through the chasm that separates Germaneigh and Prance
>You show the map to Sandstone and he too looks it over as he carries you through the woods
>”The Burning Gulch? I am unaware of any paths around or over. It is an extremely dangerous area to linger around.”
>He wasn’t wrong
>The Burning Gulch had appeared before the war when the tectonic plates beneath Prance and Germaneigh separated
>The ground around it still likes to crumble inwards, making the gulch ever larger with each passing year
>As the lava that bubbled up to the surface cooled, it created some interesting rock formations
>But even now it was still dangerous to even be around
>There’s a reason why they still call it the Burning Gulch
>Because the lava within has never cooled
>So falling in is generally a bad idea
“Think of it this way though: If we do manage to cross it, I doubt we’d encounter much resistance. Nopony in Prance would expect somepony to infiltrate that way!”
>”Because it is highly illogical.”
>You say nothing and silently raise your eyebrow at the golem
“Since when has anything we’ve done so far been logical? We’ve been messing around with time itself.”
>”I only said that it was illogical, not that it was not a clever plan. It is as clever as it is dangerous.”
>You take the map back and run your gaze across it intently
>Of course there was nothing on it that could help
>Nopony wanted to go anywhere near the Burning Gulch to map it out

>Thump
>Thump
>Thump
>Thump
>The vibrations from Sandstone’s steps rattle you ever so slightly with each one
“Hey, Sandstone.”
>”Yes, Rewind?”
“Do you ever get tired anymore?”
>The sphere swivels up as if he’s looking at you
>Perhaps he is
>You don’t know how he perceives the world
>”Negative. I am unable to feel exhaustion or fatigue.”
>You think back to your years in school
“Aren’t you technically awake indefinitely? Isn’t that bad for your brain?”
>”Technically, yes. However, thanks to the magic used in the construction of my body, as well as the housing crystal itself, my brain is nourished and healed nigh constantly.”
“Well, that’s good then.”
>The sphere swivels back as he looks ahead
>”Only the best for Zebrican War Constructs.”
>There’s a sustained period of silence in your journey as Sandstone trudges through the dense woodland
>Only the sounds of his steps, the crunching of branches, and birdsong are present
“So how does that magic work anyway?”
>”It is an enchantment contained within the runes etched into each layer of my body. The sphere itself acts as its own source of magic.”
>You examine some of the runes on his shoulder, as well as the now healed tattoo you’ve got on the back of your foreleg
>They’re similar in design, but there are noticeable differences
>”There are thousands upon thousands of runic symbols that the Architects must know to create a golem. Which is why becoming one is grounds for praise alone.”
>The woods are slowly becoming less dense as you go on, perhaps you were nearing the edge of the forest
“What would happen if there were no Architec-”
>”Then nopony would have to be subjected to this kind of existence.”

>You’re almost taken aback by his startlingly fast answer
“I uh… Was going to ask what would happen if somepony attacked and there were none around.”
>Sandstone stops for a moment
>”My apologies Rewind. I did not intend any rudeness.”
>”In an emergency situation, all that is needed to create a golem is the housing sphere. When covered in a thin layer of the surrounding material on the ground and charged with magic, the sphere itself will pull in the materials needed to create another golem.”
>He ducks under a lower hanging branch and continues
>”However, a golem created this way is unstable, and must constantly take in materials to keep its form.”
>It’s almost relaxing hearing Sandstone teach you about this
>This sort of thing was never covered at length in your classes
>Most likely because it’s a closely guarded secret
“I’ll keep that in mind just in case. Wouldn’t want to lose you now would I?”
>You pat the golem’s head
>”I do not plan on letting my chassis be destroyed. There is no cause for worry.”
>He reaches up and pats your head as well
>You can feel your cheeks redden slightly
>You’re glad that he can’t see your face right now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk9lH5QWxrM
>DAY 2
>You’ve exited the forest
>It’s been behind you for about 4 hours now
>Occasionally you can hear distant artillery fire
>But it’s so far away that it isn’t anything you two had to worry about
>You’re still riding on Sandstone, but now the scenery had shifted from dense woodland to the usual rolling green hills of Germaneigh
>The sky was clear, aside from the occasional cloud
>It would be a nice day for a picnic were it not for the war going on
>”Have you found out how we’re getting into Prance undetected?”
“I thought I told you already, we’re going over the Burning Gulch.”
>Sandstone picks you up by the scruff of your neck, holding you up in front of him as he trudges along
>”Soil and igneous rock content around the Burning Gulch are inconsistent, and it is unlikely we will find a land bridge to support our passage.”
>You open your mouth to speak before he cuts you off again
>”Alternative Solution: You may have to continue your mission alone.”
>Alone?
“H-Heh, what uh… What do you mean by that, Sandstone?”
“My chassis may prove to be too heavy to cross the Burning Gulch.”
>You bite your lip as he places you back upon his shoulder
“But… We’re a team, aren’t we?”
>”That is correct.”
“That means we stick together!”
>There’s no response from Sandstone other than the steady thumping of steps upon grass as he trots through the plains
>”Affirmative. However, do not hold a grudge towards me, should you have to infiltrate solo. Optimistic: A single soldier would be able to slip in unnoticed where our duo may fail.”


>You grumble just a bit before crossing your hooves
“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
>”I did not say that you had to.”
>You sigh softly and rest your head upon his cool exterior and close your eyes for just a moment
>DAY 3
>Sandstone is holding you in his hand, covering you with the other
>It’s raining
>The deep rumbling of thunder rolls across the land after the lightning crackles behind the clouds
>Most days you wished you were back in Equestria
>At least there the weather was controlled
>It made you wonder why everywhere else just let the weather do whatever it wanted
>Sure, up until you’d gotten drafted you’d never left Equestria
>And it could be entirely possible that in major cities around the world, weather is also controlled
>Maybe you’d find out soon enough
“Hey Sandstone, do you mind if I ask you something.”
>”Not at all.”
>You tap your hooves together nervously, hoping that this wouldn’t be a sore subject
>”What were you like before all this happened?”
>”I assume you mean before I was turned into this?”
>You nod at him
>The crystalline sphere swivels upwards, as if he was looking up in thought
>You can almost picture the pony doing it
>”…Handsome.”
>You blink a few times, as if confused
“You… What?”
>”I was handsome.”
“Little narcissistic don’t you think?”
>”Not at all. It is objective fact.”
>Rolling your eyes, you gently pat the sphere holding his brain
“Alright then tough guy, anything ELSE?”

>”I played quite a lot of sports actually. Buckball, wrestling, things like that. I was rather outgoing, made friends easily.”
>Almost a polar opposite to you it seemed
>Were it not for you falling out of the sky and him being turned into a golem, you may not have ever met him
>You two living in entirely different countries notwithstanding
>Perhaps a more important question now
“What did you look like?”
>”What did you think I looked like.”
>You think for just a moment
“I assume you had stripes?”
>”All zebras have stripes, Rewind.”
>You can almost feel the deadpan stare coming from him
>More and more it’s getting easier to visualize him as another pony
>Or zebra
>Whatever, it didn’t matter
“Green eyes?”
>”Correct.”
”How tall were you?”
>”Taller than you by a considerable margin.”
>You scrunch your muzzle
>Sandstone watches and lets out a noise at this
>The sphere lights up multiple times as if he were talking
>It’s a deep, repeating noise that continues for a bit
>It takes you just a moment to realize
>He’s laughing
>He’s laughing at you!
“Hey hey! What’s with you eh Mr. Giggles?”
>His laughter dies down
>”It’s nothing, Rewind. I find it cute when you become flustered.”
>You puff out your cheeks, muzzle still scrunched as you glare at the brain-sphere
>More laughter
>”Just like that.”
>He pats your head, much to your chagrin
>”You don’t have the sort of face to be angry. Your features are too soft. Too cute.”
>Your cheeks are burning at this point
“Y-Yeah yeah just keep it to yourself, buster…”
>You cross your hooves and huff as you turn around

>DAY 9
>The rain finally stopped
>The sun teases its presence just behind some gray clouds
>Your horn glows and you pull the bayonet off your weapon
>You use it to cut open an MRE, humming softly as you do so
>You hadn’t quite paid attention to what you were given
“Let’s see…”
>You pull out the entrée first
>Hay ravioli in tomato sauce, not bad
>You place the pouch inside the flameless heater and add a bit of water to get the reaction started while you look at what else you had
>Some orange slices
>Spicy snack bread and cheese spread
>Chocolate chip cookies
>Vanilla shake mix
>And (your personal favorite part) the candy, which this time happened to be some gummy worms
>Not the worst MRE you’d ever had the pleasure of opening
>As you’re spreading the cheese over the bread, you stop for a moment
>You shuffle around, turning to meet Sandstone’s brain-sphere
“Hey Sandstone, do you ever get hungry anymore? I just… Sort of feel bad eating in front of you like this without even trying to offer you anything…”
>”Do not worry yourself Rewind. I do not possess a stomach. As such, I cannot feel hunger.”
>Your ears droop slightly
“Oh… That’s kind of… I mean, do you miss it at all?”
>”I do not miss the feeling of hunger.”
>”Well, that’s good!”
>”I miss the taste of food.”
>Your mouth is open and you’re about to speak before he cuts you off with that
>It’s so sudden
>And you’d never really thought about that before
>If Sandstone is nothing but a brain now, he’s lost most if not all of his senses
“I… I’m sorry Sandstone, I didn’t…”

>The large golem pats you on the head again
>”There is nothing you need to apologize for, Rewind. I am a victim of circumstance, not of any action on your part.”
>You’re silent for a moment or so
“Er… Don’t tell anypony this okay? But when I was little, I wanted to own a donut shop.”
>The sphere swivels down, as if looking at you intently
>If he could produce facial expressions, you’re sure his brow would be furrowed with one raised quizzically
“…What?”
>”You do not seem like the kind of pony to have an interest in cooking, or baking for that matter.”
>You frown as you shake up the vanilla shake
“Oh yeah? Then what DO you think I’d rather do than fight a war?”
>”Work a video store.”
>You angrily take a bite out of your bread
“Why doef everypony fay dat!”
>”Your name implies it.”
“I just wanna own a little hole-in-the-wall type donut shop. Like the kind you hear about through word of mouth.”
>”An admirable, if less ambitious goal.”
>You remove the pouch with your entrée in it and sigh
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being less ambitious. I’m not the kind of pony that fulfills that “you can even be a Princess too!” mindset that some parents give their kids.”
>”Even though we’re going about saving the world right now?”
>You tear open the package and point your plastic fork at the golem
“Hey it could have been ANY pony with time related magic that could find these artifacts and use them!”
>Sandstone pushes his way through some particularly tall grass as he continues through the Germane countryside
>”I believe you may be reaching a bit for that.”
>Maybe he was right
>Give yourself some credit where credit’s due

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAAaLNPAw4g
>DAY 13
>It’s nighttime
>You’ve reached the Burning Gulch
>And it’s somehow turned out to be even worse that you’d expected
>You hop onto the ground
>The scar in the land stretched on for miles in either direction, and you weren’t even sure if it stopped
>It could reach around the entire world for all you knew
>And the land surrounding it was in no better shape
>Geysers of steam shoot up into the air, showering the surrounding stones with water
>Occasionally some burning rocks would be shot up from the crack in the world and land nearby
>Your eyes water and you use your sleeve to wipe away the wetness
>Your nostrils burn slightly, and you sniffle a bit
>There’s quite a bit of smoke around
>But despite all of this, you weren’t too worried with Sandstone shielding you
>What you were worried about is the fact that these dead trees couldn’t conceal both of you
>And thanks to the standing army on each side of the gulch, it was only a matter of time before you’d be noticed
“Well… Darn. Sandstone, what do we do?”
>”I am unsure. The Prench forces here seem to have dwindled and broken, leaving only our Germane allies.”
>You tap your chin in thought
>Maybe there was a good way to go about this
>If you approached them calmly, kept your hooves in plain sight
>As well as made sure to show you weren’t a part of an enemy force
>Perhaps that you’d be able to even get some assistance
“Okay Sandstone, here’s what we’re gonna-“
>Something plinks against a nearby tree
>You look down
>It’s too dark to see anything clearly
>You hear something pop
>It’s a gas grenade
>As you react and try to dive away, Sandstone snatches you out of the air and shields you with a familiar green bubble

>”We have been spotted. Combat initiated by Germane forces.”
>Once again you’re plagued with this dilemma
>They’re a skittish kind by default, but this is getting ridiculous
>You guessed that you couldn’t blame them
>Golems aren’t exactly common anywhere else but the Zebrican front
>For all they knew this could be some Prench war machine sent in to attack from behind
>But you’re still tired of being attacked by your allies
>Trees creak and splinter as Sandstone barrels through them
>You can hear yelling in Germane
>There’s canisters slamming into Sandstone’s body and breaking, filling the air with the lethal gas
>Luckily you were still being protected by Sandstone’s runic magic
>However this was an entire army
>Hundreds upon hundreds of guards were now focused on you and Sandstone
>There was no way you could take out all of them
>Even with Sandstone’s help
>And you didn’t want to have to kill any more of your allies either
>You didn’t have to, unlike before
“Sandstone, we can’t kill them!”
>”Noted. Do you have an alternative?”
>You didn’t
“I… I don’t.”
>Sandstone holds up his arm to shield you, occasionally catching their projectiles and flinging them back
>Though thanks to their armor and masks, they were unaffected by their own weaponry
>Sandstone stops, and almost immediately the grenades are landing near his feet
>”My runes cannot shield you for an extended period of time.”
>The sphere begins to swivel around, as if analyzing something
>”I have an idea.”
“Then tell me! What is it?”
>You watch his fingers grip the magical bubble you’re in tightly
>”Hold no grudge against me for this.”
>Sandstone rears back his arm and your eyes widen
>You start pounding on the bubble
“Sandstone no you can’t leave me alone like this! Please!”
>But it was too late

>You’ve been sent hurtling through the air
>You can only watch from the green bubble as Sandstone turns and begins to retreat from the Germane army
>Meanwhile you yell in the vain hopes that he can hear you
>He cannot
>The bubble hits the ground and dissipates
>You were quite far away from the Burning Gulch now
>And you were on the other side
>Which was what you wanted, right?
>You sigh and look back towards the gulch
>It’s too far to actually see anything
>You turn back around and look up at the ridge you were on
>You start to climb your way up it
The dirt crumbles beneath your hooves and you struggle to get a good hoofhold on it
>By the time you make it to the top, you’re nearly covered in dirt
>But that was the least of your concerns right now
>As you stand at the top of the ridge, you realize why the Germane forces hadn’t pushed into Prance
>It wasn’t due to the lack of a way across
>It was because they’d already tried and failed
>You look out across the field and see bodies
>Hundreds
>No
>Thousands of them stretched on for miles, littering the battlefield
>There are ponies trotting amongst them, and Pegasi flying above shining spotlights below
>You recognized the uniforms
>They were Prench
>You see the occasional jet of flame spew from one of the Spitfires at a body near them
>You lay flat on your belly and procure your binoculars from your pack
>One of the soldiers stops near a body
>With the magnifications you can see that it’s moving slightly
>That pony is barely alive
>The Prench guard rolls them over with the front of his weapon
>And then fires
>You’re glad you’re far enough away that you can’t hear anything
>There was no other way around it
>You were going to have to go straight through

>You take out the map to confirm one more time
>There was no other way around it
>The next artifact you sought was deep in the heart of Prance
>And this was your best route through
>You scan the remnants of the battlefield with your binoculars
>There was… Little to no cover
>Occasional mounds of bodies
>Destroyed sandbags
>Craters in the ground from impacts
>The occasional patch of fire
>And
>Wait a minute
>You pull your head up from your binoculars, squint for a moment and them look back at what you’d seen
>Running near the center of the scorched earth, there’s a raised plateau of land
>Not even enough to be called a plateau
>It was a ledge at most
>A small, cracked portion of rock creating a minor overhang
>In different circumstances, perhaps it wouldn’t catch your eye
>But right now it was just what you needed
>It would allow you to keep out of sight of the spotlights the Pegasi were shining down
>If they didn’t go to the side that wasn’t raised that was
>Though you hesitate
>What if you get caught?
>What if you never get to see Sandstone again?
>Would he worry?
>All of these questions continue to swirl in your mind, leaving you effectively paralyzed as you lay prone on the hilltop
>You shake your head vigorously
>You give yourself a slap across the cheek
>It’s enough to calm your nerves slightly
>There was no point in trying to think about all the “what ifs”
>If you didn’t do anything, you could never stop this war
>You take a deep breath and scoop up some of the soot in front of you
>You smear it across your face
>You tuck your mane into your helmet, and your tail into the leg of your pants
>The white would too easily give you away otherwise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38OrYAAYISk
>You slide down the hill after putting your hoofguards in your pack
>Immediately you’re prone and crawling through the muck
>The ground is warm, so much so you can feel it through your clothes
>The bodies cast harsh shadows when the bright spotlights are shined nearby
>And your heart thumps hard in your chest when the circles of light pass close by
>Stopping near a mound of dirt and dead, you watch one of the Prench guardsponies trot along
>She occasionally leans down to check one of the bodies, rolling it over and prodding it a few times before moving on
>You wait for her to be a substantial distance away before you start moving again
>Your next port of call was a burnt-out wagon
>The steady wingbeats of hovering Pegasi are constant overhead
>But you focus on that wagon
>About halfway there, you start to realize that there was a spotlight illuminating the ground heading right for you
>Had they spotted you?
>No… It would have immediately been shone at/near you
>You couldn’t dive for it, it was too far away
>There was nothing else around
>You start to panic
>Your heart begins pounding in your chest, so heavily you could swear that somepony else could hear it
>A feeling of dread creeps down your spine
>“What do I do…. What do I do…” you think to yourself
>The terrible circle of light creeps ever closer
>The sound of a rewind would definitely give you away if you tried to go back
>But that line of thought gives you a different idea instead…
>If you can’t go back, nor forward…

>You freeze
>You press your body against the ground, going as flat as you can physically go
>Essentially, you play dead
>When surrounded by nothing but corpses, what better way to go unnoticed than to imitate one?
>You hold your breath
>And you swear you can FEEL the spotlight pass over you
>It feels hot
>Almost searing through your back
>It feels like an eternity before it finally passes all the way over you and the Pegasus continues on their way
>You let out the breath you’d been holding in slowly and keep crawling towards the wagon
>You’re able to reach it without any further close calls and you quickly shuffle underneath it
>Here you’re able to take a breather for just a moment
>But you couldn’t stay for long
>If these guards were looking for survivors, this would be the perfect place for one to hole up
>And it was only a matter of time before they checked it
>”Where next?” you wondered as your eyes scanned the desolate battlefield
>There was…
>Well
>There was nothing really
>There was nothing to be used as cover between this wagon and the crack in the land
>There were minute differences in ground elevation, sure
>But nothing substantial
>You clench your jaw and take another deep breath
>You had to do something, rather than just lay here and do nothing until you got caught
>Looking around to determine if anypony was near, you begin to creep out
>The patrolling Prench ponies aren’t nearby, but they could be at any moment
>You move as quickly as you could without sacrificing stealth
>It goes well for the most part, and you’re about halfway to the crack in the ground when you feel vibrations in the ground

>Thunkthunkthunkthunkthunkthunkthunkthunkthunk
>Thunkthunkthunkthunkthunkthunk
>Your ears twitch
>Your right one swivels slightly in the direction of the sound
>And you turn your head
>And then they pin back against your skull in fear
>Your eyes widen
>What
>In Celestia’s name
>Was that thing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSZPxHppXBE
>Almost as big as Sandstone
>Maybe larger
>It’s got the colors of the Prench army
>But
>Nopony in school ever taught you about what your eyes now lay upon
>It looked as if it strode upon six talons of a gryphon
>Three on each side
>Each one digging a gash into the land as it scuttled along
>The sounds it made were distinctly…
>Organic
>As if it had chitin
>Upon its legs was something distinctly dome shaped
>That glowed with eerie, unnatural energy
>But even if you didn’t know what it was
>You knew the barrel of a gun when you saw one
>It rotated around, scanning the battlefield
>It was time to go
>NOW
>You didn’t know what that thing was
>Or what it could do
>But you were sure it could turn you into nothing more than red paste if it found you
>As you start to crawl again, you become acutely aware of something
>Somepony is rolling you over onto your back
>Your heart stops for a moment as you realize the sound of that thing had masked somepony’s hoofsteps
>And you had been found out
>From behind the gasmask, the pony’s eyes widen
>You see the magic on the trigger of the Spitfire
>Barrel pointed directly at you
>acting on nothing but instinct, you push the barrel to the side as she fires
>You can feel the searing heat against your hooves and you wince
>The flames torch the ground beside you, licking at your helmet
>With as much force as you can muster, you rear your hindlegs and buck the pony square in the chest

>She goes flying back, landing in a heap several feet away
>You scramble to your hooves
>She does the same
>As you turn to gallop away, you hear the sound of a whistle being blown
>The shrill sound rings in your ears as now everypony that you were hiding from is brought to attention
>It takes all of a few seconds for a spotlight to be shone in your direction
>Then another
>And another
>Until they’ve zeroed in your position and follow your every move
>You make a beeline for the crack in the ground
>Even as you can hear the steady thunking of whatever that THING was
>You can hear yelling in Prench from behind you
>You dive for the cracked ground, landing within and scrabbling to your hooves as you run
>If nothing else, it shielded you from one side
>Where would you even keep running to?
>You wonder for a moment as you gallop through
>It’s a question you can’t answer
>Not for lack of one however, but because something just exploded next to your head
>Or more accurately, against the raised ground to your right
>You stumble
>Your ears ring
>Your helmet is askew upon your head
>You use your magic to straighten it and keep running
>For it was all you could do at this point
>Your heart pounded, and you could no longer hear what was going on through the tinnitus
>You probably have a concussion
>But you become aware of something else
>The fact that this crack has begun to recede
>And you were now effectively out in the open

>You’re still being followed by spotlights
>But now they were targeting you with firebombs
>And whatever that massive explosion was before
>You can only assume it came from that spider-thing
>The Spitfire teams have linked up now
>You know this without looking back because there are fireballs being launched at you encased in magic
>They don’t hit, but the heat is dangerously close
>You would have burns after this
>If you weren’t dead
>But you can’t die!
>The world is doomed to war if you do!
>You would never see Sandstone again!
>You pick up more speed in your mad dash away
>There’s a treeline in the distance
>If you could just make it to that forest, you could lose them there
>If only you COULD make it there
>As you look over your shoulder you spot something particularly horrifying hurtling towards you
>It didn’t look like a normal fireball
>It had a fuse
>You can predict its trajectory enough to know that you were going to run straight into it
>So you try and skid to a halt while simultaneously veering to the left
>And for good measure, you throw up a barrier of magical energy in between you and the point of impact
>Even with all of that, the shot slams into the ground and detonates, sending a powerful shockwave out
>Your barrier shatters instantly
>You feel the heat
>The explosion knocking you off your hooves
>You being thrown backwards
>And blacking out from the impact against the ground


>You are Sandstone
>Class M Type Golem
>Operational capability: 100%
>Rider status: Unknown
>Rider link: Still established
>Conclusion: Rider is not deceased
>Objective: Secure artifacts bearing anomalous temporal magic for Rewind’s use
>Objective cannot be completed without Rewind
>You had already gotten away from the Germane forces
>Granted, they didn’t want to follow you in the first place
>Fear of death could do that to you
>But what were you to do now?
>You do not know
>You can track your rider over long distances
>However infiltrating Prance could prove difficult
>You are unable to get close to the Burning Gulch
>Not close enough to leap over it
>You would most definitely fall in
>Solution: Find alternate route into Prance
>Sub-Solution: Go around Burning Gulch
>You ping Rewind’s location and wait for the response
>It appears that she’s moving towards the city like she’d said
>The runic tattoo you’d printed into her gives you that, among other information
>Unfortunately none of it medical
>That was restricted to Class F types
>And so you proceed in the opposite direction from the Germane army
>You are unsure of how long it could take to go around
>Or if the gulch even stopped
>But you had to do this
>You and Rewind were a team
>And you would make your way back to her no matter what

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVW4svdv1L4
>You are Rewind
>At least you think you are
>Your head is spinning
>You don’t know where you are
>You don’t know which way is up
>Pain throbs in your temples
>Colors bleed together in the blurry mess that is your vision
>You can feel something on your horn
>It’s cold
>No
>Wait
>You’re cold
>The ends of your hooves feel cold
>Numb
>Your senses are coming back, albeit slowly
>You can hear somepony talking
>Multiple someponies actually
>It’s in a language you don’t understand, but that you recognize
>It’s Prench
>But you can hear occasional words that you recognize
>Like “magic”
>”Dagger”
>”Map”
>You’re being dragged along somewhere
>As you try and figure out where you’re being dragged, they take notice of you
>They blurt something out in Prench and a hindhoof slams into your face, knocking you out again

>You awaken
>You’re tied to a chair
>There’s a dim light swinging around slightly above you
>The colors of the room all blend together into a blurry mess
>You can make out… One, maybe two other ponies in the room with you
>One grabs your mane and tugs your head back up
>The pain makes your vision sharpen a bit
>Now you can clearly make out the ponies in the room with you
>The uniforms were…
>Odd
>They looked like nothing you’d ever seen before
>”Zap her again.” Says the one standing near the wall
>She’s wearing a hat
>She looks to be in charge
>The pony holding your mane looks at her
>Then looks at you
>”Eh… But Madame, we ‘ave not gotten anyzing from her ze whole time. It’s been hours.”
>You see the magic around the baton she’s holding brighten
>It’s then jammed right underneath your ribs
>Your jaw clenches
>Your hooves grip the arms of the chair tightly
>Your own horn sparks and sputters up to the limiter clasped on it
>You’re now remembering what it’s like to be electrocuted
>Because they’d been doing it to you for the past few hours
>They were questioning you about the glowing objects in your pack
>Naturally, you were silent about it
>You gave your name, number and rank
>Of course, they weren’t too happy about not getting any information about what they actually wanted
>So they shocked you
>And now they were doing it again
>It goes on for a few seconds before the mare removes the baton from under your ribs
>You slump forward and pant heavily
>”Madame Warden, I don’t zink zis one will tell us anyzing.”
>”Tch, I suppose you’re right. Take her to a cell.”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsoXLKcR1oo
>You’re roughly hoisted from the chair by two muscle-bound stallions
>Then dragged along to… You don’t even know where
>The corridors twist and turn so much your head spins by the end of it
>Luckily for you, they stop dragging you through the hallways
>Unluckily for you however, you’re then tossed into a cell
>You hit the wall with a thump and a groan
>The sound of the bars clanging closed is the last thing you hear before you pass out again
>”…ey… Hey kid…ake up.”
>You groan once more as somepony pats your face
>”You ain’t in a hospital, they’re not gonna fix you up if they think you’re invalid.”
>Sitting up, you take a glance around at your surroundings
>Just as you’d heard, you were in a cell
>The metal bars stand silently and imposingly, as if challenging you
>It is a challenge you refuse as you stagger to your hooves and sit down on the cot
>”Good grief kid what’d they do to ya and why? Ain’t never seen the guards rough someone up that bad.”
>You rub your face with your hooves and take a deep breath
>The air is thick and heavy, and just overall warm
>Likely from all of the prisoners here
>And now you add to that warmth
>How could you let this happen?
>The whole world counts on you, and you get captured so easily?
>You let your face rest in your hooves for a bit as you contemplate your failure
>”Keh, I know just what yer feelin’, kid. But don’t let yourself get beat up over it.”
>Sliding your hooves down your face slightly so your eyes peek out, you finally get a good look at your cellmate
>It’s… Not a pony like you’d originally thought


>Powerful looking paws rest upon the ground
>Talons that could flay skin like paper are gouging a mark into the wall
>And a beak clicks as it speaks to you
>”Lucky they didn’t mess ya up too bad. A pretty face goes a long way in this place.”
>It was a gryphon
>Even sitting down he was considerably taller than you
>His beak was pockmarked and chipped slightly near the tip
>Scars ran jagged into his chest, preventing any feathers from growing
>His right eye was cloudy and white, showing blindness or at least partial blindness in it
>You look down at yourself, noting your new “outfit”
>A prisoner’s jumpsuit
>Your armor, uniform, and weapon nowhere to be seen
>”Wonderin’ where yer stuff is, eh? There’s a lockup where they keep most of the belongings.”
>Your stuff…
>Your eyes widen in realization
>The situation itself had distracted you
>You didn’t have the artifacts
>You spring to your hooves and immediately run to the bars
>Pulling and grunting, you try and use your magic
>You knew however that it would be futile
>The magic limiter on your horn stops the aura halfway up, where it then fizzles out, giving you a headache
>You groan and rub your temple
>”Keh, slow down kid. Don’t hurt yerself before they even put ya to work.
>You turn around, staying far away from the gryphon
>You weren’t allied with them
>In fact they weren’t allied with Prance either
>They were mercenaries for hire
>Usually it just so happened that the Prench forces and their allies hired them
>Equestria, well…
>They frowned upon that sort of war profiteering apparently, as you’d never seen an allied gryphon


>To top THAT off, their track record wasn’t exactly the best
>Not “officially” being soldiers, well…
>They weren’t exactly the most wholesome bunch to be around
>No town is ever really the same after they go in and “liberate” it
>He raises an eye brow at you and gestures to your cot
>”Take a seat, kid. Don’t worry, I’m on yer side. We’re both prisoners here.”
>Tentatively you trot back to the cot, without taking your eyes off of him
>”What, don’t trust me, eh?”
“Not after seeing what your kind are capable of if paid enough.”
>He chuckles softly, though very little sound comes out
>”And rightly so. We gryphons ain’t exactly the friendliest. And one ya met in a prison too doesn’t really bode well.”
>He facial expression turns serious and he leans closer
>You instinctively pull back a bit
>”But take it from me, kid: If you don’t have someone to watch your back in this place, you won’t last very long.”
>As untrustworthy as gryphons were, the one sitting in front of you brought up a good point
“We may as well get along then… Since we’re cellmates.”
>”That’s the spirit!”
>The gryphon’s mood seems to lighten somewhat
>He extends a claw to you, expecting you to shake it
>”Name’s Gallan.”
>You look at his claw, then cautiously extend your hoof to meet it, to which he vigorously shakes your hoof
>His grip is strong
>And you can tell he’s making a concerted effort not to scratch you
“I’m Rewind.”
>”Hm. Don’t talk much do ya Rewind?”
>Not when you just meet a ruthless mercenary gryphon you don’t
“No, not really.”
>He seems to study you for a moment
>”Well, I’d get as much rest as you can now. They won’t be any more merciful with ya just cos’ you’re a pony.”
>You heed his advice and lay down


>That night, you dream for the first time in a while
>Or rather, you dream and remember it this time
>Maybe the Princess of the Night had something to do with it
>You didn’t think that was it though
>She doesn’t have the time to deal with the dreams of hundreds of thousands of her subjects now
>The dream itself is peculiar
>You’re standing (or at least you think you are) in a gray expanse of nothingness
>It stretches on in every direction, seemingly endlessly
>Any noises made echo on for eternity until you can no longer hear them
>As you look around you become acutely aware of a sensation on your hooves
>You look down and see
>Yourself?
>It’s like you’re standing on a mirror
>But it has the properties of liquid
>That’s what you were feeling on your hooves then
>A liquid mirror
>You’re looking into your reflection, noting a few things that you’d been curious about
>Your magical aura seems to be flecked with sparkles of gold
>And the very outer edge of your iris seems to be tinged a similar color as well
>Though it could just be a product of your dream, you’ve examined your magic before in the waking world and noticed the golden sparkles
>As you peer closer into your reflection, other things in the background begin to appear
>The telltale alabaster buildings of Canterlot fade into view
>Right as your footing gives way and you fall straight into the mirror liquid
>It obscures everything
>It rushes into your ears, mouth, and nose
>You panic and flail desperately, trying to surface to breathe
>You didn’t want to die by drowning!
>A few seconds later you’re on solid ground, sputtering and coughing


>Strangely, you aren’t wet
>In fact the expanse of grayness is nowhere to be seen
>You’re standing on a sidewalk in Canterlot
>The sun is shining
>Some Pegasi are moving clouds about
>A pair of Unicorns are chatting over a novel
>An Earth pony pulls a cart nearby
>Birds chirp in the trees
>And a lilting breeze ruffles your mane slightly
>You can even feel it upon your coat, as you weren’t wearing armor here
>It was…
>Idyllic
>Peaceful, even
>Which was why it felt almost wrong for you to stand there
>The gentle breeze gets something caught upon your hoof and you look down
>It’s part of a newspaper
>As you lean down to grab it, you catch a glimpse of the headline and your mouth opens in surpise
>However before you can get a good look, it’s blown away
>You quickly trot down the sidewalk
>You needed to know if what you’d just seen wasn’t your imagination
>You come upon a stack of newspapers at an empty stand, being weighed down by a rock
>Picking it up, you can confirm your suspicions
>And as you read it, you wonder if it wouldn’t have been better for you to remain ignorant
>Right there on the front page was the headline which read:
>”Kingdom of Prance ushers in era of peace”
>Did you do it?
>Stop the war?
>Or was this just a cruel joke played by your sleeping brain?
>But Prance being the one to opt for peace?
>That was something that would never happen in the world you live in…
>As you go to flip the page to see anything else in the paper…


>You wake up
>It’s not a violent awakening either
>You just open your eyes
>And stare at the ceiling
>”Mornin’ Rewind. Ya sleep well?”
>You could tell him the truth
>But it was much easier just to say
“Yeah, despite the circumstances.”
>”Well that’s good.”
>A long period of silence follows his statement, during which you sit up and lean against the wall
>You felt as if you should probably say something in return
>If only to break the oppressive silence
“How long have you been in here anyways?”
>Your eyes wander over to the tally marks upon the wall, of which there are numerous
>”Keh, longer than I’d like. At least a year by now. Damn near surprised I haven’t starved to death in this place.”
“Starved?”
>The burly gryphon nods
>”Us prisoners don’t get as many rations as the guards do. Some of these guys don’t even get to eat. Not like these damn ponies care anyway. We’re as expendable as can be, and it’s up to them whether they want to put you in the mines… Or use you as firing practice.”
>The gryphon spits out of the cell onto the floor
>”They always got a supply of prisoners comin’ in too so they never want for a workforce… Or entertainment.”
>Now you know why your Sergeant told you it’d be better to off yourself before you get captured by the Prench
>”My advice to you, kid? Try n’ make yerself scarce. Ya DON’T want any of the guards takin’ a “liking” to ya.”
>You shudder in disgust at those words
>Gallan pats you on the back
>”On the bright side, ya don’t gotta worry about any other prisoners. That’s where I come in.”
>You raise an eyebrow at the gryphon
>”Just think of me as a… Body guard. No charge of course.”
>A sly grin creeps its way across Gallan’s face



>You narrow your eyes at him
“What’s the catch, Gallan.”
>”Dealt with my kind before, have ya kid?”
>He chuckles once more
>”Don’t worry about it. When the time comes to return the favor, you’ll know.”
>You definitely didn’t like the sound of that
>You hated not knowing something that could very well be important
>But you didn’t really have a choice at this point
>You watch multiple guards file past your cell, and two of them eventually stop at yours
>There’s a blaring alarm that sounds, holding a single, grating note
>The cell door opens with the two guards holding rather odd weaponry leveled at you and Gallan
>The one on the left gestures with his head, cocking it slightly to tell you both to come out
>”Well kid, time to head out to the yard.”
>Gallan nonchalantly walks out of the cell
>You have no choice but to follow, as you’re certain the Prench guards weren’t averse to using force on you
>You and Gallan trot along, being led by and followed by the two guards
>”The guards here are the most no-nonsense ponies I’ve ever had the displeasure of dealin’ with. Can’t even take a joke.”
>The guard behind Gallan strikes him from behind with the back side of the odd weapon
>Gallan clicks his beak and seethes
>”See what I mean, kid?”
>The fact that he kept calling you “kid” was starting to irk you a bit
>He’s probably older than you, but you’re no kid
>The guards lead you through the winding corridors of the Prench prison, until you’re escorted through a door and into the light



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg0FMz2ejSk
>You squint your eyes and shield them as they adjust
>The pain from it recedes
>And you’re met with…
>Well
>Pretty much what you expected
>There are ponies of all races
>Zebras
>More gryphons
>Even a minotaur or two
>There’s a massive tower in the center
>Gallan nudges you with his elbow
>You glance over at him and he points at the one tower in the middle
>”That right there’s the main guard tower, kid. If anything starts going down, I recommend ya hit the dirt and quick.”
>He alters his pointing slightly
>”They got turrets lining pretty much all sides of that tower, just in case any prisoners get… Uppity.”
>Gallan starts to walk along the grass, and you follow him
>Somehow you got the feeling it was safer to be nearby
>Maybe it was because of the looks you were getting
>Gallan looks to be on his way to the weights
>He is, before a another imposing gryphon blocks his path
>He’s only slightly taller than Gallan, but you can clearly see the it doesn’t seem to faze your cellmate
>”Who’s the new meat, Gallan.”
>”Looks nice doesn’t she? They tossed ‘er in last night.”
>The way they’re talking about you doesn’t bode well
>It making you uncomfortable was an understatement
>”How much?”
>Gallan smirks
>”I dunno Gyphrus, I think I’ll be keepin’ this one.”
>You’re having trouble discerning whether or not Gallan was serious, or just acting
>Was this what he meant by “returning the favor”?
>”The hell am I talkin’ about paying? You still owe me from last time. Pay up and hand over the pony.”
>You take a step back, which Gallan stops short


>”Yeah, but you see Gyphrus, I just don’t really care. We already settled our debts.”
>The other gryphon, whom you’d come to know as Gyphrus, tilts his head to one side
>”That’s the wrong answer you little runt.”
>Could you really call Gallan “little” though?
>You see Gyphrus glance at the center tower, then back at your cellmate
>”We’ll be settling this tonight, then I’ll be taking that pony off your claws.”
>Gallan however doesn’t seem to be intimidated
>”We already went through this song n’ dance once, bud. Last time I recall I kicked yer ass. But by all means, we can have another go. But don’t be too down when you gotta hear the pony slut moaning my name tonight.”
>Your entire body goes numb for a second
>You heard that right
>But Gallan can’t possibly be serious, can he?
>He’s a mercenary, so he’s capable of anything for the right price
>And gryphons are territorial by nature
>But you’ll be damned if you have any gryphon claiming you as territory
>(You were probably already damned just by being in this prison in the first place)
>The other gryphon looks directly at you
>”I’ll be seeing you real soon, pony. Just you wait.”
>As Gryphrus walks away, you can hear Gallan let out a breath he’d been holding in
>That weasel was bluffing his cool act the whole time!
>”Phew! Man he’s a persistent one. Scary too when he wants to be.”
>And here he was, talking all normally as he didn’t just call you a pony slut
“What in Celestia’s name was all that about!?”
>Gallan closes his talons around your muzzle and looks around
>Satisfied that no one else heard, he lets go
>”Keep it down, kid. It’s just an act, I’m not gonna rail ya after I beat the tar outta Gyphrus.”
>You narrow your eyes at the gryphon that was currently treading on thin ice
“Right. What’d he mean by “settling it tonight”? I thought he was just gonna try and start something here and now.”



>Gallan beckons you along and starts talking
>”Latched onto that eh, kid? I could tell ya, but it’ll be easier just to show ya tonight. Now spot me.”
>You hadn’t even noticed that he had made his way over to the bench with you in tow
“What? Oh, er… Fine, yeah.”
>As you stand at the head of the bench, hooves poised underneath the bar, Gallan starts to speak again
>”Ngh, alright kid. I’m gonna level with ya.”
>Gallan easily pushes out reps as he speaks
>”I’ve pretty much been waiting for someone like you to come along.”
>You look down at him quizzically
>Could he maybe know about your magical ability?
>Maybe he knows more than he lets on
“Why’s that then?”
>”It’s ‘cos you’re a Unicorn. Been waitin’ for quite some time for those fire-obsessed Prenchies to toss one in.”
>So he doesn’t know then
>That’s good
>You don’t want to give the mercenary too much information, lest someone put a price on your head and he be the one to collect
“So why do you need a Unicorn specifically? It’s not like I can use my magic with the inhibitor on.”
>Gallan grunts softly before placing the bar back on the rack and sitting up
>”You sure ask a lot of questions. Alright Rewind, I’m only tellin’ ya this because I think I can trust ya. Seein’ as how Miss Warden shocked the livin’ daylights outta ya when you got here.”
>That’s odd that he’d trust you from that alone
>”I take it you want outta here too, right? Well then we’re gonna break our way outta this prison.”
>So that’s why he needs a Unicorn then
>He must have a plan that needs one
>Something in the back of your mind was nagging you however
>Like where his previous cellmates went
>You’ll keep quiet about that little detail
>For now


>”I been plannin’ this breakout for as long as I been in here, and all signs point to you.”
>You raise an eyebrow
“Why are you telling me this all of a sudden? I only got here yesterday and you trust me enough to spill something like this?”
>Gallan taps the side of his head
>”Thought about that after ya went to sleep last night.”
>He’s started curling one of the dumbbells
>”I figured since they roughed ya up to the point of unconsciousness, that ya had somethin’ they wanted. And you wouldn’t be alive if ya just gave it to ‘em, so that was outta the question.”
>He switches claws as he tries to explain his logic to you
>”Ya can’t be a plant, ya don’t look Prench and ya don’t act the way they do. Plus, I caught a glimpse of your uniform when they dragged ya in.”
>He’s more observant than he lets on it seems
>You’d had him pegged as muscle, like most of the other gryphons
>Though you’d forgotten how cunning they could be when money was involved
>Or in this case, freedom
>”So ya weren’t a plant, the Prenchies wanted somethin’ outta ya, and they hadn’t killed you which means ya hadn’t squealed. I suppose it’s takin’ a gamble, but from that alone, I figured you’re the type of pony that can keep her mouth shut.”
>He stands up from the bench, towering over you as he leans in
>”These Prenchies made a mistake tossin’ ya in with me. They don’t think I’m the kinda gryphon that’d mastermind a breakout like this. So if you can keep yer mouth shut like a good little pony, and do exactly as I say, we can both get outta here. Sound good?”
>You aren’t too fond of the way he words some of the things he says to you
>They’re rather… Aggressive


>A while later, back in your cell, Gallan begins to explain more of his plan to you
>He’s satisfied with the fact that you can be trusted
>And you’re happy to have a potential way out of this place
>Not that he isn’t as well
>He seems as if he’s practically shaking with anticipation
>”Right then. I don’t wanna spend more time than I already have, so we’re gonna get right to it when we get the chance.”
>The gryphon glances sidelong at the cell door
>He lowers his voice to where only you could hear it
>”Check the bricks behind the toilet, but be discreet about it.”
>You stretch out and lay down on your cot, giving you a nice angle to see what he was referring to
>It wasn’t immediately noticeable at first glance, but after looking at it for a few seconds, you realized that they weren’t being held their by the plaster anymore
>They’d been stacked upon each other to give the illusion that it was still structurally sound
>”See it? I can’t remove any more bricks, else I risk drawing attention to it if they look. But thanks to that, I can’t fit through it.”
“Let me guess: I can though?”
>He nods, carving another gash into the wall with his talons
>”Bingo. It’ll be snug, but when you’re in the walls, you can get pretty much anywhere.”
>Your eyes wander over to the brick façade once more
>”Hey, eyes over here little pony. Don’t give it away.”
>You snap your gaze back to the gryphon
“I take it that hole’s not your endgame. What am I using it for?”
>”I’ll tell you tonight when I’m done wiping the floor with Gyphrus.”
>And that was the other thing
>Gallan seemed confident enough, and you assumed from the way he spoke that he had already faced off against the other gryphon before
>But the fact that you could potentially end up in a worse position than you were now if something went wrong leaves you nervously fidgeting in your bed


>The rest of the day proceeds normally (for a prison)
>And it’s only at night that things become…
>Interesting
>You’re watching Gallan gouge another mark into the wall
>You still don’t know why he does it
>It isn’t for each day, as you’d previously assumed
 >Seeing as how he’d already carved around 5 in today
>Perhaps it was just his hobby
>Or maybe it meant more
“Hey Gallan, what’s with-“
>”Pipe down, pony. I’m tryin’ to listen.”
>For what?
>In the silence of the cell block, you begin to hear something
>Like a steady clopping of hooves on the ground
>They were getting closer
>”You wanted to know what was happening tonight eh? Then get up. You’re part of my wager anyway.”
>Right
>You’d conveniently forgotten that little detail
>You sit up and swing your hindlegs out over the floor
>As you get out of bed, Gallan is already at the cell door with something clutched in his talon
>Two guards pass by and the gryphon knocks on the bars a few times
>They stop and turn to him as you trot up to the door
>One of them glances at you, then back to your cellmate
>”Uh, you don’t get to bring friends.”
>”Don’t worry about her, she’s a quiet one. The pony is part of my wager so she’s comin’ along anyway.”
>You can hear one of the guards exhale sharply through his nose
>The two guards seem to be contemplating whether or not it was a good idea to bring you along
>”Ya just gonna stand there? What if Madame Warden catches ya, huh? Think you’ll still get to bend the rules if she does?”
>”Tch. Fine.”
>The one doing the speaking looks at his partner
>”Open it up.”


>You hear something click, and thunk
>Then the cell opens
>Odd
>You thought that the cells were remotely operated from somewhere else
>Even stranger is that the loud noise accompanying a cell being opened is mysteriously absent
>Your new gryphon “friend” turns and glares at you, pointing to the space beside him
>”Come, pony. Yer the wager and I don’t feel like bein’ out for longer than I have to.”
>The act that Gallan puts on when he’s talking to you around others…
>No matter how many times its happened
>Or how much he reassures you
>It makes you uncomfortable
>Like he’s getting too into it
>You supposed that he had to be convincing though
>You quietly step out and they close the cell behind you
>As the two guards start to lead you along, Gallan holds a single talon to his beak, shushing you silently
>This only confirmed your suspicions about what you were thinking earlier
>This isn’t exactly sanctioned by Madame Warden
>…Whatever it was
>The guardsponies start to lead you through the winding halls and twisting corridors of the prison
>Perhaps it was made this way intentionally to discourage prisoners from escaping, lest they become lost in this place
>It didn’t seem to discourage Gallan
>You’re escorted down a few flights of stairs
>There are no windows after about two
>You must be underground now
>As you presumably get closer to your intended location, your ears perk up slightly
>You can’t hear anything
>It’s almost dead silent, save for the sounds of hooves and claws on concrete
>You’re led to a door labeled “storage” where the two guards stop
>”We’re here, pony.”


>The guard knocks on the door thrice and waits
>For a moment, nothing happens, until a hidden rectangle in the door slides away, revealing a pair of eyes
>”Password?”
>”Roadblock.”
>The rectangular metal piece slides back into place and you can hear a series of locks opening behind the door before it opens
>As it opens you see a shimmering aura of green
>Your heart skips a beat
>It’s the same green that Sandstone’s magic was
>Your tail wags a bit and you crane your neck to see
>But as the door opens fully, you see that it’s not the golem you’d come to know
>Instead it was just a Unicorn’s magical aura projecting a rippling wall of green a few meters in
>Your mood is dampened once more
>Though it was silly to think that Sandstone had ended up in this place
>You wouldn’t wish that upon anypony
>Especially not him
>Gallan nonchalantly steps through the magical barrier and tugs you along by your mane
>You grit your teeth and wince
>He didn’t need to be this rough
>You grasp at his arm as he practically drags you through the crowd
>If you didn’t need his help, you wouldn’t put up with this
>You’re easily tossed into the center of the circular crowd, into an open space where there are two minotaurs exchanging blows
>Gallan then strides in behind you and stands over you, one claw upon the back of your head keeping you pinned to the ground
>”Stop yer fight before I stop it for ya!”
>Clearly the gryphon commanded some kind of respect amongst the prisoners here
>Or at least those two as they seemed to listen and recede back into the crowd
>”Gyphrus! Show yourself! Don’t tell me you backed out on your own challenge!”


>If only you were so lucky
>From your position on the ground you can see the crowd dispersing as the familiar burly gryphon shoulders his way into the center
>”There you are Gallan, I was wondering when you were coming to bring me my pony.”
>Gyphrus stares down Gallan, and Gallan meets his gaze with a fiery one of his own
>The scarred and pockmarked gryphon removes his claw from your head
>”Go stand in the crowd, pony. I’ve got some business to take care of.”
>You stand up and dust yourself off before slinking away to the crowd
>Instinctively you seek out and stand near the guards
>They were your enemy, yes
>And perhaps they were no better than the prisoners
>But you felt safer near them than you did being flanked on all sides by other prisoners
>Even moreso the fact that the crowd could easily be whipped up into a frenzy from this bloodsport
>That was likely what the barrier was for, to keep the sound in and make sure nopony was the wiser
>Even though your wellbeing rested upon this fight, you can’t bring yourself to watch it
>Your eyes wander around the room, looking upon the wooden crates and dusty supplies that had been moved to create this crude arena
>Your mind begins to wander too as one of the guards speaks to both of the gryphons ready to face off
>Your thoughts continue to lead to how she’d gotten into this situation in the first place
>Of how you ended up as a Prench prisoner of war
>It would have never happened had you not been drafted
>And you never would have been drafted had the war not been going on in the first place
>These thoughts in turn lead to even more: those of your childhood, and of your parents



>You think back to one of your fondest memories
>Perhaps as a way to distract you from the fate you find yourself in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44I2VB96ryU
>You’re standing in the palace gardens of Canterlot
>There’s nopony else there with you
>You’re alone for the most part
>The sun is shining brightly, filtering rays of light through the leaves of the tall apple tree above you
>Your parents are nowhere to be seen
>They had some business to attend to in the castle, and since you were young there was no chance of leaving you alone in the house
>Especially not during wartime
>Canterlot was the capital city, and well-fortified, but there was always reason to be cautious
>You couldn’t have been older than 10 at that time
>You didn’t know why mom and dad had to be at the castle, just that they’d let you wander for a bit
>Which made sense to you now, as there were royal guards posted everywhere
>You’d already been wandering around a bit, going in and out of the castle, asking numerous questions to the guards stationed there, and generally being a nuisance
>Now you’d decided to climb this apple tree
>It takes a few tries at first, before you manage to get a hoof hold upon it
>You slowly scrabble your way up it until you find yourself on a particularly sturdy branch
>It’s there that you catch your breath
>Dad’s gonna be so proud of you
>Maybe you would even get a cutie mark in climbing!
>After your little break, you start climbing again
>It’s a little easier now that you could go from branch to branch, and not straight up the trunk



>It’s then that you spot it
>Right there at the end of a branch
>Hanging almost precariously
>A golden apple
>In reality, it was just one of the yellow ones
>But to your eyes, so filled with young wonderment, in the glowing sunlight…
>That apple may as well have been made of gold
>So you shuffled out onto the branch, hearing it creak and rustle the leaves attached to it
>You moved slowly, carefully as to not accidentally jostle the apple and let it fall to the ground
>Even if it was the meticulously kept royal gardens, it was still too dirty for that apple
>It felt as if it took ages, but you’d soon plucked that apple
>And of course, you knew how this memory ended
>With the splintering and cracking of wood
>The rush of air against your ears
>And closing your eyes as you curled up and waited for the inevitable impact of the ground
>But that last part never came
>Instead of hitting the ground, you landed in the waiting hooves of a royal guard
>You opened one eye, then the other
>Back then you had been confused
>Nopony had been around before
>He must have come around on his patrol and seen you
>Gently he sets you down upon the grass before unfurling his wings and flying up to remove the broken branch
>When he comes back down he inspects you for any cuts or scrapes
>”Are you okay little one?”
>You simply nod
>The guardspony ushers you along with one of his wings, tossing the branch in a compost pile on the way out of the gardens
>You tentatively hand over the apple you’d plucked to him
>He tilts his head at you, as if confused, before taking it without a word
”Thank you for helping me, mister!”
>He chuckles
>”It’s my job to help ponies.”


>”So where are your parents, little one?”
“I’m not allowed in the archives they said, and mom and dad both told me they both had to be there!”
>The guardspony furrows his brow
>”You wouldn’t happen to be little Rewind, would you?”
“Mhm!”
>The look on his face is one that you still can’t decipher, even to this day
>Sadness?
>Sympathy?
>Disappointment?
>You’ll never know
>”…Alright then Rewind. Is there anything you wanna go do? Your parents uh… Might be gone for a while.”
>You should have asked him what he’d meant right then
>And perhaps it would have saved you some grief
>But to a child like you, it simply meant they would be away for a few minutes longer
>The roar of the crowd rips you away from your introspection and you blink a few times
>What had happened?
>Gallan stands over Gyphrus, holding his head against the blood spattered concrete floor while holding up a talon balled into a fist with the other
>It appears he’d won in the time you’d been spaced out
>For how long, you’re not sure
>Enough time for a fight to ensue
>It must have been a good one if the crowd is this rowdy
>He removes himself from the center of the arena and confidently strides towards you
>His grin unnerves you
>But it’s all an act, right?
>He glances at the guards near you and cocks his head quickly towards the door
>”I’m not stayin’ here for more. Let’s get goin’.”
>The guardsponies look up from their fervent exchange of cards and money between themselves
>”Tch… Fine.”
>They must have been expecting him to stay and fight some more
>The two guards from before escort the both of you back to your cell and close it behind you
>They trot off, presumably back down to the fight club
>”So that’s that, Rewind.”
>Gallan licks at some new cuts he’d received upon his forearm while he counts out the odd cards in his talons
>You’d seen them before
>Or rather, seen ONE before when he was hanging his claws out of the cell


“What are those?”
>You ask as you sit down upon the cot
>”Ration cards. Remember what I told ya when ya got here? Prisoners ain’t fed well. Anyone that wants more goes down and fights. But you gotta buy in with at least one.”
>He hands you a few
>”Here. It wouldn’t do well for my partner be ah… Malnourished if we’re tryin’ ta get outta here.”
>Partner
>What was it about that word that made you so anxious?
>Was it the fact that he was so readily using it, even though it’s been less than two days now?
>Or was it because you felt less like a partner and more like a tool to him?
>Or maybe it was because Sandstone was your true partner
>You don’t know
>But you miss Sandstone
>You start to lay down in your bed but a sharp whistle from the other side of the cell stops you
>”Watcha think yer doin’, Rewind? Ya got work ta put in too.”
“What?”
>He points his thumb talon at the hidden broken brick wall
>”I put in my work for today. Ya gotta do the same.”
>You glance at the loose brickwork
>”Or do ya just wanna sit and rot in this forsaken place?”
>You pointedly did not want to do that
>You sit up and trot over, pushing aside the unused toilet and starting to carefully remove the bricks
>”I’ll cover the hole back up so none of the guards are any the wiser, but I’m tellin’ ya that you don’t got a lot of time in there.”
>You look back at him
“What?”
>”Quit wastin’ time and get in the walls.”
>You nod and slide through the hole


>The fit was tight, but you could easily turn around if you stood on your hindlegs for a moment
>And there was enough room to trot relatively unhampered
>”Now listen partner, you’re lookin’ for a remote about yea big.”
>He holds his thumb talon and index out far from each other, making half a square
>”But make sure that you grab one for our cell block. They’re color coded and ours is orange. Grab the one with the orange stripe.”
“But… Won’t they notice it missing?”
>He waves his claw dismissively
>”They’ve got multiple of ‘em. They’re used to open the cells manually if the one in the main control room isn’t working.”
>He glances behind him
>Strangely he doesn’t glance at the cell door, but at the wall near his cot
>”Now get goin’, before someone finds us out.”
>You haven’t even begun to take more than a few hoofsteps away before he starts to rebrick the wall
>You wanted to ask why he’d looked at his wall
>You could do that when you returned
>If you returned
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymv7GQR6jqc
>It’s dark back here
>Your eyes are adjusting but it’s taking a while
>The pipes snake in every direction
>The humidity and steam back here are already making you sweat
>You unbutton some more of the jumpsuit, your chest floof peeking out now
>You take a few tentative steps, testing the strength of the pipe you stand on
>It rattles and creaks slightly, but otherwise holds firm
>It’s then that you make the mistake of looking down


>There’s nothing but darkness down there
>You don’t know how far down it goes
>Heck you didn’t even know where this prison was
>You look around for a moment and pull a broken piece of brick from the wall of the next cell
>Then you drop it into the abyss below
>You stay still and perk up your ears, listening intently
>You don’t hear it hit the bottom
>Perhaps something else muffled the sound
>But you didn’t hear an impact
“Okay Rewind… Just don’t fall. Don’t fall and everything’ll be fine.”
>You whisper to yourself
>You don’t know which way you’re supposed to be heading
>But you assumed since the guards came in from the right every time, that you would go that way
>Thankfully you didn’t have to balance precariously on the pipe you stood on
>It was close enough to the back walls of the cells that you could lean on them while you trotted
>But you still had to be careful
>One errant slip and you could go tumbling down into that inky blackness
>”Hey, Rewind.”
>You hear a strained whisper from your cell
>Gallan must be poking his head through the hole
>”Look for the ventilation system, you can go through that to get to the equipment storage. The vents should be down that way somewhere above you.”
>With those words you hear the bricks being stacked again
>Well at least you had some direction now
>Forward and up
>Forward and up
>Don’t fall
>Forward and up
>Don’t get caught
>And be quiet
>It was simple, right?
>You’d had… Well, SOME success with stealth in the past, right?


>You continue to carefully trot along the pipe on three hooves
>One of them is out on your left, running slightly along the bricks lining the various backsides of the cells
>On your right are pipes that writhe every which way, disappearing into the darkness
>The humidity and the heat in between the walls has gotten so bad that you’d opened the front of your jumpsuit all the way at this point
>And you were still sweating
>You’ve already gone a few meters ahead since you’d left your cell
>You wonder what would happen should a guard check the cell and see you gone
>Did Gallan have a cover for that?
>Perhaps it was best not to worry too much
“So I’m looking for a ventilation shaft…”
>You start to realize that you’d never been one for talking to yourself until recently
>And only when you’re alone as well
>It began to slowly occur to you
>Were you… Afraid?
>Not just of the loneliness of course
>But of this darkness?
>You activate your magic
>Just to the point where it wouldn’t reach the inhibitor
>Though seeing as how it was rather far down your horn, you had very little room for this
>You couldn’t cast any spells, but the natural glowing aura of your magic could help you see a bit better
>But the effect is negligible at best
>Something rattles the pipes behind you and makes the fur on the back of your neck stand up
>You can’t turn around, there’s not enough room to do so without risk of falling off
>As you try and continue your way through the walls, you feel something
>Something is breathing on the back of your neck
>Surely that couldn’t be right
“I-It’s just the hot air… Probably a leaky pipe…”



>At least you try to convince yourself of that
>It doesn’t get any easier as something drips onto your mane
>In reality, THAT was probably a leaky pipe
>But your mind was going everywhere at once
>Was somepony else in here with you?
>Was something else in here?
>Is it all in your head?
>What do you do if somepony IS in here?
>And what if it IS-
>Your right hindhoof slips slightly, bringing you out of your frantic thoughts
>You had to focus
>Get out of here
>Get the remote
>You continue on with renewed vigor, but something still gnaws at the edges of your mind
>You feel like there’s something at the periphery of your vision
>Something shadowy and dark
>But every time you turn your head to look, it’s gone
>You eventually just keep your head locked forward
>If you didn’t look, you couldn’t be afraid, right?
>Yeah that was a blatant lie to yourself
>You were still afraid
>You just weren’t looking at what was spooking you
>Even if you couldn’t see it
>You heave a sigh of relief as you spy the ventilation shaft Gallan was referring to
>The vent cover, surprisingly, just pops off when enough force is applied to it
>You place the lined cover on top of the shaft and look inside
>The dim, golden-speckled orange light from your horn casts an eerie glow upon the metal interior
>Similar to a lighter, if you had one
>The vent leads off either left or right
>And seeing as how right only led further into the rocks, or Celestia knows where
>Left seemed like the better option
>Even if it DID take a 90 degree turn vertically
>You did fine with climbing in the guardspony training, right?


>You clamber into the vent and crawl along to the point where the vent takes a sharp upwards turn
>You test the sides of the vent
>It’s sturdy enough it seems
>You take a deep breath
>The air is stuffy and hot
>But you have to keep going
>And the further away you got from where you just were, the better
>You jump up and press your back against the wall of the shaft behind you, and your hindlegs against the one in front of you
>In training this was usually done with somepony else against your back to build trust and teamwork
>But you only had yourself right now
>Your thoughts turn to your absent golem partner for just a moment before you shake your head to dispel them
“Focus on getting out first…”
>You whisper to yourself
>The sweat upon your body makes your jumpsuit stick to you uncomfortably
>Concentrating on climbing, as well as keeping your magic below the inhibitor, ALONG with the heat making it hard to breathe was taxing on your mind and body
>You continue to shuffle yourself up the ventilation shaft
>The training that the guardspony camp put you through was intensive, and prepared you for something like this
>Just for a moment you let the tiny magical aura wick away
>And once more you’re surrounded by darkness
>Without the subtle sound of your shimmering magic, all that you can hear is the steady sound of your climbing
>You aren’t sure how far up you’ve gotten either
>It’s only been a few minutes but you’ve made considerable progress
>Probably
>You can’t see what’s above you
>On the bright side, you can’t see what’s below you
>Heh
>”Bright” side
>You were gonna turn into your mother at this rate if you continued to make stupid jokes like that to yourself
>It was like she’d taken all the dad jokes and made them her own
>Focus Rewind, focus


>After a few minutes you suddenly end up overextending your hoof and nearly falling
>You panicked and thrust out both hindlegs, stretching yourself out
>You were never one for yoga
>And when the initial panic subsided, you realized it had only happened because you reached the top of the vent
>You carefully reposition yourself and shuffle up until you’re on your belly
>Your hindlegs were burning with calcic acid
>And you were just glad to be off them for a bit
>So you start to crawl along
>Luckily for you now that you were here, there was light filtering in from the vents you occasionally crawled across
>You come across an odd blockage of some sort of plastic material, but you tear through it and continue on your way
>The light gave you little glimpses as to what was occurring in the rest of the prison as you crawled through the winding metal tube
>You were looking for the equipment storage
>Or wherever they stored the manual cell remotes
>You wondered what that would look like anyway
>Maybe you could hop out and ask somepony for directions
>You roll your eyes at yourself and continue moving
>It’s slow going, trying to stay quiet and crawl along through the vent at the same time
>Almost mind numbing if you weren’t on edge the entire time
>Every noise you make
>Heck, every noise you HEAR makes your ears prick upwards and your heart skip a beat
>Each time you freeze, waiting to see if something had happened
>And every time it was something that the ponies below were doing, that had nothing to do with you
>You pass over another vent, giving you a brief glimpse into the room below
>It looked to be a break room
>There were a few of the guardsponies in here
>They looked to be laughing
>You of course, didn’t understand Prench, so you hadn’t a clue what they were talking about
>The language sounded nice though


>You look around from your position above
>There are signs on the walls beside the doors, but they’re in Prench as well, so they don’t help you navigate either
>You get going once more, determined to find the equipment room
>On the way through, you pass through another one of those plastic blockages
>Now that you were in the light, you realize that tearing through it left you with a smooth-feeling, lavender film upon your hooves
>You wipe it away on your jumpsuit and keep moving
>However, one thing that you’d dreaded when you climbed into this vent soon presented itself to you
>An intersection
>From your left you could hear the sound of rotating blades, so that one was immediately out of the question
>Below you however stood a stallion carrying a sealed box upon his back
>He was having a chat with a rather chipper looking mare
>The box itself was no ordinary cardboard box either
>It was gray, and almost unassuming if it weren’t for the password locks on its sides
>The stallion as well didn’t share the uniform that the rest of the guards here did
>In fact it looked to be about 90 percent armor
>It’s construction as well seemed odd
>You’d never seen anything like it
>You know you should be trying to find the equipment storage…
>But that case looked important
>Maybe it was going to equipment storage?
>You decide that it would be a good idea to follow this strange stallion
>He continues to speak with the mare for a bit
>He seems disinterested, while the mare is probably trying to make small talk
>A bell chimes and he exits through a door on the right you couldn’t see before
>You turn down the right vent and start crawling


>Occasionally you stop to make sure that you’re still following the mysterious pony
>And usually you are
>Only a few times to do you lose track of him, but you’re able to quickly cover the lost ground and catch up
>You slowly start to get the feeling that this stallion wasn’t going to the equipment storage room
>And your instincts were correct
>But you’d never expected him to make his way into the warden’s office
>Madame Warden’s office
>It was…
>Well, it wasn’t what you were expecting
>There are various pictures hanging in their frames, some seem to be of family, others of various landscapes
>It was clear they were photographs however
>There are multiple bookshelves lining the back wall
>There’s a record player with some classical music playing at low volume
>And in the middle of it all sits Madame Warden
>You hadn’t gotten a good look at her before, seeing as how you were being electrocuted
>But looking at her now, she seems unassuming
>She’s and Earth Pony around your size, though possessing the lithe, model-esque frame most Prench mares do
>Her mane is bubblegum pink, and you can only assume her tail is the same
>It’s short, done up in a Prench braid that extends around the back
>Her coat is an immaculate crimson color that shimmers slightly in the light of the candelabras set up within their holders
>”Entrez! Come in!”
>She’s speaking Equestrian?
>The door opens and the mysterious pony trots in, shutting it behind him
>She looks up from the book that she’s reading, only setting it down when she realizes just who’d stepped in
>”Ahhh! Zere you are. I hope you do not mind if we speak wiz zis tongue, no? Lest somepony be listening.”
>That line would’ve made you fear for your life had she said it in Prench
>And if you could understand Prench
>But all it did now was reinforce the fact that nopony knew you were eavesdropping


>”Of course Madame. Have the tests here been going well?”
>Madame Warden stands up from her desk and pushes in the chair
>”Please sir, lock ze door if you would.”
>The stallion’s horn glows and the door he entered through locks
>”Both groups of guards and prisoners ze parasite was introduced to are none ze wiser.”
>Wait, what
>A parasite?
>You listen more intently now
>”The guards too? That wasn’t noted in your report.”
>”I don’t zink our king would complain about more data, now would he?”
>The stallion seems somewhat uncomfortable
>”No. But nonetheless, everything should be recorded in any reports that are sent back. We’ve been very lenient in allowing you to run this place the way you want.”
>Madame Warden trots over and places a small kettle over a personal burner
>”Of course, of course, I understand. Please take a seat. I’m sure zat armor of yours is heavy.”
>Without a word, the armored pony takes a seat in the chair opposite the one that Madame Warden was sitting in
>”Over zirty percent of prisoners in cell block C have been infected, and seven of ze guards normally stationed zere as well.”
>”I assume you’ve taken the necessary precautions to prevent a widespread outbreak in your prison?”
>Madame Warden chuckles
>”What kind of warden would I be if I didn’t?”
>Just laying here listening to their conversation is starting to fill you with dread
>Just what in the world was this parasite?
>”So what do you have to report then?”
>”As usual, both groups retain all fine motor skills as well as complex and rational thought. For all intents and purposes, it’s as if they weren’t infected at all. I know otherwise of course.”
>The stallion nods, waiting for her to continue as she removes the now whistling kettle from the heat


>”Both groups show increased aggressiveness towards non-infected individuals, and hosts of ze parasite actively seek out uninfected to create a new host.”
>Madame Warden pours a cup of tea out for both her and her guest
>”I’m aware of how the creature works, yes.”
>”However… Ze infected guards do not show hostility towards zeir fellow friends or acquaintances. A shared drink here, a sneeze zere, and anozer parasite has a host.”
>The stallion takes a drink of his tea now
>”Interesting. If the parasite isn’t characterized ONLY by aggression then a single infected could be enough to take over an entire town, perhaps even a city with enough time.”
>Madame Warden nods, smiling
>”Zey appear to act on a hivemind of sorts. Not zat zey think ze same, no. Simply zat zey appear to have ze same motives, which is to create more hosts.”
>The mystery stallion finishes his tea and sets the fragile looking cup down on its plate before levitating the case onto Madame Warden’s desk
>”Then we’ll proceed with phase 3 of the testing process.”
>His hooves run along the numerical rings until he finally unlocks it
>He then pulls out what look to be 3 glass tubes filled with some sort of liquid
>From your position you have to nearly press your face against the grille of the vent to get a better look at what’s inside
>The liquid isn’t clear however
>It seems to be filled with tiny, blob-like organisms
>They flit about, occasionally bumping into one another, but you can’t make out any details
>” Our King wishes to know how they react to another, separate strain being introduced. Whether or not they cooperate with one another still.”
>The next 2 tubes he pulls out however…


>Within those is something that makes your skin crawl
>In the third sits an almost insect-like organism, suspended within the liquid
>It occasionally twitches or shudders, pressing against the glass
>It’s almost the size of your hoof, and it reminds you of a spider
>It has a bulbous, fat body, with what looks to be tiny spikes lined along its underside
>Tendrils extrude along its front, feeling around, wrapping around itself, and all manner of squicky things
>it’s purple, almost miasmatic body is translucent, concealing within it a series of green eyes
>You can nuclei inside, pulsing slowly and sending jolts throughout its body
>You shudder as a chill runs down your spine
>You’d never seen anything like this
>Where in the world did Prance ever find these things from?
>And just what were they planning on doing with them if this place is a testing ground?
>The second tube he’d pulled out beforehand was a smaller one of the parasite in the third tube
>There were less tendrils, and it was smaller, no bigger than your snout, and it had less nuclei inside
>”So monsieur, why did you bring me an adolescent and an adult as well?”
>The stallion closes the case and places it beside the desk
>”Because we need to figure out if they can still be introduced to a healthy host and have the same effect as the eggs do.”
>Madame Warden raises an eyebrow and leans closer to the adult
>”You want me to stick boz of zese into a non-infected pony? Just how do you expect me to go about zat?”
>The stallion swaps his helmet to his other hoof
>”The adolescent can be introduced through the nasal cavity, its body is malleable enough to do so. The adult however may have to be inserted into the mouth.”
>”You zink it can make its way to ze host’s brain zrough ze mouth?”
>T-The brain?


>”As I said, I’m not sure. Perhaps the adult is still malleable enough to try the nose, or perhaps the ear. I recommend simply placing it upon the potential host and seeing what it may do.”
>So those… Things
>Attach themselves to somepony’s brain and they’re none the wiser?
>And what happens when they get bigger?
>What happens to the pony they’re attached to?
>”If, as you say, the infected are docile and “normal” enough, I’m sure would make an excellent sleeper weapon. Imagine how easy it would be to quell a rebellion with them.”
>Madame Warden grins in response
>”Or subdue an entire army.”
>”Or create the perfect soldiers. The applications are nigh endless.”
>You’re starting to feel sick to your stomach
>War time was a time for experimentation, new discoveries, industry…
>But this
>This seemed like too much
>This felt horrifying and wrong
>The armored stallion stands up
>”I thank you for the tea, Madame Warden. It’s always a pleasure speaking with you. As always, we expect a report by no less than next month. However, please notify us if there are any abnormal results or if something of import happens.”
>For the first time since you’ve seen her, Madame Warden looks uncomfortable
>”About zat… I may have somezing to include right now.”
>The stallion tilts his head
>”Zere’s been a mutation.”
>He leans in closer
>”A what.”
>”Yez. I’m not sure what prompted it, but zere’s been a mutation since I sent my report in ze last time.”
>Madame Warden takes a deep breath and sips from her tea
>“Well, what is it? What happened?”
>”...It’s airborne.”


>Both you and the mysterious stallion share the same reaction of wide-eyed shock
>”And you neglected to tell me this until just now?! This entire facility could be infected!”
>”Monsieur please, I was able to make sure zere was no outbreak.”
>”And how do you know THAT? For all you know it could have made its way into the ventilation system”
>WHAT
>”Zere’s no need to worry about zat. We were able to close off and quarantine ze affected portions of ze system.”
>Oh thank Celestia
>”Just in case, I’ll have the boys send down double the amount of blockers you received before
>Madame Warden shakes her head and reaches into her desk
>”Zere’s no need for zat, monsieur, we still have plenty.”
>She pulls out a hoofful of something direly familiar to you
>In her hoof, neatly folded up
>Were those plastic blockages you’d encountered on your way through the vents
>You’d tore through them, crawled over them, breathed in everything in between
>And now you realize what that smooth lavender film you felt on your hooves was
>Your entire body feels numb
>You’re lightheaded
>You bury your face in your hooves
>There was no way you weren’t infected now
>What do you do?
>What COULD you do?
>Was there a cure?
>How long until your thoughts weren’t your own anymore?
>Were they even yours right now?
>You couldn’t rewind back to stop this, it was already inside your body
>For the first time in quite a while, you actually start to cry


>You’re glad that nopony can see you crying
>But the thought of losing who you were as a pony frightened you
>Of losing all agency and free will
>Becoming a puppet
>Was there even any point to continuing your mission anymore?
>Would you just forget it the longer the parasite infests your body?
>All of these thoughts plague your mind
>And it’s as if you’re caught in a maelstrom of your own emotions
>You take a deep breath
>No
>You weren’t going to give up, not that easily
>You push the negative thoughts away, crushing them down into the darkest depths of your mind
>You don’t know if there’s a cure, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one
>You’ll lose your free will, but that doesn’t mean you can’t fight it for as long as you can
>You don’t know how long it takes for these things to mature, but right now you were already losing time just sitting here and crying
>You wipe away your tears and sniffle silently
>It was time to find that remote control
>Luckily for you, Madame Warden leaves shortly after her guest does, no doubt to deliver those nightmarish parasites to the poor ponies they were being tested on
>You wait for just a moment, making sure that she doesn’t come back in
>A few seconds later you pry the vent away and set it aside, slipping into Madame Warden’s office as quietly as you can
>Right below the vent, right out of your field of view was a large map detailing the layout of the prison itself
>There were various lights, assumedly to tell her about what was going on where
>It takes you a moment, but you’re able to find out where the equipment storage was
>It seemed like it wasn’t too far from that intersection of vents if you were reading correctly
>You jump up and clamber back into the ventilation shaft, placing the grille back in place


>As you crawl back the way you came, your mind occasionally wanders to another “what if”
>But you don’t want to think about those
>The more you think about them, the more discouraged you get
>So you try your best to just focus on your objective
>Heck, Gallan is probably wondering what’s taking you so long
>You crawl back to the intersection of the vents you were at and take the vent you hadn’t gone through before
>It’s a bit of a crawl, and an uneventful one at that
>Normally while you were doing something like this, your mind would wander
>You’d think about memories long past, or of the future and what could happen
>But you were doing your best not to think right now
>To keep your thoughts nothing but an all-consuming white noise
>Focus on your objective
>Get the remote
>Then you can escape
>Eventually you find yourself overlooking a large storage room
>There are weapons, armor, riot shields, stun batons, and everything else you would expect a prison to have
>There’s also an entire wall of remotes hanging up, all organized by color
>Target acquired
>But it couldn’t be that easy
>Of course it wasn’t, there’s a guard stationed here, but at least there was only one
>You quietly pry the grille away and wait
>Occasionally she comes back to check on the equipment
>You can hear her sigh
“Sorry about this…”
>You whisper to yourself and drop out of the vent
>…Landing right on top of the unfortunate guardsmare
>Before she has a chance to yell out, you buck your hindlegs and hit the back of her head, making her face slam against the floor
>She’s out cold


>You waste no time in taking the orange-striped remote
>And while you’re here you grab one of the stun batons as well
>They would notice it was gone eventually, but from what Gallan told you, the two of you would be escaping soon enough that it won’t matter
>Before you leave, you reposition the guardsmare’s body near the back wall and prop her up as if she were sleeping on the job
>You climb up a nearby shelf and you’re back into the vent, replacing the grille as you leave
>It’s hard to carry along the remote in your mouth along with the stun baton
>But you manage
>Thankfully the crawl back feels shorter than the crawl there
>Soon enough you’re back behind the walls
>Now… You’re not so afraid of the things you hear and feel back here anymore
>You’ve got other things to be afraid of now
>You keep your head facing forward and let the very dim light of your horn light your way until you come back to the loose bricks of your cell
>You give them a few knocks and wait
>Soon enough Gallan is moving the toilet aside and removing the bricks
>He speaks to you in a near whisper
>”The hell took you so long? Get back in here.”
>He offers you a claw to help you up but you don’t take it
>You take off your jumpsuit and toss it into the abyss below
>And instead of taking his claw, you climb back into your cell on your own and spit out the remote and stun baton
>Immediately you go to the sink and wash your hooves, scrubbing until you couldn’t feel any of that awful parasitic film on your hooves
>It was too late for you, but you weren’t going to infect anypony else if you could help it
>Gallan is understandably confused at your behavior


>”What happened? What was all that about?”
>You stand on your hindlegs, simply staring into the wall behind the sink
>Contemplating whether or not it would be worth it to tell Gallan about your predicament
>It certainly couldn’t hurt
“I… There’s…”
>You sigh
“Madame Warden is conducting tests on another cellblock with a parasite and I got infected. It’s airborne, and I may have let it out of quarantine. Just… Be careful around me alright? I overheard them saying it affects your thoughts. I don’t know how long until I’m… Not me anymore.”
>Gallan just stares at you before he picks up the remote and stun baton, storing them behind the wall
>”Depths of Tartarus, Rewind, I dunno how you managed all that but…”
>Gallan sits down on his bed
>”Look, we got what we needed, and a little extra. You must’a not been caught because there was no alarm raised, so we’re fine on that front too.”
>There’s a long period of silence where you simply lay on your bed and stare at the ceiling
>”Look, maybe you need some good news right now. We’ll be getting outta here sooner than I thought. We’re down from my previous estimate of 4 days. Now? We’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? That soon? Why?”
>Gallan checks his wall of slashes
>”Apparently somethin’ was gonna be happenin’ soon, so they’re moving up the date of the next brawl night to tomorrow. And to incentivize it even more, they’ll be givin’ out double the amount of ration cards to winners. That means more prisoners down there. More prisoners means more crowd to rile up. And the more rowdy they get, the more violent they get. If I can get the whole pit fighting each other, we can use that to start our riot and get outta here.”
>It was as good a plan as any


>”Sandstone! Get out of bed, or what I do next will fill you with dread!”
>You grumble, tossing and turning in your bed to shield your eyes from the sunlight that filters through your blinds
>What day is it?
>How long have you been sleeping?
>You sit up in your bed and gently rub your eyes
>Weren’t you supposed to do something important today?
>The door to your room slams open
“Muddy, who let you into my house? Do you not know I’ve already been roused?”
>He grins and gestures back out the door
>”Aha, roused? Don’t make me laugh, surely you aren’t trying to dodge the draft?”
>You would never do something like that
>Zebrica needed able-bodied soldiers
>And not to brag but…
>You were about as able-bodied as it got
”Do not think me so low, Muddy. After all, I would not pass up the chance to join with my best buddy.”
>You finally get out of bed, and as usual, Muddy has to glance upwards to look you in the eye
>He gives you a once over and nods
>”Talk about overqualified. Go ahead and get ready, I shall meet you outside.”
>Your friend leaves your room, allowing you to finally get ready
>Your room is rather Spartan in nature, save for the fixtures that hung from the walls
>The incense has burned out, but the room still holds the lingering smell of cedarwood
>According to the city elders, it’s meant to symbolize power
>Your father also said that it increases virility, but you take that with a grain of salt
>Not that you’d ever be able to test it
>You replace the piercings in your ears and the rings on your tail
>Grab a mango from the basket on the kitchen counter
>And leave the house


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37Xo2xy12Dc
>You shield your eyes from the harsh sunlight
>As your eyes adjust, you look around
>The familiar sight of the bustling city greets you
>Mares and their children walking together
>Elderly ponies shopping in the market street
>Buildings built into other buildings
>Towering structures serving as watchtowers, from which the city guards are usually based
>And in the very center of it all, a massive spire that towers over all else, magical energy seen within shooting up towards the heavens and stopping just short of the clouds
>The magical shield extends from it in a dome around the city, ending at the outer walls
>It keeps the city safe from danger, according to the elders
>Thanks to the shield, the sunlight filtering in is tinted a light green
>Its shimmering, magical energy ripples and pulses, reflecting onto the ground and off the sides of buildings
>It makes you feel as if you’re underwater, looking up at the surface
>It never grew old, seeing the city like this
>It’s a shame you would be leaving it today
>You trot down the few flights of stairs, all the way down to the ground, where Muddy Waters is waiting
>”What took you so long Sandstone? Putting on some cologne? You know we should do our best to not postpone.”
>He starts trotting off, leaving you to catch up
>Muddy was shorter than you, and his stripes were much… Rougher than yours
>While yours were more tribal in nature, his were like scars haphazardly painted onto his body
>As opposed to your mohawk, his mane was done up in dreads
>Despite the differences, you two were like brothers
>Inseparable
>Unfortunately, you doubted that you’d be able to stick together throughout the entirety of your training AND deployment
>So in a way, this was like a last goodbye to each other


>Both of you pass through the outer gates and the barrier with ease
>Going out was easy
>But the barrier would be hard-pressed to open from the outside
>That didn’t matter however
>You two weren’t going to be returning any time soon
>It was always an odd shift, seeing the light unfiltered by green
>It wasn’t nearly as pretty as it was inside the city
>You and Muddy trudge across the compacted sand created by countless hooves travelling this path over the years
>To an outsider, even these paths would be tough going, let alone the dunes and rolling sands of the desert proper
>But to a Zebra like you it was just another walk
>The two of you chat over unimportant things, though the topic of meeting each other again when the war was over always came up
“You know Muddy, there is a chance we may not survive. Very few of our soldiers ever return alive.”
>Muddy however never seems to give up his ever-cheerful attitude
>”What kind of talk is that? If there is anything that we are good at, it is combat.”
>He stops in the middle of the desert path and turns to you
>”You must promise me my friend, promise me that we will see each other in the end.”
>He holds out his hoof, slightly bent
>You knew what it was
>The traditional linking of hooves for a promise
>You simply didn’t know if it was one you could uphold
“I promise you my friend, I will make it back alive as long as it is something to which you will also strive.”
>You link the bend of your hooves together at the inner elbow, pulling each other closer together
>He simply nods, giving you his signature grin
>Perhaps everything WOULD turn out okay after all


>But sometimes things just don’t work out the way you hope
>While you were exceptional, and excelled during your training
>Muddy was simply average
>You were assigned a golem, while he remained the ground infantry
>Though, now you were wondering if it would have been better if you’d simply been average
>A lot of good all the ceremony and exceptional records were when you’re bleeding out after taking a bayonet to the neck
>Your golem stands over you, watching you intently
>It appears to be calculating something
>You hear it tell you that you have no probability of surviving this
>Not that you thought you did anyway
>It says a goodbye to you, and ensures you that your next of kin will be informed
>”Even in death, you still shall serve.”
>You barely have time to ponder what that could mean before it places one of its fingers upon your chest
>A sharp pain explodes out from it in an instant
>But as soon as it had happened, it was gone
>And so was everything else
>You look around
>And see nothing but darkness
>You start to trot along
>But your hooves make no sound
>The darkness underneath your hooves shimmers with every step, and extends in every direction
>So you simply choose a direction and trot aimlessly
>The further you go, windows began to open
>More accurately they looked like portals
>Looking through them you saw events of your life playing out
>Some vivid, some mundane
>Others you didn’t even remember
>But some looked unfamiliar, like they’d never happened at all
>There’s a pony you don’t recognize
>An actual pony too, not a Zebra
>Who was she, you wondered?
>And why did she have a golem?
>Your thoughts are interrupted and the world is forcibly sucked away


>You open your eyes
>At least, you think you do
>Your body feels different
>Very different
>There’s no warmth
>You feel trapped
>What’s going on?
>What’s happening?
>Are you dead?
>Was that a dream?
>You try to get up, but find yourself oddly sluggish
>You feel larger
>Heavier
>You take a look at your hoof, only to realize that it wasn’t a hoof
>You’ve got a hand
>A hand like a minotaur’s
>You try to shut your eyes, but you can’t
>Where are your eyes
>What’s going on
>WHAT ARE YOU
>SOMETHING IS WRONG
>”Sedate him.”
>A wave of soothing energy passes through you
>A spell was just cast on you
>You want to be angry, confused, afraid
>But the emotions felt muffled
>Distant
>Somepony steps into view
>It was a Zebra you knew well
>One of the elders from your city
>You try to speak, but no words come out
>You cannot feel your lips move
>In fact you can’t feel your face at all
>”Confused in the brain? Very well, I will explain.”
>A platform above you rotates around, revealing a large mirror
>In it, you don’t see your own reflection
>You see that of a golem
>”There is no lie, one thing remains true. The reflection you see is that of you.”
>Another wave of magical energy passes over you
>”Speak.”
“I… What… Has… Happened.”
>”Perished in battle as you were intended. With your brain we made a golem most splendid.”
>You touch your face
>Or what counts as your face now
>It’s just an orb
>You can’t feel your own touch now
>Except when you touch the orb
>”Where once was Sandstone, is now Bandit. Of who you once were, to your partner you will omit.”
>That’s what he thinks
>You would tell your rider what was going on here
>It wasn’t just you
>Countless zebras were being turned into these things
>At least, you THOUGHT you would tell the pony assigned to be your rider
>Upon being led out to meet your partner, sadness washes over you
>It was Muddy Waters


>Back in the present…
>Current objective: Rendezvous with Rewind
>Secondary objective: Ensure safety of Rewind
>You’ve reached a large boulder
>One large enough to support your weight
>You can roll it with ease
>And you do so
>You roll it straight into the Burning Gulch
>It wedges itself on the rocks within, grinding to a halt
>Realistically, you know that it would give way the moment you stepped upon it
>However, the longer you go without seeing Rewind, the higher the odds that something bad may have happened to her
>You cannot allow something like that to happen
>Even worse, if something already HAS happened, you needed to be there to rescue her
>Moreso than just your partner, she was your friend
>And you would save your friend
>You take a running start and cross the boulder
>As you thought, it immediately starts to sink, carving out a path for itself through the rock and into the lava
>You leap from it, landing on the other side and tumbling through the dirt
>You can hear the boulder sink into the bubbling lava and melt
>That could have been you
>But it wasn’t
>Now you begin the long trek to where you last saw Rewind
>But there was no time to simply walk
>You begin sprinting towards your destination
>That being a beacon you placed in your memory back when you first threw Rewind across the gorge
>After that… You would need to find her the hard way, should she be out of range of tracking


>Your sprinting steps crush anything unlucky enough to be in your path underfoot
>Luckily enough it was mostly grass and rocks
>You were a stallion on a mission
>Or… Rather a golem
>Odd
>You’d never referred to yourself as such since becoming a war construct
>Logging that oddity for later, you continue your full sprint towards the beacon
>You don’t have lungs or muscles, so it’s physically impossible for you to tire from this
>Hours pass as you run along the war-torn countryside
>Fires that have broken out from the proximity to the Burning Gulch
>Trees cut down for materials
>Even the gulch itself seems to be being used to mine for minerals
>Soon enough you begin to close in on the beacon’s position
>There was no doubt in your mind that Rewind would no longer be here
>After all, her target was deep inside one of Prance’s cities
>But it would be easier to follow her path from there
>You come across the small pulsing beacon and it dissipates
>Looking around, you spot the hill she disappeared over a few days ago
>She would have proceeded in this direction of course
>The only problem was what lie beyond
>It was of little consequence however
>Your massive chassis was almost impervious to small arms
>As you crest the hill, the battered landscape beyond comes into view


>It was as if somepony had salted the earth
>Dried mud and ash sprawl across the former battleground
>Broken fortifications and barbed wire extend in either direction
>And the expanding gulch consumes the land nearby
>You watch as the remnants of sandbag emplacement fall into it, the lava hissing and bubbling
>Thump
>Thump
>Thump
>Thump
>Four steps were all it took for you to reach the bottom of the hill
>The entire place looks stripped clean for the most part
>The charred bodies tell you all you need to know
>That the Prench had swept through here
>After all, it WAS their land now
>This calculated brutality was not something you wanted to become the norm
>But it was already happening
>All the more reason to find Rewind
>Stop the war, none of this happens
>There was no way you would let her die
>She may very well be the only pony in existence able to go back in time to stop all of this
>And if that happens…
>You might be able to be a pony again
>You would be able to see your best friend again
>Everything would be normal
>That makes you stop for a moment
>Would you remember any of this?
>Would it cease to exist?
>It was a very real possibility
>What if…
>What if you never saw Rewind again afterwards?
>What if she never remembers you?
>…What if you never remember her?
>You look at the ground
>You don’t enjoy this thought
>But it was for the greater good, right?
>The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few
>Or rather, just the needs of you
>If she succeeds, then you wouldn’t even remember her to feel sadness over never seeing her again
>Technically, she would never even exist to you
>You would never even know if you met her in passing
>But was that really a good thing?


>You trudge onwards
>The bottom line was that you didn’t know how the time travel worked in the long run
>But there was no use lamenting it if it never happened
>You had to find Rewind so that you two could find the rest of the relics
>When all was said and done…
>Then you could say goodbye if you needed to
“I’m coming, Rewind. Please stay safe.”
>As the words reverberate out of the orb you feel a tremor within the ground
>It vibrates your chassis
>You didn’t know where it was coming from, but it was getting more intense
>And it was also getting closer
>You can feel it rumbling right beneath you now
>Dodge
>Dodge now
>You dive to the side, rolling and coming to a stop upon your feet once more as something bursts from the ground below where you previously stood
>It’s composition is like nothing you’d ever seen before
>It scuttles upon six insect-like legs
>But it was made of metal
>And it also carried some sort of turret on top
>The hull glows a slight red, most likely from having been underground near the lava
>You adopt a battle-ready pose
>Clearly this thing would not let you go without a fight
>You were having trouble figuring out if it was organic or not
>If it had a crew, you could reach in and crush them easily
>But-
>A shot rings out as the barrel recoils
>You catch the explosive charge in a vortex of magical energy and toss it back at the machine
>It deftly scuttles to the side, dodging it with ease
>This was going to be a problem


>You are Rewind
>You are still in prison
>You are also infected with a parasite that would eventually control your thoughts and actions
>Maybe it already was
>You didn’t know
>But it was making you paranoid regardless
>In a way it was self-fulfilling, making you doubt yourself
>But it didn’t matter right now
>There was no telling how many ponies in this prison were infected
>What mattered was that Gallan’s plan was being put into action
>He was right
>The double ration cards rewards made sure that there were more prisoners than ever down here in the pit
>You were a bit afraid of infecting other ponies, but…
>Once you had all the relics you needed, you wouldn’t have to worry about it
>Gallan keeps his claw on top of your head, but it’s not as if you would be leaving without him
>”Now listen Rewind, you’re gonna have to trust me no matter what happens, alright? You’ll know what I mean.”
>It didn’t fill you with confidence, but if it got you out of here…
>You’d do what had to be done
>”Alright, as I’m sure most of you know, we’ll be offering up double the ration cards to the first few competitors that wish to-“
>Gallan shouts from beside you
>”Then I volunteer!!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYtVf0wvPpc
>You feel his clenched fist strike you across the face, sending you sprawling to the floor
>He may not look it, but he’s certainly packing a lot of muscle underneath those feathers
>You try and stand and he pounces upon you, grabbing your neck
>It’s hard to breathe, but he’s holding back
>He could easily crush your windpipe
>He continues to throw blows at you, of which you can do nothing about as he has you pinned
>They aren’t hitting your jaw, or your cheek like one would if they were trying to knock you out
>Instead they’re aimed near your forehead
>At your horn
>The crowd is cheering
>Your ears are ringing
>Your head is punched towards the ground only to be lifted back up again and hit again
>You hear something break and Gallan gets off you


>”You’re next!”
>He lifts up another pony by the neck and tosses them into the crowd
>Other prisoners have started trading blows now
>It’s like a battle royale with the guards desperately trying to get everypony calmed down
>You stagger to your hooves and do your best to keep a low profile while fights break out all around you
>You see one of the guardsponies approaching Gallan from behind as he wails away on another helpless guard
>He’s got a stun baton ready
>You get a running start and tackle him to the side, calling out to Gallan as you do
“Gallan, let’s get out of here!!”
>He turns, claws bloodied, with a frenzied look in his eye
>Before he spots you that is
>He points at his own forehead a few times, where a horn would be
>Wait…
>You feel your horn
>There’s no inhibitor
>He WASN’T just punching you for the sake of putting on an act
>The gryphon is a lot smarter than he lets on
>He tosses you the stun baton, which you catch in you magical, golden-sparkling aura
>His voice rings out above all the commotion as he shoulders his way to the door and kicks it open
>”If you want REAL food and not just your rations, let’s get out there and show ‘em what for, eh boys?! We’re getting’ outta this joint!”
>Most of the prisoners look over, eyes widening at the prospect of real freedom once more
>A rallying cry of the imprisoned rings out, vibrating you to your core
>Gallan grabs you and holds you against the wall, telling you to wait as the rest of them filter out
>”Right then, let’s go.”


>You follow the group out, and as you expected, there is already chaos going on
>As Gallan tugs you along, you watch him clicking the remote that he hid in his jumpsuit over and over, in front of each cell as you went
>Each cell you pass opens in turn, letting out another two prisoners to add fuel to the fire
>Gallan also managed to unbind his wings in the commotion, so instead of taking the stairs, he just grabs you and flies up to the level your cell is on
>The door opens with a click of the remote and he swiftly grabs the other baton you stashed away
>He also tears away a poster he had up on the wall
>You give him a quizzical look before he flips it over and shows you
>”’s a map, pony. Now let’s go.”
>Clever gryphon he was
>You run into your first snag the moment you leave the cell
>The alarm had sounded long ago, but now the guards had responded in full
>Standing on your cell level, blocking the walkway, were 3 ponies with riot shields
>At least, you thought it would be a snag
>Thanks to Gallan, you’re able to soar gracefully over them and land on the other side
>You give the remote a few clicks on the way, letting out some more prisoners to keep them company
>”Alright pony, let’s get out of here.”
“What? No I can’t leave yet. I need to get my things back.”
>”Tch, alright fine pony, but this is the only detour.”
>As the both of you move into the office areas and not the cellblocks, it’s clear that the prisoners were on the winning side
>Even with all their armor, the guards were being overwhelmed by sheer numbers alone
>And you’re sure that even more unsavory acts than murder are taking place
>You try not to think about it


>With your magic, Gallan’s claws, and two stun batons between the both of you, you have no trouble making your way through the prison
>The guards here were equipped for a riot of course, but with their resources spread thin and being swarmed by the prisoners, there wasn’t much standing in your way
>Of course, that isn’t to say you encountered no resistance
>As you near the storage room, it’s clear that Madame Warden expected some of the prisoners to make their way there
>There’s a line of guardsponies there, having set up a defensive line in the hallway
>”Alright pony, what’s YOUR plan? I don’t think they’re too keen on letting us through.”
>They haven’t noticed you yet
>And they’re equipped with…
>Well, you don’t know
>They wouldn’t use a Spitfire here in close quarters, they could burn the whole place down
>But they had weapons there
>You’d seen them in the storage room
>You needed to figure out what they were
“Alright, it’s a bad plan, but it’s the only one we’ve got unless you can cut through a reinforced wall to the storeroom. What we have to do is-“
>You’re interrupted by a yell in the hallway
>Another prisoner is trying to make a run for the storage room
>He is however, very swiftly cut down
>It’s an unfortunate sight, but one that gives you the information you need
>They’re firing something that ignites and sticks to the skin
>Something you definitely didn’t want to be hit with
>You look around for a moment, trying to formulate a new plan that didn’t involve being burnt to a crisp from the inside out


>The two of you were holed up in the breakroom
>And there wasn’t much to offer in the way of weapons in here
>You would have to get close to hit them with the stun baton
>And you didn’t put much faith in being able to dodge whatever it was they were firing
>You also weren’t one of those Unicorns that can just blast magic out of your horn like a laser
>Looking around, your brain starts to formulate a different plan
“O…Kay then new plan. Gallan, grab that table in the corner.”
>It was big enough to where it would shield both him and you if you stood behind him
>He does so
>You use your magic and remove the 10 gallon jug from the watercooler, quickly drenching the entire table in water
>This probably wasn’t going to work
>In fact you’re 45% certain it wouldn’t
>But it was your only option
“Alright, Gallan, use it like a shield and we’ll move up on them. Throw it at them when we’re close enough.”
>Your gryphon buddy is about as confident in this plan as you are, but he takes position near the doorway that leads out into the hallway
“Alright, go!”
>Gallan steps into the hallway, holding up the table-shield, of which you’re behind as well
>They don’t fire immediately, probably because they’re confused
>But soon enough you hear Gallan yell at you
>”Well by profit it’s workin’! Good thinkin’ Rewind!”
>The table does begin to fall apart the closer you get, and Gallan actually has to duck down when the top is blown away
“Gallan throw it now!”
>With a mighty yell, Gallan heaves the heavy table at the defensive line
>It hurtles over the sandbags, hitting one of the six guardsponies in the head and bringing him to the ground
>Both you and Gallan also leap over, Gallan clotheslining another pony with his razor-sharp talons
>Needless to say they weren’t getting up after a mortal wound like that


>You jam the baton underneath the chin of one of the other guards, causing them to seize and spasm before falling to the floor
>Gallan doesn’t even seem to be using the stun baton he grabbed out of the cell
>Well…
>He’s USING it, but he’s using it more like a club
>You watch as Gallan knees a guard in the face and swings the baton straight into her gut with both hands
>It sends the guardsmare flying into the wall behind her, where she then hits the floor in a crumpled heap
>You aren't sure if she's dead or unconscious
>Note to self: Do not cross Gallan
>You hear a shot and you phase out of existence, going back in time to dodge it
>When you come back to, you whirl around, cracking another guard across the face with the baton
>You jam it against the exposed part of their neck to make sure they stay down
>When you turn to take out the final guard, you find that Gallan is already taking care of it
>He’s standing on his hindlegs, holding up the last guardsmare by her neck
>With Gallan’s sheer size, her flailing hindlegs aren’t able to even touch the ground
>Her hooves paw desperately at his flexing arms while he strangles her
>Should you say something?
“Gal-“
>CRACK
>The pony’s head jerks to the side at an angle and the gryphon tosses the body aside, before turning to you
“I… You… Was that necessary? She would have surrendered if you let go!”
>”You want me to let these ponies go? The ones that put me in this nightmare in the first place?”
>Gallan spits at the floor
>”They knew what they were gettin’ into. They had it comin’.
>Gallan jabs his thumb behind him at the storeroom as he takes one of the keys off one of the ponies on the ground
>”I’ll open the door, you grab yer stuff.”


>You are Sandstone
>The construct was still being a hassle
>It was a constant back and forth, with neither of you able to land a clean blow
>Any time it fired at you, you would catch it and hurl it back, only for the spider-like tank to scuttle away from the blast
>If you got close it would just burrow into the ground and pop up somewhere else
>But you’ve been holding on to one of the explosive shots fired at you
>You just had to bait it into firing again
>Which was as easy as moving away from it
>It fires once more and you catch the shot, hurling it back at the tank
>As usual, it dodges to the side
>Straight into the other explosive you’d thrown right afterwards
>It blows three of the legs off on the right side, leaving it helpless as you walk up
>You notice that it has a hatch on the top
>Which meant it was manned
>You grip the domed exterior and begin to squeeze it
>The sounds of groaning metal and something else emanate from the machine
>Screaming from within can be heard until the hatch open
>”Arrête ! Arrête !”
>A Prench guardspony opens the hatch, holding up his hooves in surrender
>You bend the barrel of the tank and move closer
“Where. Is. Rewind.”
>”I-I-I don’t know I swear!”
“An Equestrian mare. Unicorn. Light brown coat. White mane. She passed through here approximately 2 and a half moons ago.”
>You’re still able to ping Rewind’s location, but only the general vicinity
>The Prench pony looks down to the rest of the crew inside
>”S-She was captured! Taken to ze prison at Île du Feu.”
>No
>Île du Feu was an island in the middle of the Celestial Ocean
“How do I get there.”
>”Z-Ze bridge from ze neighboring island! B-But you have to take a boat zere!”
>You push the pony back in and crumple the top hatch, trapping them inside


>You are Rewind
>And you are finally reuniting with your armor
>You put on your uniform, buttoning up the collar and the sleeves
>Then you put on your back and breastplate, clasping them together before putting on your hoofguards
>You find the your Killer7 in here as well
>Once more you strap the shock absorber to your forehoof and the weapon to it
>You load in a spike and slide the breech block home
>And finally, your helmet
>As battered and scratched as it was, it fit just the same as it did on day one
>You looked like a proper guardsmare once again
>But
>You notice the distinct lack of something very important
>The artifacts are gone
>And you can think of only one pony who would know the importance of them
“Alright Gallan, let’s go see Madame Warden.”
>Gallan himself also has his own gear back
>It’s decidedly… Legionnaire looking
>You recognized the armor and insignia of the Redclaws, the prolific all-gryphon mercenary group
>But it looked different
>Familiar, but you couldn’t quite place it
>He also had access once more to the signature weapon of the gryphons
>The Gryphic Bolt-action Rifle
>There was no way a pony other than a Unicorn could use it
>The trigger was too small for a pony to use with their hoof, and could only be operated by a gryphon’s talons
>Furthermore, it had a strange shape, and couldn’t be held and fired by a pony’s hooves at the same time
>Combine that with the bolt you had to pull back to chamber another round, and it made for a weapon that only Gryphons or knowledgeable Unicorns could use


>Gallan brushes aside the cape covering his right arm, making it wrap around his neck as if it were a scarf
>”Us grunts gotta stick together, eh?”
>Gallan flashes you a grin and you nod
“Yeah, sure.”
>Something is rubbing you the wrong way, but you can’t place it
>The both of you exit the storeroom and Gallan checks his crude map
>”We take care of Madame Warden, then we leave. I can fly us back to one of our forward camps and we can go our separate ways if ya want.”
>You nod at him
>You’d gotten quieter ever since he got his armor back
>But there was just something off
>Not right
>You follow him as he leads the way towards Madame Warden’s office
>It just didn’t matter right now
>Right now you had to get those relics back
>With both you and Gallan in full gear, there was little that stood in your way of you two
>You’re able to easily make it to Madame Warden’s door
>Of which, Gallan kicks in without another word
>”So, I see that you’ve-“
>BANG
>Without even waiting for Madame Warden to finish speaking, Gallan fires off his rifle
>The shot hits her right in the chest
>You watch her clutch at the wound, scarlet blood soaking into her clothes as she falls out of her chair and onto the ground
“G-Gallan! I needed her! She might have known the cure to the parasite that’s inside me!”
>”Tch, Madame Warden’s not the kind of pony to know that sort of thing. You’d need to question the ponies that brought her the parasite in the first place.”
>Maybe Gallan was right, but you’d never know now
>However, something caught your eye as you moved to collect your relics from her desk
>The dagger was there
>And so was the broken sword hilt
>But there was a third object there glowing with the same brilliant golden light that the other two were


>It’s a necklace
>It loops through a small piece of driftwood that appears to have been inscribed with odd runes you can’t understand
>The string that it’s on had long since snapped and frayed
>You pick it up and inspect it after you put the other artifacts in your saddlebags
>Right as your horn starts to glow, Gallan grabs you by it, causing you to yelp and your cheeks to redden
>It also fizzles out your magic
>He also doesn’t let go
“G-G-Gallan let go I was just-“
>”Yeah I don’t need ya tryin’ anything funny right now. We’re leavin’, ya got that?”
>You simply nod
“C-Can you… Let go of my horn now? P-Please?”
>This was not the time to be getting aroused
>But it wasn’t your fault anyway!
>Gallan wouldn’t let go of your horn!
>HE STILL HASN’T!
>He picks you up by your horn and plops you down on his back as he scratches gouges into the glass that Madame Warden usually looked through
>”I can get us outta here faster if ya just hold on tight, little pony.”
>You wrap your hooves around Gallan’s neck and hold on, still recovering from him hefting you by your horn
>[spoiler]Predators are pretty hot[/spoiler]
>Wait no
>Are these parasite thoughts or yours?
>What would Dad think?
>”Too tight, too ACK tight! Loosen’ up Rewind or yer liable to choke me out with that grip of yours.”
>You hadn’t realized how tightly you were holding on until now, and you loosen your grip
>”So the skylights aren’t barred, but the problem we gotta deal with when we’re out there is the guards on the towers. Don’t let go, ‘cos I’m gonna be doing some evasive maneuvers out there, got it?”
>You nod again
>Wait, how is he going to leave the room?


>Gallan hefts one of the chairs in the room and tosses it through the glass he’d been weakening with his claws
>It shatters loudly, tumbling onto the ground below and exposing one of the cell blocks to you
>Gallan spreads his wings, which are much larger than a Pegasi’s by a wide margin
>With a single flap and a spring off of his powerful hindlegs, he launches himself through the hole made in the glass, tucking his wings back in to slip through unscathed
>From a catwalk below, you hear somepony yell out at you in Prench
>As you turn your head and glance, you see an odd sight
>There are two guards
>And one, contrary to your belief that they wouldn’t use Spitfires here, is currently levelling one at you
>But you’re too far away for it to reach you
>Or so you thought
>As the gout of flame shoots out, it’s stopped by a magical barrier that encapsulates it
>The Unicorn beside the Spitfire guard captures the fire inside and sends it hurtling towards you
>Luckily it seems that she had bad aim, and it misses you by a wide margin
>”Shit Rewind, hold on tight!”
>It seems that once again you were wrong
>She hadn’t missed
>She was leading her shot
>Gallan removes your hooves from around his neck and lets go of you, spinning around and wrapping his arms around you, along with his wings as the orb of fire explodes
>You feel the searing heat before he’s able to cover you up, and the two of you burst through the glass of the skylight and into the cold air of the outside
>When you open your eyes, you’re face to face with nothing but chest feathers, and while you don’t feel burned, there’s an odd heat on your back


>It takes you a moment to realize that your uniform has caught fire
>And it caught fire underneath your armor
>You struggle to try and put out the fire, quickly unclasping the backplate and letting it tumble through the air
>With a flash of Gallan’s claws, your uniform shreds into tatters, the burning, smoldering pieces flittering away and burning up in the air
>It leaves you in nothing but your breastplate, hoofguards, and helmet
>How the gryphon managed to cut the uniform underneath your breastplate, you would have to ask later
>As of now he holds you underneath an arm as he flies the two of you away from this place
>Fiery munitions whizz past the both of you, narrowly missing as Gallan weaves, rolls, and dodges through the air
>It’s no wonder that both of you escape unscathed
>It’s almost as if Gallan had some sort of precognition to where they would fire
>As the two of you get out of their range, you look back at the prison-turned POW camp
>It’s on an isolated island of blackened stone
>Waves crash against the steep cliff that makes up the shoreline of the island
>It makes you that much more grateful that your cellmate had wings
>Even if you were to escape conventionally, there was no way you would make it off that island without stealing a boat
>Gallan readjusts, putting you on his back once more so he doesn’t have to hold you the whole time
>”You alright there Rewind? Gave me a pretty good scare back there with the fire.”
“I uh, think my fur’s a bit singed but I’m not too worse for wear. Thanks… Thanks again Gallan.”
>There isn’t much else you can really say to him other than that
>”Don’t mention it Rewind. Both of us did our part to get outta that shithole. Now? I’d say just relax and catch your breath. We got quite a few miles ‘til we get to the closest firebase.”


>The entire flight across the sea takes a few hours
>It allows you to finally think clearly
>Or at least you hope it does
>You still don’t know how many thoughts are your own, and how many are caused by that parasite in your brain
>Would you even know?
>Maybe it’s making you doubt yourself right now
>You take a deep breath before you start to get yourself worked up again
>Gallan said to relax, right?
>It’s not like he was going to let you fall, and there was nopony trying to pursue you
>Which was surprising, seeing as how you’d seen Pegasi there before
>Maybe they didn’t see you two as a threat
>Oh how wrong they were
>You look in your saddlebag at the faintly glowing pendant you’d retrieved from the prison
>When you were on the ground once more, you would have to take a look and see where it took you
>What you might be able to change, in fact
>You hadn’t tried it in the last one
>But you got the feeling that trying to grab for the artifacts could get you killed, if the ponies in these brief glimpses into the past could interact with you
>Which was where the complications of time travel could arise
>You shuddered to think of what could go wrong as you clasped the bag shut
>Slowly your eyes start to drift closed as the sound of wingbeats and waves lull you to sleep in the afternoon warmth…


>You’re awoken by a jostling of your ride
>That is to say, Gallan had finally landed
>As your senses come back to your waking mind, you become acutely aware of the fact that there’s the buzz of a crowd
>Your keen ears, trained by your time in combat and boot camp, pick up a multitude of sounds
>The sound of a grindstone grinding against metal
>The clashing of blades and sounds of flesh hitting flesh
>War drums
>Chanting
>You can very clearly hear the sound of what appear to be combat drills
>Your eyes focus and you look around
>There appears to be a circle formed around you by gryphons
>Lots and lots of gryphons
>Occasionally they look at each other and talk amongst themselves, but for the most part they stare intently at you and Gallan
>Much less staring, moreso… Glaring
>But it wasn’t anger you could sense from their eyes
>It was confusion, and perhaps anticipation
>”Alright then…”
>Gallan whispers to you
>”Rewind, I want ya to slowly hop down offa my back. These boys’re primed ta rush ya if you so much as wink at ‘em funny.”
“Wait, why are they so anxious?”
>Gallan lowers one of his wings so that you can slide off
>”Look, you already know we’re mercs. You really think we ain’t done our fair share of bad things ta ponies like you? Then suddenly I waltz in, bringin’ ya back ta camp on a silver platter? How ya think that looks to them boys, uh?”
>It LOOKS like a one way ticket to a hippogriff is what it looks like
>You gently slide off Gallan’s wing and onto the ground


>Gallan then looks around at the gathered crowd and sneers
>”What in Tartarus are you standing around for you thirsty brutes? Get out of here before I give you all the whip!”
>Where did Gallan’s accent go?
>There’s a loud bark in unison of: “Yes Legatus, sir!” Before the crowd salutes and disperses
>This confuses you
>Gallan said he was a grunt, like you
>You turn to him and raise an eyebrow, to which he returns your look as he pats your head
>”I may have told you a little fib back there in the prison. I… Might actually be the acting Legatus legionis in these lands. “
>Oh Celestia why
>Why’d you have to end up partnered with a very, very important gryphon?
>Even if they were mercenaries, they were one of the most well-organized forces at play in this war
>Gallan wraps a wing around you and start to guide you along as he walks through the camp
>”Since you might be spending quite a bit of time here, I’ll be getting you fitted out for some armor; I’m sure you’d rather not walk around naked. If you’re keen to it, our smiths can put together a weapon for you.”
“That sounds great actually, thanks a bunch!”
>The Legatus grins at you, to which you return with a more reserved smile
>”We might be mercs, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have hearts, right?”
“It’s not too reassuring considering the kind of things ponies go through when they’re captured by Redclaws…”
>Gallan glances sidelong at you and clicks his beak, clearly annoyed
>”I could be pumping a couple hippogriffs into you right now, mare. Be grateful that I am not.”
>Your ears pin back at that, and you fall silent
>”Tch, ponies sending their womenfolk into battle, like some kind of sick joke. Gives me conniptions.”


>A period of silence follows Gallan’s reserved outburst, but afterwards he seems completely fine
>And this isn’t the first time he’d threatened you with sex
>Maybe it’s still just an act, like back in the prison
>Maybe he just does it because he knows it shuts you up
>Either way, you didn’t like it
>And you were about 90% sure telling him that you didn’t care for it would make him do it more
>He just seemed like that sort of gryphon
“So uh, about that armor?”
>A short walk away is the armorer’s tent, where he takes your measurements
>He only feels you up about… 3 times
>Gallan tells you that’s pretty low
>Not that he has a metric to measure it on, seeing as how mares rarely come here willingly
>With their interesting forging techniques, it isn’t hard for them to whip up some armor for you
>It also probably helped that you only needed the backplate for the most part
>But soon enough you were decked out
>Surprisingly it’s more armor than before
>You had proper greaves now, in addition to your hoofguards
>And the backplate was made sturdy, but light enough for a pony like you to wear naturally
>The only difference between this Redclaw armor and your Equestrian Imperial Guard uniform however was…
>Well
>The gryphons didn’t quite believe in underclothes
>Wherever there wasn’t armor, there was only your bare fur to be seen
>And the skirt that was given to you (that admittedly all the gryphons wore) seemed a bit too short for your tastes
>And no underclothes meant NO underclothes
>Absolutely no panties were worn under this semi-armored skirt
>That wasn’t even the worst part though
>The worst part was the tailhole in the armor, and the wrappings that went around the base of your tail
>The combination of both made it so you kept your tail flagged at all times


“This armor is… A bit revealing don’t you think?”
>You use your magic to tug down on the skirt slightly, but it doesn’t do very much
>”A bit, I suppose, but he’s not a tailor, he’s an armorer. And surprisingly, we don’t keep mare’s underwear around here. Go figure.”
>The sarcasm in his voice is palpable
>And while it might make you angry, he has a point
>You’ll just have to be careful
>…And ignore the draft
>Luckily nopony was around in Gallan’s tent but you and him
“Alright, alright. If it’s not too much trouble, can I ask that you leave me alone for just a bit? I’ve got some important business to take care of an-“
>Gallan lets out a deep, full-bellied laugh
>”You didn’t think that armor was free, did you? You’re one of us now. That means you go through the same initiation we went through when we joined the Redclaws.”
“Whoa whoa whoa, joined the Redclaws? I’m not-“
>Gallan steps closer and he lowers his voice, speaking to you sternly
>”I’m breaking a lot of rules just bringing you here, and even more letting you STAY. For these guys to treat you like one of their own, you’re gonna have to do the initiation.”
>You look down, glancing out of the tent just slightly and watching the gryphons mill about the camp, then at the emblem on your right spaulder
“Alright. Fine, I’ll do it. What the heck is this “initiation?”
>Gallan grins and starts to usher you outside into the cool night
>”I’m glad you asked.”