The Nexus

by Drakon Samael

My Little Pony has magic, the Magic of Friendship...but is that all there is? Is the magic in the show all that that it could be? Or...could it be more? Is it just the tip of the iceberg? One brony is about to be shoved into Equestria to see for himself.

4. Chapter 4

To most individuals, on the whole, getting into a fight is the last thing one wants to do. Humans avoid confrontation like they avoid fire and dangerous animals. It's simply something that their society has come to hate and discourage over the years. It's essentially a knee jerk reaction of a sort that says rather than trying to work with the "animal nature" that is a part of them, they would rather have that animal surpressed because it "isn't" reall there. Talk about the proverbial elephant in the room. Of course, many have seen exactly how well this aproach works.

On the other hand, there are some who believe that all they should do is fight. They have become the very animals that society tries to repress. And who can blame them? Humans are animals, in the end, and having that instinct put down for so long is bound to have bad side effects. Either for the sake of showing off their own skill or just because they want to beat the hell out of someone, it doesn't matter. They are purely selfish and instinct driven individuals who wish to cause as much harm as possible for little to no reason other than their own enjoyment. These are the two extremes.

Those who have become trained, on the other hand, who have taken steps to ready themselves should they find that they cannot avoid confrontation, have struck balance. They lay right in the middle of the two extremes, especially those who have found a "talent" for combat. When one trains in self-defense, in the martial arts specifically, there is a particular type of wisdom gained. They animal that is man is not repressed, but tempered; forged. It creates an individual who does not repress the beast but utilizes it, recognizes that this beast is not itself but merely a part of the whole. In doing so this person is much more whole, complete, and flourishing.

On the more practical and applied side of the equation a certain type of ingenuity is cultivated. They learn when the best time is for certain techniques, they learn the effectiveness of a technique based upon what it does to them, cultivating this sense of "ingenuity" when practicing techniques. As such, if something fails or the technique doesn't hold, the idea is that a trained martial artist will be able to compensate on the fly and do something just as, if not more, effective. In short, they have taken this raging best, and disciplined it, tempered it, into something both useful and necessary.

In Jarrad's case it gave him an outlet for his own aggression as well as help mold him into a far more flourishing individual. It gave him the necessary mentality to do anything and everything he needed to do to get the job done when it came to his own defense; at least, that was what he believed.

In some sense that was what got him killed. When learning about weapons defenses you always hear people say "Don't do anything if you don't need to" or "Use just the right amount of force" but that never seemed to sink in with Jarrad. There was always a sense of indignation and just all out disrespect when someone pulled a weapon on him, really for any reason. A weapon turned what should be just a random fist fight into a matter of survival. It put him on edge and any technique that was used merely for pain tolerance or a light level of incapacitation became used for heavy duty damage and, if necessary, death. He had spent some time trying to mentally prepare himself to take a life if the situation ever arose. This is where he failed.

He had someone pull a gun on him and everyone in the diner. He managed to get close enough and even take the gun from the guy, yet he wasn't able to kill him. Rather than ending his life he decided to try some kind of pain tolerance by taking a very close range shot to the knee. He simply couldn't bring himself to kill another individual; and this was his gravest mistake. This…parasite had thought ahead and brought a second gun, the one he used to shoot Jarrad. Someone from the diner managed to get it away from him and beat him into submission, but the damage was done, and Jarrad was dead.

When that Royal Guard took a shot and nailed Jarrad in the gut all those feelings came rushing back. The anger at his death, his situation, and the feel of disrespect he felt when someone took a potshot at him, it all came boiling to a head. It was odd, in a way, that it only took this to push him over the edge. The glossy veneer that held back all his negativity had been shattered.

Jarrad's vision tunneled, until only the guards were there. His mind focused solely on his rage, and higher brain function ceased. That isn't to say he became a zombie, but he stopped "thinking" about is movements. One large advantage to proper training is that it "erases" old instinct. If you believe you truly have an innate ability to fight, then go out and pick a fight with someone three or four times your size and see what happens. Experience says you will lose; and that is because your natural instinct is faulty. People train for years and years to cultivate this wisdom and ingenuity by replacing old instinct with new instinct, one that serves a far better function in combat than old instinct ever did or could.

As he ran across the path from the hospital he was blindsided by one of guards. He was taken back a good fifteen feet before he was able to dig his feet into the ground. He halted the momentum and began to push back. The guard reared back to go forward again but Jarrad kept him back. A quick jab with the left distracted the guard for a moment, before Jarrad let loose with, from what he could tell, his most powerful cross. It connected dead center on the chest of the guard, hoping to put his fist through him was the goal, yet it was not met. However the force of the blow was enough to send the guard sailing over the square and into a cart that looked to have been set up for sales earlier that morning. A momentary lapse in amazement at his own power allowed two guards to charge forward and try a similar tactic.

As anyone can tell you having two horses push anything will take a large amount of force to push back. As Jarrad tried to dig into the ground again he found that his own power, even forcing as much as he could, was not adequate to push back the onslaught. But not all force need be pushed back. Jarrad had a great deal of soft-fist techniques at his disposal, rendered useless by the simple fact he wasn't fighting human beings. You can't exactly work a technique that requires such precision and intimate knowledge of the body on something that didn't have the body you trained on, could you? The point of those techniques, though, was still in his core instinct bank. He grabbed both guards, as tight as he could where he could get some kind of grip, with an overhand on both. His left leg went back in a crescent step and he began to spin. It was a little difficult with the Pegasi on his right, but the momentum of the one on the left more than made up for it. The end result was Jarrad spinning in a circle with two pegusi in hands. He tried to build as much momentum as he could before letting go and sending them through random walls of businesses in the town square.

He dropped into a fighting stance waiting for the next attack to come; the guards didn't disappoint. It seemed that they had decided to coordinate their attacks and time them rather than simply having one or two rush in at once. Jarrad had to admire them; Celestia's guards were truly a well trained and well oiled machine. Blood pounding in his ears he heard thunder- wait… that wasn't thunder. Jarrad turned his head slightly to see an earth pony guard galloping toward him. He looked forward again to see the slight movements of another earth pony and three pegasi. His peripheral vision caught the pegasi coming from the left, much farther off. The most immediate threat to be answered came from behind.

Once the earth pony was in distance Jarrad unleashed a vicious back dead center to the soft meat of the belly of the earth pony, who had reared upon his hind legs to go for the head. It didn't send him back, but it put him on the ground as blood dribbled from his lips. The next threat was the other earth pony coming from the front and, though he was remiss to do so in this case, he wanted to see if he could use this pony against the other pegasi barreling towards him. He rushed forward to the earth pony, matching his speed. He veered to the right and planted his left into the ponies' face, not as hard as he could, but it seemed enough to break this ponies' exposed nose and distract him. Jarrad dropped into a very loose horse stance, able to place his hands right on the midsection of the earth pony and bent his back forward so any downward force would be transferred into his legs. He pushed up toward the pegasi as hard as he could, trying to also offset any momentum left in the earth pony as his forelegs hit the ground once again. The plan, though crude and far more base than he would have liked, seemed to have worked.

Two of the pegasi were hit dead on with body of their comrade. The third was distracted by the onslaught and didn't notice Jarrad jump forward to meet his charge. In any other situation, definitely not as dire, Jarrad would have laughed. He, against all physics and reality, landed a perfect Fist of Judah dead center on the distracted Pegasus. Of course it also went by the name of the famous Randy Cotoure "Superman Punch", but Fist of Judah sounds far more ancient and powerful.

This onslaught seemed to have made the other ponies reconsider their plan of attack. After dropping the third Pegasus and landing Jarrad looked around to see the guards. They were now scattered around the clearing. It seemed they were learning from their mistakes and were going to be far more coordinated with their assaults. It took them a few moments to reach some sense of formation, and in that time Jarrad's higher function returned to him; and added some startling realizations.

He felt…winded. He had only used his magic but for a few moments and he felt exhausted, as if he had sprinted almost half a mile. Sweat poured from his whole body, soaking the shirt he was wearing and dripping profusely onto the ground. His attacks seemed to be less effective. Before he had been about to throw a Pegasus guard a good thirty yards, but now, he struggled on his last moments. Even that last attack on the Pegasus seemed to have taken far more out of him than he originally thought and only seemed to do a fair amount of damage, rather than the devastation he was hoping for. If he had to guess he would say his magical "endurance" had run its course, and he was now running on empty. Having no food for the past weeks probably didn't help matters in the long run, and for a moment, he lamented that the guards didn't come for him at least a few hours later when he was well fed.

He realized that escaping into the Everfree forest was his only real option. They wouldn't likely follow him there and, hopefully, neither would Celesita. He didn't know where he was going to go there per se, but he knew that it was a far better option than simply staying here and waiting to be beaten down and captured. He turned and ran toward the forest as fast as his legs would allow, pumping as much magic as he could into his body, he'd deal with the consequences later.

Unfortunately the guards took this as an opportunity to strike. So focused was Jarrad on escaping that he didn't notice a guard burst from an alleyway and strike him hard in the side. His body exploded in pain as he felt, he was sure, a few ribs crack. The only thing saving him from having a flailed chest was his own magic, but that was running out. He slammed his fist into the guard, hoping to distract him enough to leave. Somehow, he managed to dent the helmet and knock the guard for a loop, but that was as far as he got. Three more guards surrounded him with one bucking him straight in the chest, the force of the blow knocked him back at least 20 feet. The pain was unimaginable. He landed through the wall of a building, knocking it out and causing some severe damage on the inside.

He wasn't knocked unconscious, and wasn't dead, which alone amazed him. What further peaked his curiosity was the feeling his body was projecting. More specifically, he felt pain, but he also felt that he should have had something important crushed. He couldn't quite figure out exactly why, until he looked down. His entire torso was covered in metal. He shirt that had clothed him for days was now transforming into a smooth silver metal surface. The momentary lapse in action allowed him to feel that the magic in him wasn't running out, per se, but rather being drained by something. He assumed it was his clothing, which was acting as some type of armor, something he knew he needed desperately. He tried to push more magic into it, but he failed miserably. The magic he had commanded so readily only a day before was leaving him.

His fear was further amplified by the voices on the outside. From what he could pick from the orders given they were going to surround him and try to flush him out and into some kind of trap, if those they sent in first didn't just find him dead or unconscious. He was no longer angry, but scared, the same as if he were a wild animal cornered by a predator or a hunter. There was nothing he could conceive of to get himself out of this situation.

The royal guards, however, were making a grave mistake. As the great warrior general Sun-Tsu once wrote that it was a mistake to corner a foe. To hold them and encircle them giving no hope of escape. You may win the fight, but it will be far from a victory. The reason for this is that, much like animals, a person's survival instinct will take hold. They will no longer simply fight for the sake of their freedom or military victory, but fight for their survival. It is at this point the body, in order to survive, removes the natural blocks. And it is at this stage we find Jarrad. Outnumbered, outmatched, hungry, and growing weaker by the minute. The only thought in his mind, as the blood thundered and his heart raced, was that he needed more power. He needed this power to survive the onslaught of guards and escape into the forest.

The royal guards, however, were making a grave mistake. As the great warrior general Sun-Tzu once wrote that it was a mistake to corner a foe. One of the worst things you could is to trap and encircle them, giving no hope of escape. The reason for this is that, much like animals, a person's survival instinct will take hold. They will no longer simply fight for the sake of their freedom or military victory, but fight for their survival. It is at this point the body, in order to survive, removes the natural blocks. Jarrad had finally reached this stage. Outnumbered, outmatched, hungry, and growing weaker by the minute. The only thought in his mind, as the blood pounded in his ears and his heart raced, was that he needed more power. He needed this power to survive the onslaught of guards and escape into the forest.

He stood on uncertain legs, trying to maintain his balance. His body felt like a lead weight, almost as if the next step would put him flat on his face. He tried to summon more power, tried to make the chakras spin, but it was getting harder to concentrate with the noise in his ears. He didn't feel a choice in the matter. He had tried to force the power, but it wouldn't come. In one last act of desperation he fell to his knees and prayed. He prayed to Gaia herself to give him power, to help him survive. His primal fear drove him, and his prayer was answered. The world blanked and he knew no more.

On the outside the others were watching with trepidation. They had gathered outside the hospital at the first sign of battle, too shocked to take any action. However, as shocked as they were, there were three of them who knew exactly what was happening.

"Why…why are these guards attacking him? Hasn't he not done anything?" asked Twilight.

Zecora was as confused as she was, "I cannot fathom the circumstances, as to why Celestia didn't come here herself and take her chances. This is not how it was meant to be."

Rarity's voice could barely be heard, her shame so great, "Celestia visited us again and told us her real plan…we were told not to inform you."

Zecora's face became livid, "What?"

Twilight, not being a fan of her own ignorance, intervened, "Will somepony please tell me what's going on!"

"A week ago, only a few days after Jarrad arrived and we found you, Celestia showed up and asked us to help her. She wanted to help the Nexus discover some of his power, so we made a plan to show up when he woke up and bring him here to heal you from your dreadful condition. She said that she could do it, but it would be far more beneficial to all if Jarrad performed the magic needed. It would give him a better grasp on his power. Zecora agreed and we brought him here…but Celestia returned a few days later when Zecora wasn't here." Rarity's head was down, her shame in lying evident.

Zecora drove the nail further into the coffin, her voice low and hard, "You FOALS! Have you any clue as to the havoc you have caused, what could possibly possess you to do this, speak quickly lest my ire have no pause."

"How dare you! Do you not realize this situation? He's a dangerous individual, even if you're too blind to see it; Celestia is merely trying to protect us by taking him under arrest so he can do no harm to anypony," Rarity's reply of indignation only furthered to infuriate Zecora.

Before Zecora could further give her a piece of her mind the corner of her eye caught Jarrad stumbling out of the home he had wrecked. He looked disoriented and confused. He squatted down and attempted to walk on his hands for some reason but seemed to find this… non-helpful. He stood straight for a moment, and took a deep breath. It seemed that his actions confused the guards who seemed to have decided to wait for his next move before retaliating. He released the breath, looking surer of his stance, before breaking into a dead sprint toward Zecora and the others. Rarity and the others tensed, ready to defend themselves if necessary. Zecora, however, was relaxed; more curious than cautious.

Jarrad jumped high and landed right in front of Zecora, placing his face inches from hers. Upon closer inspection they could see his body had become overrun with archaic lines of blackest night all over, even his eyes were different. The vibrant blue hue was now pitch black, with no iris at all.

Jarrad looked to study Zecora for a moment before finally speaking, his language now unknown to the others, "Malkia"

Zecora froze at that word; only one person had ever called her that in her long existence.

"Grant…how?"She had trouble finding her voice, so many emotions running through her at once.

Jarrad, or Grant, slowly ran his hand through Zecora's Mohawk. His face contorted in longing and desire, the look of seeing his lost love.

Grant chuckled a moment, "It seems that this one has activated the Phantasm."

Zecora, who had leaned into his touch as best she could froze, "How? It has taken far more time for any previous Nexus to reach the Phantasm point."

Grant seemed to sense her trepidation, "Survival instincts are the strongest, and what is the Nexus if not a conglomeration of old instincts brought into one person? This one… this man's survival depended upon it, thus his prayer was answered. Zecora, I am so sorry, but I do not have much time left. I long to tell you how much you mean to me, to show you how much your absence has caused me pain, but we do not have time. Please, why has this happened?"

"Its Celestia, she is involved yet again. She has deceived others and has sent her royal guard to capture Jarrad, this Nexus. I do not know what her game is now… but she hasn't changed in three thousand years," Zecora lamented.

The calm on Grants face was replaced with a blank stare, as if trying to hold himself back, "She believes she can capture the Nexus and use his powers for herself, does she?"

"I do not know." Zecora answered.

Jarrad, or Grant, heaved a sigh. He could feel his time was at a close; his consciousness was drawing back into the Void. However, he was going to leave something behind.

"You gave him my armor, correct?"

"Yes, I knew he may need it someday and…"

Grant/Jarrad smiled, "It's okay Zecora, I understand. I'm going to have to leave now… but I won't leave him empty handed. He is going to have my armor, my knowledge, and something else. These guards will be an example to Celestia; she shall never have our power."

Zecora frowned, "What will you make him do?"

"I will make him do nothing, at this point it is all up to him what he does with the power. I'm just going to give a… push." He leaned in closer, "Zecora, though I return to the Void, know that I will love you until Eternity. Malkia, there will always be a part of me with you." Grant leaned down and pressed his lips to Zecora's. His kiss was one of deperation and longing, attempting to squeeze every feeling he had into one singular moment. It left them both wanting, and far more devastating, unfulfilled.

When he drew back his head dipped. After a moment tears began to fall on the ground.

"Zecora…Zecora?" a voice pleaded.

"Yes, Jarrad, I am here." She soothed. She knew she had to be strong, even though her rock was no longer there.

"Get them out of here… get them to leave." He sounded scared, "I can't hold it back."

Zecora realized now what was going to happen. Grant had left his armor, known as the armor of the Berserker, behind. It was fueled by sheer rage and battle lust, shutting off all higher function. It could be impenetrable if used properly. Added to the power of the Nexus it was a force of nature, a power of the gods themselves. It provided a monolithic defense to a titanic offense. But it came at cost; the user would not stop until his target was destroyed, no matter who got in his way. They lost higher functioning for the sake of pure emotion and instinct. Rage, here, seemed to be the feeling of the day. Jarrad could sense what little control he had over himself slipping. He felt like he was starting to black out again, and whatever was going to happen, he didn't want it.

"Twilight Sparkle, as the student of the princess, is there any way you can use your position to salvage this mess?" asked Zecora.

"Wha… Zecora, if he's dangerous, the guards need to do their job, they need to stop him." Twilight stated. If the Princess said that he was dangerous then it only served to confirm her other beliefs. He was probably just laying in wait for a chance to strike earlier.

This did not sit well with Zecora in the least, "You foals! Have you no minds of your own! Did the idea ever cross-"

Zecora wasn't able to finish. A movement below her told her Jarrad had shifted, but he had done so faster than she could follow. She saw him standing a few feet away holding a random guard by the face with his bare hand, and holding him high in their air, his rear legs dangling off the ground. The hand that held him was black as pitch. The armor, or the unformed pieces earlier, had finally come together. Jarrad's hands and forearms were covered with a plated black metal that seemed to grow from his fingers down to his forearms, and three curved blades out of each forearm. His feet and shins were covered in the same plated overlapping metal pattern from his knees down. His feet themselves were now armored as some kind of claw, with talons like a dragons foot and a wicked hook on the very back. The final piece was an overlapping plate that covered his chest, back, and shoulders. It was formfitting and provided him almost full coverage. The only things missing would be a helmet and covering for his thighs and biceps.

From what Zecora could see he was still in some kind of Phantasm mode, the markings were still there on the body she could see, but Grant was no longer in control. It was Jarrad again, but he was… not himself.

Jarrad landed a vicious blow to the guard's soft underbelly and then released him. The microsecond that the guard's hooves touched the ground Jarrad released a flurry of blows to the same area. His fist pounded into the guard again and again before his forehooves touched the ground once again. The guard looked to stand on shaky legs, blood leaking from his mouth, before finally falling over in a heap. He looked near death, a fact which disturbed the girls to no end. Seeing this only added proof to what Celestia was saying. For Zecora this only proved to further her own disparaging opinion of the Equestrian ruler, circumstances forced this to happen, Jarrad simply reacted as best he could.

Jarrad stepped calmly, as if enjoying a spring day. He stood dead center to the guards across from the square, reared back, and bellowed out a roar that could put several dragons to shame. It shook the very foundation of the ground itself; holding rage the likes of which no-one could even begin to imagine. Every single piece of negativity on the whole world was expressed in that one noise. The guards now knew they were staring something akin to a god right in the eyes. It was a battle of wills to keep their composure, and to their credit, not one flinched.

As the roar died down Jarrad's steps thundered across the small town to meet the guards head on. He had tried to fight himself and that had failed. He had tried to run, but that had also failed. Now, with nothing more on his mind, he pulled every last piece of himself into breaking every. Single. Guard. There.

The first he took care of with blistering close line. His momentum did him a huge favor, allowing him to plow the guard into the ground after spinning hard enough. The next was met with a vicious Muai Thai style round house kick, shattering bones and tearing apart muscle. That guard was launched right into the wall of the closest business, the Quill and Sofa store. If Jarrad wasn't so focused on killing he would have laughed at the store itself. Two more guards went down as Jarrad hammerfisted them both, their helmets offering little protection against his enhanced fists and gauntlets. Another was treated much like a Frisbee and sent pinwheeling off into the distance.

Jarrad tore through each guard with near reckless abandon. His body had become nothing more than an emissary of his rage. His form was near flawless, a practiced machine meant to bring grievous harm and devastation. The knowledge left to him, or his subconscious mind to be more specific, as well as his few years of training was paying off in large sums here. However, his body would not be able to put up with this much more. His great strength and speed was beginning to take its toll on him as muscle began to break down and tissue was dissolved. Amber fluids and blood began to seep from different parts of his body that the armor covered, it drawing the immense power it needed from his very life force as well as his magic.

(V) (;,,;) (V)

Rainbow dash was speeding back towards Ponyville ahead of the princess and her team of guards. She knew that the two-legged thing that Zecora and Pinkie had been telling her about was there. The princess had filled her in on the details, telling her that this thing was evil and needed to be stopped. She had given Dash free reign to deal with the creature as she saw fit, 'Which is just the way I like it,' Dash thought to herself.

She was close enough to see the clouds of smoke rising from the town square. She was nearly brained by a flying unicorn guard as he was flung away from the square at high speed. She jinked to the right and watched him sail past her.

She continued on with a more grim expression on her face. 'This….thing has to be stopped,' she thought, 'and I'm just the mare to do it.' She could see it now, an armored hulking black monster destroying the legion of guards Celestia had sent to apprehend it. She narrowed her eyes in determination and struck.

(V) (;,,;) (V)

Jarrad slammed yet another guard into the ground with enough force to make the cobblestone crack and send pieces hurtling up into the air in front of him. He frowned at this, only a few more guards left. That was disappointing; he had expected them to last a little bit longer at least. They had gotten slack he supposed. He picked up the fallen guard from the crater and chucked the body at the remaining group of guards with a derisive snort. Then he saw a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye…

Suddenly a blue blur slammed into him at nearly Mach 1. Jarrad was barely able to get his arms up in time to protect his face. The impact sent him flying backwards into what was left of the Quill and Sofa store. He got up out of the wreckage with a savage snarl, glaring at the hovering blue pest.

(V) (;,,;) (V)

Rainbow Dash was beginning to regret being so adamant about going ahead of the rest of the forces and Celestia. The creature was even more fearful up close. It was covered in a mysterious black armor that seemed to have odd runes etched into it. The more she looked at the more her head hurt, but- no, she had volunteered for this and had to beat it, no matter how scary it looked. Not that she was scared or anything, of course.

She started to worry when she felt it grab her legs. She grew more concerned when she began to spin around until her vision was blurring and she felt sick. "LET GO OF ME, YOU JERK," she shouted back at it.

"Ok, but you asked for it," the armored monster growled.

"What do you me-AGGGHHHHH," Dash screamed as she was launched into a brick wall with the force of a missile. She punched a hole clean through the wall and continued going until she smashed through the plate glass window on the Sugarcube Corner storefront.

(V) (;,,;) (V)

Jarrad smirked as he watched the little blue pegasus fly into the cavity inducing pink building. He heard a loud fluttering noise and turned around. There were scores of pegasus guards landing and glaring at him. one picked up a rock and chucked it at him.

But Jarrad didn't take notice, not until his rampage was stopped by a bolt of lightning hitting him dead center of mass and flinging him across the square. He landed on his back and slid, trying to figure out exactly what happened to him. He looked up to find a creature made almost of pure light staring at him only a few feet away.

She stood at nearly six feet tall and had an air of impenetrable elegance about her. Her body was sheathed in armor a similar style to his, though with solid gold plating, and a far less menacing appearance. Her greaves were completed with elegant sandals showing off a dainty pair of feet. Her chest armor was also designed to show form of the cleavage, form fitting almost perfectly to her buxom bust. A glowing pair of wings extended from her back. Her weapon of choice was a staff with a crescent moon of gold on one end and a spear on the other. Completing the ensemble was a horn that slid through a crown of shining gold, a diamond necklace and metal choker, and ethereal hair the color of the rainbow.

This human looked as if she were Princess Celestia.

While the others looked on surprised, Zecora bared her teeth in defiance. This was the foal who had done her charge harm, who had caused all this chaos, and she wasn't about to let her hurt Jarrad. She galloped onto the field and stood right in front of Jarrad, her head reared and lowered as if ready to attack.

"Zecora, I thought we had an understanding. I would meet the Nexus to assess him, why do you wish to stand in the way of that?" asked Celestia

"You reneged on our deal, goddess of the sun. You were to meet him on peaceful terms, would you rather watch this whole village burn?" Zecora growled back in response.

"Of course not, but how can I test a person's skill and potential if they have no training? I needed to meet him when he thought his life was on the line?" asked Celestia

Zecora was struck dumb, "What about your guards?"

"Meaningless collateral damage. I believed they would have been able to handle the Nexus, given his lack of training, but it seems I was wrong. I wouldn't worry though, Zebra, the Nexus will live. I, as well as everyone else on Gaia, need it to be so. However, I cannot have someone as powerful as him run unchecked, can I? It would be irresponsible as a ruler," she spoke, her voice conveying nothing.

"Like how you banished your sister to the moon and fucked up the world?" a rasping voice broke in. They turned to see Jarrad's head raised and staring at Celestia. He onyx eyes attempting to bore holes in her.

Celestia, for her part, seemed a bit unnerved, "How?"

"You talk too much you arrogant bitch," he seethed. With a perfect kip-up he was back on his feet and running toward Celestia. He threw a punch, and she dodged. He spun with a hook kick, she dodged. He attempted to rain down blow after blow and she side-stepped with impeccable grace, as if she weren't really trying at all.

In Jarrad's rage he forgot something very important: anger blinds us, especially to those who are far more skilled than we are. Jarrad, for even his few years of training, still had no real idea of his capabilities or how to fight someone far more skilled than himself. Celestia, on the other hand, did not. She was also completely calm in this situation, leading to a severe advantage on her part.

She grabbed an arm mid punch and twisted it down, bringing Jarrad to his knees. She brought her foot up, kicking him in the stomach again and again, each hit feeling like a sledge hammer, even through the armor. Eventually she threw him onto his back and kicked him into a wall. As Jarrad attempted to get up he felt the crescent moon of her weapon slam into his throat and push him onto the wall. It lifted him up off his feet and put him a few inches taller than Celestia.

"Do you think that you can even touch me, Nexus?" asked Celestia, "I have ages of skill compared to you, what did you honestly think you can do?"

Jarrad's sneer remained, his eyes hardened even further, and his resolve skyrocketed.

"YOU TALK TOO FUCKING MUCH, YOU ARROGANT WHORE!" he shouted. He crossed his arms on top of the staff and, using the blades on the gauntlets, snapped it into three pieces. The moment his feet hit the ground he sprung forward. He caught Celestia around her shin and spun her. She became little more than a missile as her body impacted the Library.

The armor on his body seemed to respond as it grew even more. His shoulders now sported plated pauldrons taking a spherical appearance. His forearms and thighs now sported full protection and plate armor seemed to grow from his pauldrons and tulle. The finishing touch was a menacing skull faceplate and helmet that seemed to grow from the back of his breastplate and form fit to his head. Reaching up with his left hand he brought down the skull face plate and completed the armor.

Celestia recovered quickly from the surprise attack, only to find herself with a hand having a death grip on her horn. Before she could react a fist punctured her armor and stuck her stomach. It reared back and repeated several times, each one feeling like a small death to the goddess. Eventually the hand gripping her horn decided it had enough holding her like that, so it ripped the horn right form her head. Her scream was bone chilling. The pain she felt was like nothing she had felt in a few thousand years, not since her and her sister's titanic battle with Discord. Though her pain was soon forgotten as the horn as stabbed directly into her chest.

Jarrad didn't know whether or not it would kill her and, quite frankly, he didn't care. All he cared was that she suffered as much as possible. Now that he had a good grip on her, he could do just that. He brought all his rage to bear as he proceeded to beat down Celestia like she had not been in millennia. She could not longer dodge and could only wait until an opportunity presented itself for her to heal and stop messing around with him.

'He may not be able to kill me, but he can sure cause some damage,' she thought to herself.

Jarrad, fortunately for him, managed to incapacitate Celestia. He put all his immeasurable strength into an earth shattering hammer blow that managed to daze Celestia for a few seconds. In that time Jarrad threw her by the throat onto the ground nearby and ran to the Library. Using the building for momentum he leapt high into the air and grabbed his shins. He pulled back until his knees were pointing straight down, right over Celestia. He dropped a good thirty feet with full force behind him, and landed right on top of the sun goddess. The sheer force dug them both into a crater six feet into the ground, and about three feet wide.

Jarrad was the first to crawl of the hole. He got to his feet, but looked as if he was going to fall over. It looked as if his body literally was no longer able to take the abuse he was putting it through. Blood and fluids poured from him and onto the ground as if it were sweat. His movements were jerky and looked as if they caused him an immeasurable amount of pain. Finally he fell to his knees a few feet away, his anger finally beginning to dissipate. At least, until he saw her.

She stepped from the hole looking as if nothing was wrong. Every single thing that Jarrad had managed to do was for naught, as she looked to not have suffered any damage at all. Even her armor looked clean and free of dirt and debris that he had piled onto her. To make matters worse she was smiling as if she had expected all this to happen. As if to taunt Jarrad by saying that she was so much more powerful than him, and she knew it. That there was nothing he could do. Jarrad wasn't about to take that sitting down. He made to rise and attack again when a voice cut through the chaos.

"STOP!" a high- pitched voice shouted. Before Jarrad could move a pink pair of forelegs wrapped around his neck, startling him and holding him back. He attempted to shrug off the burden, but it held fast, "Please Jarrad, stop!"

The voice seemed to be in great despair, pleading from the bottom of her soul. Somehow, against the very laws of the universe, it pierced his consciousness. He recognized the voice: Pinkie Pie. He didn't know how and he didn't know why, but somewhere, deep down, it sounded like the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. His mind returned to him in a flash, and with it every last memory of what he had done. His mind was unable to process what he had done, the destruction he had caused, and he blacked out almost immediately from the shock. His body remained on its knees as the armor retracted and folded itself away. It became much like the tattoos on him and seemed to recede into the tattoos coating his entire body.

Once the armor was gone they could see the true extent of the damage. Blood coated every part of him, what looked to be some kind of burn mark run up and around his chest, and cuts were evident all over his body. Eventually, under Pinkie's weight, he fell to his body fell to the side.

Pinkie was beside herself.

"Jarrad! Jarrad," she shouted, attempting to rouse him. She jerked his shoulder trying to bring him back. A hoof stopped her.

"Pinkie you need to be calm, this shouting will only do harm." The smoky voice of Zecora advised.

"He's bleeding on the ground and just hurt a bunch of the guards, how can he be alright?" a distraught Pinkie shouted.

Zecora was a bit unhorsed to see her making such a fuss, but proceeded regardless.

"Pinkie, listen. Jarrad's drive for survival unlocked something primal. His need to live caused to him draw on strength that was not his. The previous Nexus, an ape named Grant, he brought back for assistance. In his haste Grant left Jarrad with the power to control his armor. It drew directly from the beaten body of Jarrad, and that is why he looks so dead. But do not fret, dear mare, for there will be no death right here. His body will recover, if there is no interference from another," Zecora explained.

It didn't seem to help Pinkie feel better, "So what, I should just leave my new friend here?"

Zecora shook her head, "No. Merely stay with him, and allow the forces that be their whims."

Pinkie was about to respond when she heard footsteps. She looked to see her friends and Princess Celestia, now in the form of a horse once more, approaching them. She did not take kindly to this.

"None of you come any closer to him," she screamed at the top of her lungs. "You've all done enough!"

The others couldn't believe what they were hearing. The Element of Laughter was screaming angrily at the top of her lungs at her friends.

"Pinkie, what are you doing?" asked Twilight.

"Yeah sugarcube, we're just trying to help," added Applejack.

"Oh, like you tried to help by lying to him? How was that helping? Or how Celestia helped him by sending her guards after him? What were you trying to do?" Pinkie was having no nonsense here.

This time Celestia spoke, "Pinkie, you have to understand, this is for his own good. You have to trust us on this. We're doing exactly what's best for him."

The anger Pinkie had been feeling seemed to bring about some kind of transformation. The formerly bubbly girl, so full of life, seemed almost dead inside. Her cotton candy hair deflated and her eyes grew hard. This was no longer Pinkie Pie, but Pinkamina Diane Pie.

"You can go fuck yourself Princess. You must be on something if you think I'm letting you anywhere near him after what you've done," Her rear legs heighted and she dropped her head as if she was about to charge while pulling a good sized knife out of nowhere and brandishing it at them. None of the others could handle what was happening. This was all too surreal for them.

Somehow, in all the unease, it was the most unexpected pony of all that made herself known.

"Pinkie, please, we aren't going to hurt him. We just want to help him get better. He needs help, and right now from the way he's looking. We need to get him to a hospital so he can be taken care of. And I promise, the Princess won't be able to harm him," Fluttershy spoke softly, inching her way closer to Pinkie.

"Fluttershy, how can you say that? After all he's done, after what the Princess said, he even hurt Rainbow Dash!" shouted Rarity.

"I can say it because you forced him into that position. He would have been perfectly fine to just go and do whatever or talk to the princess when he felt like it, or when she called him, but you had to force him to hurt those guards. You made him think that he was going to be imprisoned!" Fluttershy retaliated, she felt no sympathy for those who went after him, though she was saddened by Rainbow Dash, she knew that the mare had brought it on herself.

"Celestia, Goddess of the Sun and Co-ruler of Equestria, I will allow you to come near my ward if you give me your oath that he will not be harmed and will be treated as a patient, not a prisoner. That you will tell him the complete and total truth once he awakens," Zecora said as she began speaking in a strange language.

"You forget your place Zebra; I am not inclined to make such an oath," Celestia replied.

"No, you arrogant fool, you forget your place. You are not meant to control this power, nor are you meant to bring him harm. You are meant to render assistance for the good of the world, and what you have done here is deplorable. You also forget what power I can summon as a servant of Gaia and as the Mentor. I can bring you to the brink and hold you there for the rest of eternity if I see fit. So, do you wish me to do so, or will you allow us safe passage and give your word in the Old Tongue that he shall not come to harm, imprisonment, or deceit by you ever again," Zecora shot back.

"Only if he poses no threat to the people will I agree to this."

"I will tell you when he does, that is the deal. Know this, sun goddess, you have not only failed today but possibly made an enemy of the Nexus. You deceived him, and I know he will not appreciate that. He may retaliate, he may not, but whatever he does is completely up to him, do you understand me?" asked Zecora. She was beyond pleasantries and idle talk right now.

Celestia seemed to consider this long and hard, before finally acquiescing to the demand.

"I, Celestia, Goddess of the Sun and Co-Ruler of Equestria, do hereby swear the following. I will not harm, deceive, imprison, or attempt to control the Nexus in any way shape of form. However, I shall reserve the power to do so if he becomes a threat to me and my subjects. So I say it, so it shall be."

A blinding white light surrounded her and the others.

(V) (;,,;) (V)

And Unknown Location

Nothing. That was what Jarrad was feeling, absolutely nothing at all. It was as if the universe had suddenly stopped existing and all his external senses were rendered useless. He had a vague sensation of laying down on something on his back, but that was it.

He came too slowly, as if his body was telling him to go back to sleep, but his mind was telling him he'd had enough. His consciousness returned slowly, confused as to where he was and what he was doing here. After a few minutes all memory of that day's interactions came back in a flash, and he had trouble keeping himself from throwing up.

He was overwhelmed by a feeling of complete and total disgust with himself over his actions. He had broken, no, destroyed every single one of those guards. Whatever happened to him he let it, he tried to hold it back, but he didn't have the will needed. And for it there were now somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 guards who might not live to see tomorrow. What was worse was the realization that none of it had to happen. He was going to be imprisoned because Celestia wanted to treat him like some kind of a pawn, rather than a human being. Each one of those guards was only following orders and what did they get for their trouble? The privilege of having the new Nexus sign each and every one of their death certificates.

Jarrad's body, or at least what he could feel of it, lifted up and settled into a seated position. His head fell into his hands and he began to sob. He had, for the last half decade at least, tried to cultivate a great deal of self discipline. It was hard, but he was able to obtain a level where he didn't just out and out hate himself for no reason, and he knew himself very well. But to see what he had done because he didn't have the will to do something, the suffering he caused, it struck a chord somewhere deep in him. All those previous insecurities rushed back to him in a wave.

In the back of his mind he could hear his step-mother's voice patronizing him for screwing up so bad, almost taunting him, saying he should've known better.

"You know, it's not very polite to keep company waiting for you to notice them." a gruff voice spoke from the darkness.

Jarrad's head jerked as he looked up and around. A dull light was now showing; creating the circle of gray he was sitting in. Across from him, only a few feet away, was a giant ape sitting in another circle of light.

This ape was huge. Well, Jarrad's experience with these creatures was minimal at best, but from what he could tell he looked huge. His fur was black as pitch, with little scars here and there, and some even on his face. He had on large scar in an x directly on the center of his chest. What truly disturbed Jarrad was that this ape was sitting in the clothing that he had been wearing for the past day.

Not expecting such a thing Jarrad scrambled up as fast as he could and tried to jump back, only to find his back hitting some kind of invisible wall.

The ape seemed slightly amused by this, which didn't sit well with Jarrad.

"THE FUCK IS GOING ON!" he shouted.

The ape didn't find this nearly as amusing.

"I'll be happy to tell you as soon as you SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP. AND. SIT. DOWN." Grant spoke in a voice so full of power yet still so quiet that Jarrad couldn't help but follow his orders. Even though his mind and body were both in turmoil, human instinct still recognized to be submissive to a far greater power than him.

"That's better, now, can we discuss this like civilized sentient beings… or am I going to have to sit on you until you're ready to listen?" asked the ape.

Jarrad only nodded. In most situations he would have come up with something smart ass to say, but given all that had happened, he didn't want to risk it.

"Alright, so I'm sure you're wondering what exactly just happened?" asked the ape.

"Yeah, that'd be helpful. So far as I recall I ripped through a whole platoon of guards with my bare hands and some kind of armor, while feeling… angrier than I ever have before… I put guards in the fucking hospital because I couldn't control myself," Jarrad lamented, his angst showing again.

This seemed to confuse the ape, "Why do you feel sorry for them? They chose their path, didn't they?"

"Yeah, but I only needed to escape. I didn't have to do what I did to them. I completely overreacted to the situation in my physical response. I fucked everything up… didn't I?" he asked.

The ape heaved a sigh, "You're way too controlled for your own good. You need to lighten up."

"Forgive me for having a fucking conscious and not wanting to cause undue harm." Jarrad seethed.

"They were trying to capture you, you responded quite normally." the ape replied.

"Alright, then can you explain to me at all WHY they were trying to capture me that makes it so damn justified?" Jarrad asked.

"Well, it's Princess Celestia. I've had dealings with her in the past, as has Zecora; she's been trying to abus- excuse me, 'control' our power for some time. Or at least, as far as I can figure, she doesn't really trust us with it and thinks she's the only one who can control it." Grant spoke slowly, as if trying to keep himself under control.

"Wait…'our power'? You mean, yours and Zecora's or… yours and mine?" asked Jarrad.

"The latter, what do you think?"

"… then you're a Nexus?"

The ape smiled at that, "Damn kid, didn't think the next one would be smart as you are… or at least as observant. You are exactly right; I am the previous Nexus of Gaia. Name's Grant," he held out a massive hand/paw for Jarrad to shake.

Jarrad, not wanting to piss off a giant monkey, shook the hand.

"Okay… so let me get this straight. Celestia, in all her 'wisdom and glory' thinks she can control the power of the Nexus. She sends some guards to take me back under arrest and… then what? Become her tool or her pet? So far as I understand, I would only be able to serve Gaia, not some random bitch hopped up on power, isn't that right?" asked Jarrad, trying to grab a hold of the situation.

This seemed to stump Grant as well, "You've got a point. I don't know what her deal is, and it has been, so far as I can tell, about three thousand years since we last tangled, so she may have changed. But she still seems to like to play it close to the vest. If she's got something up her sleeve it's all going to go through her, nothing to anyone else, and I don't think her larger master plan is going to be easy to figure out."

"When was the last time you fought?" Jarrod asked

Grant sighed before showing Jarrod the memory.

(3,000 years ago, near the Samara Desert/ Bonobo Jungle border)

Grant was sitting on a carved stone dais watching the sunrise. He was waiting for… something? Even if asked he couldn't tell exactly why he needed to be there, only that he 'felt' something in the flow of life and magic that told him he needed to be there. He didn't dare tell Zecora, at least not yet, but he was far more terrified than he had been since becoming the Nexus.

He wasn't disappointed.

The sound of something slightly heavy landing behind him with a few powerful wing beats caused him to turn and face the new arrival. "Celestia," he growled, "why have you come here?"

"I'm taking back what is rightfully mine," she said evenly.

"Celestia, these lands never belonged to you in the first place. The treaties were signed months ago. You have no right to the zebra kingdom," Grant shot back, eyes narrowed.

"Then I challenge you for dominance over these lands. You can forfeit and I roll in the troops, or we can fight it out here and now. One way or another, I will have the zebra kingdom," Celestia stated plainly.

"Celstia, why do you still want the Zebra kingdom? I thought that we had reached a consensus during the treaty…you're going back on your word?" asked Grant, trying to make her see sense.

"Oh no, ape, not at all. I said that the Regular Army would no longer invade the lands. I never said anything about myself or my 'royal guard'. We must have a united Equestria under my rule. We must make this land part of a trinity of the ruling bodies of the Dragons and the Griffins." Celestia explained.

"We only want to rule ourselves, to not be a part of your land, why is that so hard for you to accept?" asked Grant, "From what I've been told, your parents ruled just fine like that for centuries, millennia even."

"Times have changed, Nexus, and we now need unification more than ever. Now, will you move or will this be settled in blood?" she asked.

Grant scowled, knowing he had to fight. The Zebra kingdoms were still recovering from the last war with the Equestrian Collation and wouldn't stand up to any sort of full scale attack. He knew if he lost this then she would force out the zebras and tear down their ancestral forests to make way for her cites. A sudden flapping of wings caught his attention.

"Sister, I'm so sorry, I hit a headwind and we were delayed. We apologize for our lateness."

Grant turned to look at the newcomer. It was another alicorn, although this one was blue and seemed to be themed on the night. He figured this was Celestia's baby sister Luna. He hadn't seen her before, but there weren't many alicorns left after the Great Wars.

"That's ok Lulu, you did your best. Did you bring the scrolls?" Celestia said as she walked over to Luna.

"Yes, we have them. The spell contained within them works," Luna said as she pulled out a set of two scrolls and gave them to Celestia.

"Thank you; sister, will you stay and watch our fight?" Celestia glared over at Grant as he stood there with a bored expression.

He growled inwardly while maintaining an indifferent expression on his face as she looked over at him. He wasn't sure what she was planning to do with those scrolls, but it most certainly wouldn't be good. He took a fighting stance as Luna nodded and went over to sit by the side of the dais.

"Celestia, are you going to fight or not? I don't have all day," Grants voice rumbled across the clearing.

"Oh hush, you!" Celestia shouted as she and the scrolls began to glow with dazzling lavender light. The glow became too painful to look at, so Grant covered his eyes while he waited for it to fade. When it finally went out and he uncovered his eyes, he became somewhat confused.

There was some kind of ape-like creature with seemingly no fur and gleaming white skin. It had a horn on its forehead and a pair of white feathered wings on its back. It was wearing golden armor that seemed to be styled after his, much like if his armor were to be made by someone trying to replicate his original set. Its chest armor showed off the creature's breasts in a provocative manner, proving it was female, and its weapon of choice seemed to be a staff with a golden sun on one end and a barbed spear end on the other. The creature also sported flowing rainbow hair.

It hit him, this was Celestia! She must have used those scrolls to transform herself into whatever that was. He glanced down at the carvings on the dais. They depicted bipedal apelike beings in some sort of prophecy thing. The one word that stood out was the word "Human, you turned yourself in some kind of human hybrid." Grant growled.

"That's right, ape. This form is far more versatile and more powerful, and what better to fight and ape than with one of his genetic descendants?" her smile could have burned away the forests themselves, "Now, shall we begin?"

He swung up his forearm to take the blow as she swung the bladed sun at him. The spear end bounced off, leaving a small scratch in the armor. Grant slugged her while she was still overbalanced from the spear bouncing off; she flew back several feet from the force of the blow.

Grant was looking at the small scratch in the armor in fear. The armor was supposed to be invincible, for Source's sake! What foul magical trickery was this? He was distracted long enough for Celestia to slam the flat of the bladed end of the spear on his helmet.

Grant stumbled back with blurred vision as the helmet rang like a gong. Celestia began raining blows onto him, sending him stumbling back. She finally grabbed Grant and threw him up into the air before flying after him. She reached the apex of Grant's arc and kicked him into the ground, breaking his armors chest plate in the process.

"Looks like you're out of touch, ape," Celestia mocked Grant as he lay on the ground. Grant groaned and attempted to get back up. Celestia walked over to him and was about to kick him until Grant grabbed her leg and threw her through a tree on the other side of the clearing.

"Not as much as you think, horse bitch," Grant growled as the tree collapsed.

"Sister, art thou alright!" Luna screamed. She bit her lip as she looked at the dust cloud where the tree was.

Silence reigned over the clearing. Grant walked over to the edge of the dais to take a closer look at the cloud. Both Grant and Luna were blinded by an explosion of light from the dust cloud. When their vision cleared, a very angry Celestia stood there, glowing with a reddish corona.

"You damn monkey, I'll kill you for that," Celestia screamed. Her spear flew into her hand as she rushed at Grant. He attempted to dodge but she teleported right in front of him. She began slicing at him with the bladed end of her spear, successfully getting through his guard and landing several deep gashes into his chest.

The sheer fact that her spear was able to pierce his armor shocked him, yet as the fight continued he began to understand why. It wasn't that the armor was any less impenetrable, it was a sign from the source itself. He was meant to die here by her hand. This was the way things had to be. So, Grant did the only thing he thought best, he gave up. He held out for as long as he could with his injuries, but he knew it was coming. He stopped and was able to take it all in, if only for a second. The breeze, the trees, the sun, even the clouds in the sky. He took a final breath.

"Zecora, I am so sorry." As soon as he finished the thought Celestia kicked him into a tree at the side of the clearing, mirroring his earlier attack as the tree collapsed onto Grant, pinning him to the ground. Celestia walked up to him and held the barbed end as if she were going to stab Grant.

"Sister, have you not defeated him? He is wounded, we should stop this fight. We have won after all," Luna pleaded. Celestia glanced over at her for a moment before plunging the spear into Grant's chest. She stared as the light left his eyes, the smile on his face far more disturbing than his rebellion mere moments before.

"No, he had to be ended. He was far too dangerous to be left alive," Celestia stated as the fiery red corona faded from around her.

A wail from the edge of the clearing distracted Luna from replying.

"No! Grant, you can't be dead! Zecora, Zecora!" a zebra scout had seen the tail end of the battle and was now running back to the capital settlement of the zebras.

"After him," Celestia shouted. The two sisters darted after him, attempting to catch him and prevent the word about the battle getting out too early. They quickly lost the scout into the undergrowth, despite their best efforts.

"We have lost him," Luna panted, "what should we do now?"

"Easy, we fly to the settlement and beat him there. Why didn't we think of this before?" Celestia mused. The two sisters took off and flew up to the canopy. They circled around for a moment to get their bearings before flying off in the direction of the settlement.

(V) (;,,;) (V)

The midday sun was lighting up the market as the zebras went about the time tested manner of buying and selling their wares. They were interrupted by a bedraggled scout dashing into the center of the market shouting for Zecora.

"I'm here. What's wrong, scout?" Zecora asked as she walked up to him.

"Its Grant, he's…" the scout panted for breath.

"Oh no, is he alright?" Zecora pleaded with the scout.

"The ape is dead last I saw, Zebra," a new, regal sounding voice broke in. Zecora and the rest of the zebras turned to face the new arrivals. Luna and some sort of human- like creature were hovering over the square. Judging by the way the human thing was colored; it was most likely Celestia in some sort of other form.

"People of the zebra kingdom," Celestia amplified her voice so they could all hear it," you are now under the control of the Equestrian Collation. As of today you begin paying taxes to support the collation's army and government forces. That is all," Celestia finished the announcement.

"What have you done to Grant?" Zecora yelled at Celestia.

"He refused to bow to our wishes, so we were forced to end his life. We couldn't allow someone of his power roam free while we were trying to unite Equestria." Celestia grinned.

Luna seemed more sympathetic as she landed and walked a few steps closer to Zecora, "We apologize for your loss, but it was for the greater good."

"Greater good? You ponies are fools; you know not what you do. You will regret what has transpired today, we will make sure of it," Zecora glared at Celestia. "We will leave here, but if we cannot have it, then neither can you."

Many zebras with odd designs painted on them began gathering around her.

They began to chant, "við köllum á frábær móðir Gaia. Við besseech hana í tíma okkar og neyð. Vinsamlegast ó mikill einn, setja þessa skóga aftur í myndina þína. Við bið þig að endurgerð þessa skóga í myndina þína. að verða villt og ótamin ný. Við leitum þetta land að vera eins og svo svo lengi sem einn af okkur enn. Getur verið að þú veita gjöf eilíft líf að sá sem varðveitir þennan skóg. getur þú verja síðustu edifice þinn. Maí þessari vernd á síðasta fyrr en í lok tíma. "

As they were speaking a bizarre green glow sprang up around them and gradually changed to a purple that became painful too look at. The glow focused on Zecora for a moment before exploding outward in a starburst. The expanding magical shockwave bowled over Luna and continued onwards to the very edge of the forest. It held a moment before retreating. When Celestia was able to look down at the forest again she saw that the zebra village was empty except for Luna who was doing a very good impression of a radioactive log.

"SISTER!" Celestia screamed as she flew down to her. "Wake up, what happened to you?"

The glow surrounding Luna faded as she groaned and opened her eyes," Art thou alright, dear sister? We were having the oddest dream… Where are the Zebras? Were they not here a moment ago?"

"That doesn't matter right now, I'm just glad you are alright," Celestia hugged Luna. "Come on, let's go home."

Unknown Location

"And that was how the Zebras fled the forest after cursing it. They made it uninhabitable and teleported the entire population to the harsher desert climate that ponies wanted nothing to do with. The only one who stayed was Zecora as she had to defend the forest and wait for the next Nexus. Luckily, you showed up almost right at her doorstep." Grant said as he finished the memory.

"Wait, how long had you been the Nexus?" Jarrad wondered.

"About four thousand years…why?" replied Grant.

"Dude….you got your ass kicked. 'the hell did that happen?" asked Jarrad

"I let myself get killed, ya little shit." Grant explained, his voice growing heavy, "The more powerful you become the more you become attune to magic and it's wants and needs. In a way, it's kinda like the more powerful and aware you become of magic then the more you'll be able to find the right move to any given situation. That's why I let myself get killed, I could literally FEEL magic telling me it was my time to die."

"Sorta like Taoism on my home. You start paying attention to the patterns you start getting a feel for what the right way to handle a situation is." Jarrad supplemented, "But that doesn't explain why she went out of her way to kill you. I mean, did the whole unification thing really matter that much to her? Risking the balance of magic itself simply for her own bullshit power trip?"

"To be honest kid, I couldn't tell ya. She may say she wants to have the whole country unified, but I don't think that's what she wants really. There's something else she's working on, and I had not clue what the hell it was."

"But it had to have something to do with you dying? I mean, magic basically told you to follow her wishes….was it timing or something? Or was it a gamble that had to be taken…maybe it was for me?" asked Jarrad

"Whatcha mean?" asked Grant.

"Well, not me personally, but whoever was going to be the next Nexus. I mean, if magic is in such a bad way, wouldn't that give her reason to back the hell off? Maybe that's why it wanted you to do, so it could get worse and then force her to let me make it better."

"Hm, that might be it, but we don't know for sure. I mean, she didn't really have a reason to kill me, did she?" asked Grant.

Jarrad looked pensive for a moment before a light bulb went off, "She's creating a Xanatos Gambit."

The eyebrow of the ape raised, "A what?"

Jarrad chuckled, actually being able to use a meme in real life, "A Xanatos Gambit is a term coined for entertainment purposes in cartoons, video games… well media and entertainment involving fictional characters. Basically you have a super fucking powerful person who has some kind of master goal. This person is also a master strategian. They are able to see the board about fifty moves before anyone else and recognize the steps to get there. Their Master Goal is always in sight for them, and they realize exactly how people need to react to reach it."

"Interesting, but why call it a gambit?"

"Cause it relies on other people. Think about it, people aren't going to do shit for you when you just out and out tell them to. Especially if they think it's weird or if it's completely out of the norm for them. However… whispering is another matter. You have to work your ass off to set things up exactly how you want them. People respond exactly how you think they will, and ka fuckin' boom! You've got them right where you want them, with your big ass goal in sight," his hands went up to emphasis the boom.

Grant scratched his chin, "Good thinking. So, why do you think she's doing that?"

"She sent her goddamn guards after me. She forced me into a confrontation with them, one where I was already on the brink of fuckin' dying… but 'the hell would she do that for?" asked Jarrad, "I mean, I get that as the first step for me…but for what purpose?"

Grant's eyes widened, "To draw me out."

"What?"

"Alright, here's how it works. Nexi have this amazing super-powerful ability we dubbed the Phantasm. It brings the consciousness of a previous Nexi to bear on the current one. It only works on one, but for a small amount of time, that Nexus has the abilities of the one they drew, regardless of their training or their own level of skill. Sorta massive damn cheat, if you get my meaning," Grant explained.

"So… she put me on the brink so I could draw on you?" Jarrad asked, "Why would she care about that?"

"How long you been Nexus, kid?" asked Grant.

"About a week… and please don't call me kid. I'm twenty-three," Jarrad pleaded.

"And I was about four thousand when I died… I can call you kid all I want. Hell, I could call you a baby" Grant fired back, the smugness radiating off him in waves.

"….damn you, old man. How long has this planet been here if there have been so many Nexi living this long?" asked Jarrad.

"…call me old again and I'll shove my fist down your throat, boy." Sneered Grant, "And to answer your question, this planet is probably a few billion years old. Far older than that little rock you came from… actually, a lot bigger too. If you put about five earths together side by side you'd get roughly the diameter of Gaia."

Jarrad's mouth dropped.

"Yeah, we're pretty damn big. Anyway, back to the question, I don't know. She wanted to draw me out, that was clear, but why wouldn't she just do the dirty work her own damn self? Hell, why'd she go to the trouble of lying to those pony friends of yours that you were dangerous?" he asked aloud.

"She WHAT!" Jarrad shouted.

Grant covered his ears, "Yeah, from what I got on the outside she apparently had a deal with Zecora and the others to come after Twilight was healed. Then she came back later with just those ponies who there the elements of harmony and, from what I can guess, made up some bullshit story about you being super dangerous and how she was going to come back in a week with guards to arrest you. I guess she told them that Zecora had been brainwashed or some nonsense so they didn't tell her about it, so that they didn't get their friend hurt."

Jarrad's face went ashen, "They fucking lied to me. Every last MOTHERFUCKING ONE OF THEM LIED RIGHT TO MY FUCKING FACE!"

Grant didn't say a word, he could completely understand Jarrad's livid attitude. He had been lied to directly by people who were posing as his friends. He'd want to rip them apart as well.

"What the fuck were they thinking? Who the fuck do they think they are?" his tirade continued. A few choice words about his foot being forcibly shoved into certain unpleasant areas were included in his rant. In a way this tirade was to keep him from the depressive fact that people who had tried to become his friends had just stabbed him in the back. Well… most of them.

"I think they were serving the only ruler they knew." Grant sagely advised.

This stopped Jarrad cold. His mind worked overtime at that statement and deciphered exactly what it meant. They were raised, as foals, to believe Celestia was all knowing and all powerful. That whatever she said was for their own good and that she knew best for every last one of them. So when she came and told them this newcomer was bad news, who were they to question? They knew no better.

"That's a reason, not a goddamn excuse." He answered.

Grant chuckled, "Oh, I agree wholeheartedly. But hey, who better than someone that laid the smackdown on the bitch to give 'em a new perspective, eh?"

"If they don't have the ability to look another way, why should I bother wasting my time?" asked Jarrad, "If they don't want to learn, why bother?"

"Because some people need to be made to learn is why. They need to see firsthand exactly how wrong their whole way of thinking is before you can get them to stop."

"Yeah…and then what? Anything I have to say is just going to be drowned out by the whole "Celestia is always right" bullshit. I mean, what else can I do?" asked Jarrad.

"You seemed to get through to that pink one pretty well, kid." Grant reminded him.

Jarrad's eyes lost focus as he remembered what she had done for him. She had brought him back from the brink and kept his body from being destroyed, hell, she even wept and worried over him, that had to mean something, right?

Jarrad got the point, "Alright, I guess there's hope for 'em… but not Celestia. She made her bed and she'll fucking lay in it. I want nothing to do with her that I don't have to… whatever she may have in mind."

"There's an easy way to avoid that," Grant inputted.

"Oh yeah, what?"

"The Mentor."

"Mentor… you mean like a teacher?" asked Jarrad dumbly.

"No, I mean the cupcake, of course I mean the teacher the teacher you dumbass. God damn… kids these days. Anyway, each Nexus has always been paired with servant of Gaia as a Mentor, or a teacher for those of us who are a little slow. This person's job is to keep the nasty people away from the Nexus while he, or she, is still developing. They are given a shit ton of power when they need it, and are even able to stop the Nexus if they get out of control. They aren't as powerful, in the raw sense, that we Nexi are, but they can kill us pretty quick of need be," Grant lectured.

"Alright… how? Sacred knowledge or some mystical shit like that?" asked Jarrad, somewhat sarcastically.

"Damn right. They know exactly how the world ticks, and their clarity gets better the more pressure is on. That's the core idea of their power is that they know how things work and can use it to their advantage. We can only feel it… but they can see it. Of course, there are rules, but you don't need to worry about that right now. The only thing you need to worry about is selecting your Mentor and giving them-"

Grant was cut off as Jarrod firmly stated, "Zecora."

"What?" asked Grant.

"I want Zecora as my mentor. She's the only person who's been straight with me this far… I trust her far more than anyone else," said Jarrad.

Grant's face became unreadable for a moment, "Alright. Then the only thing you need to do is acknowledge her in body, mind, and soul as your mentor."

"How? What do I need to say or do?" asked Jarrad.

"You don't need to worry about that. When we're done here my knowledge, or at least the most important stuff, will be implanted into you whether you like it or not. You'll know the words that need be said and when to say them."

Jarrad had a thought, "Grant… what was Zecora to you?"

This caught him off guard, "The fuck do you care?"

Jarrad held up his hands, "Dude, I'm sorry. I woke up just as I finished kissing her… or you did, I guess. I just wanted to know why she matters so much to you."

Grant sighed, "You'll see. She was a very important person to me…. my lover, my partner, hell, she was my everything. I never felt love like that from anyone or anything in my life until I met her. She became a servant of Gaia so she could be with me… she gave up the ability to age and eventually die so that she could help me and be with me. I don't know what kind of devotion you've seen before, kid, but you've not seen anything like this."

Grant's head was bowed, reliving every memory. He felt a hand on his shoulder, "No matter what happens, I'll always be there to help her and keep her safe."

A watery smile mad its way to Grant's face, "Heh, you got a good heart kid, don't let it go."

He reached up to wipe away the tears, "Alright, enough of the mushy stuff. Let's get back to it. Now, she drew me out with her guards before coming in… why?"

Jarrad, who had sat back down, thought for a moment.

"Grant… did you ever know any healing spells… and for that matter, how long is the conscious overlap of the Phantasm supposed to take?" asked Jarrad, "because I've got a theory that I don't think you'll like."

"Whatdya mean?" asked Grant.

"Well, if the consciousness is merely mean to overlap for a time… why am I taking the knowledge from you directly? Isn't it not supposed to do that? And hell, this whole conversation we're having now….is that normal?" asked Jarrad.

"This, kind'a thing? Yeah, I've done it a few times when talking to Nexi of the past. A piece of them gets drawn back from the void to talk to you….but you're something different. Kid, you in just a week, have done more than most Nexi do in months or even years. To draw on the Phantasm is to touch the very core of your being, of the Nexus itself. Hell, it's the closest you can come to touching the Source and living. So no, this memory thing ain't normal, but normal rules don't seem to apply to you. You'll probably start to remember bits and pieces from different Nexi the more times you use it, but I recommend waiting a while in between."

"Why? If I can get all that knowledge then… why wait?" asked Jarrad.

"You wanna turn your brain into a pile of fucking leaves or mud?" asked Grant, "I mean, there are plenty of new and exciting things to fill your head with. You could use a dirty dishcloth for all it matters."

"What?"

"The mind can only handle so much. You put too much shit in there from too many people and you'll be flinging shit at folks in no time."

"Oh, like you guys," Jarrad exclaimed.

Grant slapped the back of his head, "Focus."

Jarrad thought it was completely worth it.

"Well, I do have to ask, why is it happening at all? I mean, if it's never happened before, why now?" asked Jarrad

"The best guess I can give is that each Nexus came in during a different time when magic was in a different state. The ones who were able to get powerful really quickly, apart from working their asses off, were there during a time when magic was weaker. The same is true for the opposite. It might be something like that here. Magic is in a bad enough way that it's giving you every single fucking advantage it can to get you up to speed." Said Grant.

"Why not just get it's owns self back up to speed?" asked Jarrad.

"Rules, kid, rules. Magic has to operate a certain way or it causes things to go wrong…horribly wrong. That's why you're so important. Magic itself isn't really conscious the same way we are, but it does have what you could call instinct. And it's instinct is to instill more and more power into a Nexus to make him more effective quickly." Answered Grant, "In a way it needs something to follow for a little while before it takes over for itself, even then it still needs some kind of focal point…a manifestation, as it were. You just got lucky an showed up right when it needed it the most."

"So…my new body was "built" with this stuff in mind, so that's why I'm able to do this?" asked Jarrad

"Yep. That's be my best guess at least. Anyway, back on track. Let's assume, for a second, she knew something like this would happen. Let's not worry about the how she knew, but what she's hoping to accomplish?" Grant mused.

"Well, we can't assume too much. We don't know her master plan or even her at all really, so assuming too much means we're going to be way the fuck over there," he pointed out into the infinite blackness surrounding the pair, then back in between them, "When we need to be right the fuck here. So, assuming she knew this would happen, then what?"

"Well, it's safe to say ALL Nexi were proficient in some level of healing. But I was one of the better ones… when I needed to be. It seemed to be balanced by the fact that I could take on armies single handed in the Berserker armor… she knew." Grant gasped.

"What? She knew you'd be the lucky draw?" asked Jarrad

"Well, if she didn't know she was really fuckin' sure. That armor, because it was mine and meant so much to me, was acting as a link between my conscious and you. So, if Zecora told her what she planned to do, thinking to trust her, then she must have known I would be drawn out. I played right into her hand," lamented the large ape.

"She knew you'd send me into a rage and cause some serious damage to the guards without thinking. She also knew she had them brainwashed so well that she could do whatever she wanted to them and they wouldn't hold it against her," Finished Jarrad.

Grant had the good grace to face palm himself, "God I'm a fuckin' idiot."

"You ain't the only one. So, we've got a bunch of guards who're in serious condition… and a possible plethora of new healing abilities… aww hell; she's CHECKING HER GODDAMN HYPOTHESIS!" cried Jarrad.

Grant was on the same page, "However she knew this would happen, she's making sure that her theories are correct and checking her work. Hell, she's even assuming you're going to heal the damn guards, prolly tryin' to figure out exactly who you are as a person. If you're worth her time or effort… damn that bitch."

"She's trying to make sure I'm made'a the right shit for her to fuck around with… isn't she?" Jarrad groaned.

Grant heaved another sigh, "That'd be my guess, but remember, we don't know a lot about what she's been doing. Heh, I don't envy you, you got your work cut out for you."

"So, what do I need to do?" asked Jarrad.

"Only advice I can give is to go talk to Zecora, make her your Mentor, and try to talk to the other ponies. Hell, go heal the damn guards. You at least know you need to be on the lookout for her and damn near anything she says. So what if she knows more about you, you know about her as well. 'Sides that whole guilt bullshit you're putting yourself through is startin' ta piss me off." Grant said.

Jarrad smiled. It did make him feel a great deal better to be able to correct his mistake… for the most part.

"So… we've figured out exactly what's happened with Celestia, how to heal the guards, more about the Nexus and its abilities, and that every pony in Equestria is REALLY fucking stupid. So, what's next?" asked Jarrad.

"Well kid, our time here is done. So… you get to wake up… I gotta say, you need to. You've been asleep for three weeks," Grant stated calmly.

Jarrad balked, "What?"

"Yeah, time passes differently in this place. Only a few minutes here could be a millisecond out there or a millennia. It all changes, but you've been in a hospital bed for a few weeks. Hell, they've even taken to feeding you through a tube," Said Grant.

"…the fuck are they doing that and how the fuck do you know that?" asked Jarrad, his face taking on an "are you fucking kidding me" look.

Grant smiled toothily, "I still got access to your outside senses for now. They hooked you up and have been feeding you for the past three weeks. Some kinda protein paste that Zecora made. Damn good thing that zebra knows your kinds, otherwise you'd be totally screwed."

Jarrad smiled, "Yeah, she seems pretty amazing."

Grant's face became nostalgic, "Yeah… she was."

"Anyway, it's time for you to wake the fuck up."

With that Grant's massive fist reared back and hit Jarrad directly on the nose.

Everything exploded into white, leaving him staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.

From the desk of nobodyreallyimportant

Hello everybody, I hope you guys are enjoying the holiday season. Anyway, for those of you who care, the translation for the zebras chant goes as follows:

"we call upon the great mother gaia. We besseech her in our time of need and desperation. Please, oh great one, place this forest back in your image. We beseech you to remake this forest in your image. to become wild and untamed once more. We seek this land to be as such so long as one of us remains. May you grant the gift of everlasting life to one who guards this forest. may you protect your last edifice. May this protection last until the end of time."

The thing was in Icelandic, in case you guys care. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Have a happy new year everybody (or everypony, for you diehards).

From Solbeowulf 19:

From Solbeowulf 19:

Holy shit Batman….an update!

So…first and foremost I would like to apologize for the lack of updates and warn that it might continue for a while. Ya see, I ended up spilling some Dr. Pepper on my computer and it messed up the keyboard. I'm jacking one from work right now and that's how I was able to finish this thing up. So, it may be awhile before the next one. BUT, never fear, for I shall pursue. So, read, review, and I'll update again whenever I can.

Oh, and one more thing. I know I usually give a shout out to my beta, nobodyreallyimportant….but I can't do that here. Quite frankly, there is no possible way I can express my gratitude for him. He helped me tremendously by co-authoring this chapter and digging my ass out of the fire. So, make sure that you give him a big thank you for that when you get the chance. Without him you probably wouldn't have this chapter even now. So, to nobodyreallyimportant, you are fucking amazing dude. Keep up just being you.

Till next time ladies and gents. Solbeowulf19….OUT!

From Drakon Samael

So yeah, new author name, same story. So, we've got some rewrite to this one. I feels and flows better, as well as, to me, making much more sense than before. The relationships between each particular part of the story seem to be more solid than before, rather than relying on something that seemed kinda shaky. ANYWAY, I wanted to make some updates here because a new chapter should be coming soon. I do apologize profusely for the wait, but I finally managed to get a new keyboard and now I'm working even better than before. So…let's see how this thing goes.