AN: Hello, and welcome to my story! Once again we will travel from the real world, to the world of fiction inside my head. So essentially your inside my head. It's quite painful, but I stick it out for you. Anyways I have only two announcements to make. One of which is a shout-out, for a certain reviewer Rarity01. Your pretty awesome and I would love to speak with you about some idea's I have. I love contacting my readers, and especially my reviewers. If only you could make an account. I would deeply appreciate it, and it only takes about five minutes. My second announcement is for all of you who are sick of these long AN's. Know that you can feel free to skip them if you want. They usually contain little information and I just use them to ramble and have a bit of fun. If theres something really important you absolutely need to know, then I'll tell you, otherwise, just skip the bold text, though thinking about it. Those who don't want to read the AN's probably just skip them anyway, making this entire announcement obsolete… should I delete it? Nah, it's my time to ramble, and I'm dang well going to enjoy it. Anyways, let's move on to the story, so lets-a-go!

-Cloud's POV-

This is bad. This is very, very bad. Something's defiantly wrong here, and it looks like I'm the only one who has a clue. Why was I chosen! I'm nothing special. Just a Nevadan brony who looks oafter himself and no one else. I barely even consider myself to love and tolerate, yet now I'm in Equestria, and know I'm thinking it's not what I thought it was.

A couple hours ago, me and Enigma had shot off into conversation revolving around a mish mash of fantasy things.

"A machete would be the best!" argued Enigma.

"No, a crowbar!" I retaliated

"There's no way you could crush a zombie skull with a crowbar!" she argued "The strength of a skull would make it impossible to get to the brain!"

"It would be difficult yes" I retaliated "but it would be easier than slicing through the neck with a machete, you would have to hit it right where two pieces of the spine meet."

Suddenly, the back door opened and a familiar unicorn come into the living room, noticed us and gave a friendly nod.

"Scored already I see." He said gesturing to Enigma

"Not necessarily" I replied, feeling a pang of mixed emotions remembering Twilight "I am trying to have a private conversation though, so could you leave us be for a moment."

He gave a smile to Enigma, who glared daggers at Starlight before he left.

"Who was he?" asked Enigma.

"Just another brony." I replied "There's six of us in total, excluding you.

"Oh, say I'm getting hungry, do you have any food?" asked Enigma, rubbing her stomach with her fore hooves.

"We might, just let me check." I said getting up to check the kitchen. I opened the coubords and was greeted by emptiness. Aside from a small cobweb, and what looked like a tumbleweed rolling past my sight.

"Nothing." I hollered to Enigma back in the kitchen "I'm going to go by some food from the market, you stay here!"

"Kay!" yelled the Pegasister from the living room.

I grabbed a couple bits and headed out the door, breathing in the warm air.

-Enigma's POV-

I relaxed and curled up like a laying horse and let out a sigh. My plans were quickly coming together, something about the pony who built the shed puts me off. My gut says he's going to be important, and my gut's never been wrong before. The Cloud character I've met seems to be important as well. Either way, being on this team will definitely work to my advantage.

Suddenly I heard a small scuffling sound from outside. My ears perked and I rolled off the coach.

"Hello?" I shouted outside. I heard nothing, I glanced around curious as to what made the noise.

"Probably just the wind." I murmured to myself. Suddenly, I heard it again. This time coming from the side of the house, just outside the wall.

"What the heck?" I murmured to myself, wondering who it was.

Suddenly I saw a flash of black fly past the window in my peripheral vision. I spun around and yelled out for whoever was out there to show themselves.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut your visit to Equestria short." I heard a deep voice call out from the backyard.

I charged out into the backyard, calling out to whoever was out there, before coming to a complete halt staring at the armored pony in front of me. With what looked like a bunch of black flames with green eyes surrounding him.

-Cloud's POV-

"I can't believe I didn't bring enough bits." I thought to myself, cursing my ignorance as I walked up to my front porch.

Wait!

"What is it now?" I thought slightly annoyed, I was already at the end of my nerves.

You can't go in there. You aren't ready to face what awaits you in there.

"But Enigma's in there!"

She'll be fine, right now you need to go.

"Buck you!" I thought angry at her for abandoning one of the bronies she had sent. I opened the door and got no reply from the alicorn. Immediately I heard a struggle from the backyard, I raced from to the door, not really sure of what I was going to do when I got there.

I charged outside to find Enigma cornered by what looked like pillars of pitch black fire, each about the size of a campfire and flickering exactly like one. Each had a pair of dark green eyes and a gapping mouth with gnashing teeth. They currently were facing the cornered and bruised Enigma. Arms of the same black flames would reach out and beat on the poor red pegasus while when she landed a blow with her hooves they would be knocked back, but it appeared to do minimal damage.

"What are those things?" I asked myself before noticing the other unicorn there.

He was a blue-black unicorn wearing almost pitch black armor. He stood laying casually with a giant axe slung over his shoulder.

Cloud, trust me when I say if you want to live, go to Solar's room.

"What about…"

Do it!

I flinched at her snap and burst into the door marked with Solar's cutie mark.

Under the bed there's a loose board, pry it loose and take the bow underneath it.

I did as I was asked and opened the box revealing what looked like brass knuckles for ponies.

Good, now go outside, distract the creatures and give them to Enigma.

"Shouldn't I use them?"

Ask yourself how much combat experience you have.

I took her point and ran out, holding the brass hooves in my hands. I ran outside and yelled at the top of my lungs, something a bit profane for the rating, but I needed to get their attention.

Everypony looked at me, slightly stunned at my word choice before the creatures reacted and ran towards me.

"Enigma! Use these!" I yelled out as I tossed the brass hooves to Enigma before turning towards the creatures.

To say stood my ground, used my magic, or even fought them all with my bare hooves would have been amazingly heroic, and would develop me as a fearless warrior.

Unfortunately, that's not who I am. I ran like the devil was hot on my heels, yelling for Enigma to hurry and kill the F*****r's.

I sprinted out the front door and turned around to find that most 0of them had gone back to fight Enigma, but two still stood there. They growled with hideous smiles on their faces, and drooling purple slime.

Alright Cloud, I want you to listen very closely.

"Oh crap, what the heck am I supposed to do?" I asked her in my mind, panicking slightly.

It's ok, I just want you to relax your body, when I say go, swing behind you and grab the branch on the tree. If your relaxed enough, then I should be able to magically help you fight.

"And if I'm tense?"

Then you're royally screwed my little pony. On your marks…

I relaxed as best I could, the creatures slowly moving forward.

Get set…

The demons were just about close enough to strike.

Go!

"YOLO!" I yelled out as I spun around and picked up a sturdy branch that was about the height of me while I was standing and had about two inches of thickness on it. I grasped it in my magic and let the princesses instructions take over me.

Swing behind you! Now hit it upside the chin! Kick it in the face! Duck! Parry! Counter!

I kept myself as calm as I could. I still felt like I was moving, but it felt like somepony was guiding my movements. Gently grasping my arm and guiding it towards the creature. I would just put the force behind it.

Finally, after both took a beating worth mentioning, I slammed one square on the forehead, it least out a small hiss and dissipated into the air, not even leaving a puff of smoke behind. I then brought the branch around and smacked one across its figure, causing it to dissipate the same way. I dropped the branch as I felt adrenaline fade away; collapsing and almost blacking out.

We need to get you in shape Cloud. There's still more work to be don, grab your weapon and go check on Enigma.

The thought of Enigma brought me back to my senses. I couldn't, no wouldn't leave a friend in distress.

I felt my strength start to return as I picked up the stick and ran through the house into the backyard.

I saw Enigma had killed all the shadowy creatures and now had the unicorns axe a couple inches above her head, blocked only by the brass hooves that she had.

"Prepare to die Enigma." Chuckled the unicorn, seeming like he wasn't even trying his hardest.

"Sc-Screw you!" stammered Enigma, straining under the weight of the axe.

"Get off of her!" I yelled as I smacked him as hard as I could on the side of the head with my branch.

I don't know if that blow actually managed to hurt him under all that armor, but it definitely surprised him and knocked him off balance. Enigma saw the advantage and gave him a uppercut, knocking his helmet away from his head, revealing a snow white mane and piercing red eyes.

Enigma didn't hesitate to buck him right in the face, knocking him to the floor. Enigma jumped on top of him, pounding him without mercy. Suddenly, Meta roared fiercely and his body disintegrated into shadows.

We stood there for a minute, getting our breath back and wondering what we were going to do next.

"So… uh…" I stammered trying to break the awkward silence "How did you manage to kill those creatures?"

"Doesn't matter" stated Enigma, taking off the brass hooves and handing them to me "Who were those guys?"

Just call them Shadows, that's basically what they are.

"Apparently, there called Shadows." I told Enigma, relaying the message.

"How did you know that? Did you just come up with the name?" she asked me with a quizzical look.

"No, Celestia can communicate with me through my mind." I said casually expecting a look of shock to cross her face.

I wasn't disappointed, she raised her eyebrow and for a second, her eyes flashed.

"Really?" she asked obviously curious "Can the others do this?"

"I'm not sure." I replied "If they can, they haven't told me. Then again I haven't told them either."

"Interesting" Enigma said with her voice fading into thought.

"Alright, I guess we should put the brass hooves back now." I said picking them up and putting them back into the box I had left on the floor.

Enigma nodded, still deep in thought.

After we cleaned up, I drifted into thought as well. Our other companions soon arrived as well. Starlight carried a box of sewing materials, Lonestar with an apple in his hoofs, Morphine, Solar and Colton all wore cheeky grins.

I couldn't help but resent Solar, but I quickly pushed the emotion away. I should be happy for my friend, besides, there were bigger things to worry about. What were those creatures, and who was the mysterious unicorn in dark armor. We ate dinner and I tried to contact Celestia. She seemed silent at the moment, leaving me to my own thoughts and imagination to lead me to sleep.

AN: Sorry for the short chappy, but it's an important transition between plot points. Hope this left you at the edge of your seat, if not. Well review and say what I could do better. Reviews are greatly appreciated, but constructive criticism is like appreciated a lot more. No seriously, the difference between the two is like a small chocolate gold coin, to a chest full of solid gold coins. Good luck! Peace out! Brohoof! (Insert other form of goodbye here)!