CHAPTER 5: FRIENDSHIP IS EVERLASTING - Part 2
"And that's the story of my whole entire life! Well, up until today."
Twilight Sparkle had spent almost her whole day walking towards their temporary abode. While Spike occupied himself by telling his story to the ever-curious yellow mare known as Fluttershy. Twilight groaned and shook her head. They had been talking for what seemed like hours, and right now she wanted nothing more than to reach their new destination. Hopefully, when they reach said destination, there won't be any more distractions.
Twilight smiled in relief when they finally reached the library.
"Do you wanna hear about today?" Spike asked Fluttershy, looking at her curiously. Twilight's smile fell upon hearing that.
Fluttershy nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes, please!"
Spike opened his mouth, as to begin the story but was quickly stopped when Twilight stepped In between him and Fluttershy.
"I am so sorry, how did we get here so fast? This is where I'm staying while in Ponyville and my poor baby dragon needs his sleep." Twilight said, forcing a smile on her face. Spike arched a brow at the lavender mare.
"First off." Spike raised a finger. "I'm not a baby; second off I'm like, what, the same age as you; third, no I don't—"
Spike grunted when Twilight's elbow dug into his side.
Twilight turned her gaze up at Spike. "Aww, wook at dat, he's so sweepy he can't even keep his widdle bawance!" She said with a forceful smile, all the while ignoring Spike's glare burning holes in the back of her head.
"Poor thing, you simply must get into bed," Fluttershy said, her tone laced with worry. "Wait here, I'll go get a blanket."
"Oh, no no no no, that won't be necessary!" Twilight pushed Spike inside the library before poking her head out of the main door. "Don't worry, we'll get right on that. Well, g'night!"
Twilight slammed the door. She sighed and looked at Spike over her shoulder. His arms were crossed as he was still glaring at her.
"Huh. Rude much?" Spike muttered.
"Sorry, Spike," Twilight started, walking up to him, "but I have to convince the Princess that Nightmare Moon is coming, and we're running out of time! I just need to be alone so I can study without a bunch of crazy ponies trying to make friends all the time." She looked around. "Now, where's the light?"
Suddenly the lights went on, followed by a bunch of ponies yelling, "Surprise!"
Then the pink mare from earlier jumped right in front of the duo.
"Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you!" She said. "Were you surprised? Were ya? Were ya? Huh huh huh?"
"Very surprised," said Twilight. "Libraries are supposed to be quiet."
"Well, that's silly! What kind of welcome party would this be if it were quiet? I mean, duh, bo-ring! Y'see, I saw you when you first got here, remember? You were all "hello" and I was all [deep gasp, remember? Y'see I've never saw you before and if I've never saw you before that means you're new, 'cause I know everypony, and I mean everypony in Ponyville!"
Spike stared at the pink earth pony, certain she had not even taken a breath during her verbal rampage. Spike could see all of the ponies they had met that day. Fluttershy was handing home-made cookies to some fillies. Applejack and Big Mac were near the food table. Rainbow Dash was bragging to some little orange filly and Rarity was conversing with a little white filly. There were a few others that they had seen but not been introduced to as well. The library was packed.
As Pinkie Pie went on Twilight groaned her way towards a table and poured herself a drink. Spike's eyes crawled from her face to the bottle and immediately noticed what Twilight was pouring.
"Uh, Twilight," Spike said. "You're pouring hot sauce."
"Huh?" Twilight levitated the bottle and read it. "Oh, oops." She grabbed a different bottle and another glass.
"See?" Pinkie continued. "Now you have lots and lots of friends."
"Question, why is there a bottle of hot sauce here?" Spike asked.
Before Pinkie Pie could answer her body suddenly trembled violently. Twilight and Spike glanced at each other with worry plastered on their faces before returning their gaze back at the shaking mare.
"Woah! My Pinkie senses are telling me there's a battle going on outside of Ponyville!" Pinkie announced while her body shook.
"A battle?" Everypony, including Spike, repeated.
Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity's eyes narrowed.
Applejack glanced at Big Mac. "Big Mac, y'all stay with the kids, ya hear?"
Big Mac nodded with a grunt.
Rarity got down on one-knee and placed her hands on the white filly's shoulders.
"You remembered what we do in situations like this, right?" Rarity questioned the white filly. The white filly nodded.
The four mares glanced at each other and nodded as if they already knew what they were thinking. Twilight and Spike watched as the three mares bolted out of the library before Rainbow stopped and looked at Fluttershy over her shoulder.
"Come on, Fluttershy!" Beckoned Rainbow Dash.
Fluttershy hesitated, hiding her face behind her mane.
"Um, do I have to?" Fluttershy asked in a quiet tone.
"Well, duh?" Rainbow Dash stated the obvious. "You're Ponyville's best only healer, now come on!"
Fluttershy reluctantly followed Rainbow Dash out of the library. Twilight shook her head with a sigh.
"There can't possibly be a battle outside of Ponyville. Have they forgotten that we're inside the walls? They're being ridiculous, don't you think so?"
Silence. Twilight blinked, turning her gaze to her left. She blinked rapidly to find no dragon at her side. Her head twitched from side to side for any sign of her assistant's whereabouts. Her eyes landed on Spike's back as the young drake sprinted out of the library.
"Wha—wait, Spike? Where are you going?!"
Twilight groaned in annoyance and gave chase.
Marcus and Edwen emerged from the portal in a composed manner, after which the portal promptly dissipated and vanished from existence. They found themselves standing in the middle of a dirt road, with a village visible in the distance beyond a small bridge. The road was flanked by grass on either side, with a few apple trees growing behind a fence and bushes scattered on a nearby hill between two towering, curved mountains.
"Ah, good. We've arrived at our destination." Edwen announced, smiling at Ponyville from a distance.
Marcus arched a brow up at the fairy. "I don't see any demons or hollows here."
Edwen looked around.
"Hmm… they should be—ah, there they are!"
Edwen gestured towards a particular direction, and Marcus obligingly turned his attention to where she was pointing. To his surprise, they found themselves confronted by a formidable army of three hundred hollows, led by two towering leviathans that stood at a staggering twenty feet tall. These monstrous creatures shared a striking resemblance, with their minotaur-like appearance and brown fur that covered their thighs to their shoulders. Their skeletal heads were adorned with large horns, and their yellow eyes glinted menacingly in the light. Additionally, a long tail hung between their legs, adding to their already intimidating presence.
Marcus couldn't comprehend the two monsters he was seeing, a type of demon known as a Tarurus; he encountered these bull demons once in the Undead Burg, located in the upper section of the Burg, and is an optional boss that any player can defeat. But that wasn't what bothered Marcus. If some other fan had been in his shoes instead of him they would have been enthralled. Slaying monsters that could only be found in fiction, going on adventures, strengthening themselves to be the strongest, and defeating undefeated warriors. It would have been a fan's fantasy dream come true.
But not for Marcus.
Marcus glanced at the ground. In his personal opinion, he would've rather gone into the afterlife. Reunited with those that passed away before he was born; his cousin, his great-great grandfather, and his girlfriend. Especially his girlfriend. He never thought in years that he would be the first to be given a second chance, a chance at life in another world he never thought existed. Which brings him back to the terrible conclusion of the problem.
Those horrid army of hollows and the bull demons weren't cosplayers, these were real monsters in more ways than one.
And he wasn't just a knight — he was an overpowered warrior.
Marcus lifted his head and stared back at the army from a distance.
"So, I take 'em out and Ponyville should be safe?" Marcus inquired, not taking his eyes off the two bull demons.
"Correct." Edwen replied.
"Well then, let's get this done." Unsheathing his sword and bringing it up in front of him, he started towards the army.
One of the hollows hissed, and the bull demon behind them growled. The behemoth's partner bellowed and pointed towards Marcus with a tremendous bark. The army of hollows snarled and hissed before menacingly stalking towards him. Their khopesh swords raised up in anticipation.
Marcus commenced running towards the hollows with a resolute expression, his eyes narrowed in determination. He skillfully wielded his sword, swiftly beheading the first hollow that stood in his path. Its head was sent flying into the air. Another hollow then charged towards him, seeking to avenge its fallen comrade by impaling Marcus.
Marcus weaved two of the hollow's slashes before switching his sword with his left hand and used his free hand to punch the undead square in the face. What he didn't account for, however, was the amount of damage he inflicted on the hollow by said punch. Its head and body expanded like a balloon then exploded to a gray mist.
Marcus's stomach plummeted.
He killed the hollow with just one blow of his punch.
"I know I'm strong in all but…damn." Muttered Marcus.
With great precision, Marcus deftly removed the heads of all the hollows in a complete three-hundred and sixty degree motion. The heads of the hollows soared through the air before landing on the ground with a soft thud, and their dark blood stained the earth. The following moments were a blur as Marcus confidently dispatched every hollow that dared to impede his progress.
Torsos were cut through like butter, skulls were crushed by the blow of his fist, and more groups of the creatures were slaughtered in the work of an instant. Bones cracking and the wet rip of organs being sliced filled the air. Each slash from his sword marking the destruction of another fallen. All of it done by his display of strength, and speed, married together in a beautiful dance of extermination.
It was then that Marcus stopped his onslaught upon noticing there weren't any more hollows left to cut through. Only the two Tarurus demons were left. The two behemoths glared at Marcus as they both tightened their grip around their giant axe. The alpha behemoth growled and took a step forward, its partner followed behind.
Marcus raised his sword and assumed a fighting stance as the two behemoths approached him with measured steps, causing the ground to tremble like a giant mallet striking the earth. As they drew nearer, Marcus was overwhelmed by a wave of putrid odor, thick with decay and rot, causing him to suppress his urge to vomit. The alpha behemoth growled softly as it circled around Marcus and came to a halt by his side, while its partner also menacingly strode around Marcus and positioned itself to his left. Both Minotaurs glared down at him with animosity in their amber eyes.
The behemoths growled lowly at Marcus. He dared not move from where he stood. His chance at striking one of them was held back. All he had to do was let one of them make the first move, only then will he counter it and deliver the fatal blow.
The two behemoths bellowed simultaneously, their axes raised high, blades glinting in the sunlight. Marcus yelped and slashed both of his attackers in a complete three-hundred and sixty degree motion. Said attackers instantly exploded a white mist by the blow of his sword. The blades of grass rippled violently by the force of the wind from Marcus's speed. The explosion gave way to silence. After a few minutes life returned in the air. Marcus listened to the nocturnal birds — familiar birds, and he exhaled.
"Oh Marcus," Marcus heard Edwen call him. "Hehe, I believe we have an audience that is dying to meet you."
Marcus gracefully sheathed his sword back into its scabbard and turned around. To his surprise, he was greeted by a group of humanoid creatures who were staring at him in shock. The group consisted of six anthropomorphic ponies and one dragon. His eyes immediately fell on the first mare in the middle.
The lavender unicorn's fur was nearly groomed and her purple mane with a magenta stripe spilled over her back curling slightly at the end. She wore a uniform that consisted of a cyan blazer with a magenta bow tie, and a purple pleated skirt. Her uniform also consists of gray knee-length socks with brown boots, and her striped tail hung behind her rear end.
A purple dragon stood by the lavender's side. Said dragon wore steel armor from head to toe except for his helmet which he held under his arm.
The freckled orange earth pony donned a brown stetson planted firmly on her head. She had an athletic body and wore a t-shirt revealing her muscle tone biceps. Black overalls and black work boots.
The muscular cyan pegasus stood next to the cow-mare's side. She possessed a striking athletic build, with a rainbow-colored mane and tail. Her attire consisted of a sleeveless black waistcoat, trimmed with crimson, which revealed her black undershirt. She wore fingerless gloves on her hands, an elastic black A-line mini skirt, and a white ankle-length sash that wrapped around her skirt. Additionally she donned bits of armor, including elaborate diamond greaves that began below her mid-thigh and continued down into her boots, as well as a pair of cuisses that started mid-thigh and ended just above her knees. Her appearance was completed by a red scarf wrapped around her neck.
A white pristine unicorn beside her had an expertly curled purple mane and tail, with not a single strand of hair out of place. Attired in the most exquisite armor, consisting of silver armor with purple linings and dark under-armor. A diamond jewelry, encircled by gold, is situated at the center of her breastplate. Her legs are adorned with steel cuisses leg armor, and her sword is neatly placed in a scabbard attached to her side.
Marcus's eyes moved to the second Pegasus. The pale yellow mare had a bright pink mane that dragged along the ground. She wore a green cowl-neck sweater, a long white asymmetrical skirt, and brown sandals. Her appearance was striking in the ensemble. Despite the mare's efforts to conceal them behind her sweater, Marcus knew her bosom would immediately catch the attention of any onlooker, as it was noticeably larger than that of the white and lavender mares. The weight of her twin globes was sufficient to cause them to sag slightly, making them prominent and conspicuous. Her childbearing hips emphasized their curvature, while her thick thighs were noticeable beneath her skirt.
Marcus averted his gaze from the yellow pegasus and directed it towards the last mare standing before him. The mare possessed ample hips and curves, a feature that he observed, and though slightly plump she wore a curious expression on her face as her blue eyes stared back at him. Describing the mare as pink would be an understatement on his part. Her fur was pink, her mane was a darker shade of pink, the latter being curlier than his grandmothers. The mare donned an elegant attire, comprising a pink dress with a white undershirt and brown sandals.
The air was silent between them all.
The area beyond the stone walls was strewn with lifeless bodies, all of whom had passed away. Their eyes imploring for assistance in their final moments. The atmosphere was arid, as was the earth, yet it was stained crimson with blood. As the wind carried dust clouds over the ragged horizon, the distinguished sound of thunder boomed across the sky, as if the universe was conveying a message: a message of apprehension. And then, of course, there is the remarkable castle.
Like all images of a massive castle seen from countries, books, and fantasies this image of the castle was majestic but also mythical. At least it used to be. . .
The Kingdom that was once ruled by a righteous king has now fallen onto the grave and sorrowful times. Just as they ushered into an age of prosperity a new beginning to a new chapter, filled with peace and harmony an unknown tyrant appeared out of nowhere. The many tyrants back then were but a fond memory to them now.
Sitting on the throne with a cup of blood wine in hand lived:
King Almoron Devagonda, or for short Almoron.
Unlike the other princes that go about destroying and slaughtering their victims in such a wild manner, he was a serious and disciplined man, who did not hesitate to hurt anyone to fulfill his mission or achieve his goals. He can be very casual and rather fearless, as he is one of the few people who is not afraid of anything or anyone, not even his father.
The man's hair is a striking jet black, with a length that falls just short of his neck. His bangs are parted twice, allowing for an unobstructed view of his sharp, black eyes. The hair is evenly hued between two different shades of colors: scorched with mahogany on his right side and crimson red on his left. Birthmarks, decorated with arcane symbols of Hell, adorn his forehead and cheeks, while horns poke out from the upper side of his head in a slight spiral curve. His body is overflowing with beauty and rough charm, and his skin blooms in a lovely charcoal gray. He is dressed in pitch black clothing, with a mantle leg-length curtain cape draped over his back. At his waist, a darkish brown leather belt is wrapped around his waistline, screwed to a scabbard with his sword sheathed to its holding place.
Today was another success for him and his legion of demons. They had successfully swept across the land with little to no resistance spreading death, destruction, and not even an atom seed of mercy. Men and women were now reduced to playthings, emergency food, and mostly the women were used as dancers for entertainment in the eyes of the king. The horrors and humiliation they had to endure would be spoken for generations to come. The once-great kingdom reigned by the kings and queens looked more akin to a food house or rather, a dungeon. Stallions and mares were being tortured in every method one could think of, dead bodies of innocent souls littered the streets as Almoron's demonic troops feasted on their flesh and bones. Eyes turned from light—to darkish red from shedding many tears at the remains of their loved ones being devoured while the zombie-men lashed their backs with a thorn material whip in a merciless fashion.
How did it come to this? Why is this happening? Will help deliver us from this great evil?
All these questions raced through their minds as they prayed for salvation. But hope had left them even before he and his army had arrived. Their King had fallen, skinned alive then was killed when he could scream no more, his wife mutilated before his eyes as Almoron plunged his hand through his chest, yanking it out with the king's heart in hand before swallowing it whole. Seven days, seven nights would pass and another kingdom had fallen as well, since then the now slave people prayed for the sweet release of death. The demons were restless especially the imps and each time one would simply switch with another to quench the taste of new flesh. No man or women were spared, nor the children, not even the infants...
A mare in the corner sat and watched as one of her cousins was yanked from her arms by a hollow. It's a grisly sight. The hollow starts stabbing her right away. She pounded its face a couple of times to get it off her, but by this time a bunch of more hollows had burst through the throne room swinging double doors and they joined in too.
She didn't have time to react as she felt a massive force slap her to the side face down to the blood-stained carpet. What has been described as her dear cousin getting stabbed to death sounded dreadful. The screams cut off in a gurgling grunt were something no one, not even her couldn't simply 'unhear.'
"Mommy!"
She turned to her right and her eyes widened at the sight she was seeing.
"No! Not my baby! Please NOOOOOO!!" Her scream echoed through the streets as the mare's dear son was swarmed by a group of giant wolf-size rats. His belly slit open as his liver, organs, and guts spilled on the road. Piece by piece the mother's heart was breaking apart each time she listened to her son's blood-curdling high pitch screams of excruciating pain. She couldn't do anything but watch. . .
A small hellish red ball emerges in the middle of the storm quickly expanding out into a massive, spiraling portal. Light orange streaks line the circular, black void, magical particles spew out like sparks from a firework. Soaring out of it was a lone black crow flapping its wings through the streets, completely ignoring what was going on around it. Some of its buddies called it to tag along but the bird paid no mind to them as it continued flying towards its destination. Weaving through corpses, slaughter, and demons, it flew up the stairs that lead to the palace.
"Please let me through this instant. I must speak with Lord Devagonda!" The hollows troops simply nodded pointing their swords at the entrance, allowing him through. The bird thanked them with a nod then soared inside.
"My lord! My lord!"
Everyone including the hollows stopped in their tracks as they watched the crow fly over them. Almoron clicked his tongue in annoyance that his next little entertainment was cut short by this interruption. A part of him was ten seconds away from telepathically crushing this crow into a pancake for even daring to interrupt him but this crow was his brother's pet and is loyal to them both and their royal family, and no one should bother a king not unless he or she had to share a message that absolutely must reach the king even if it meant the cause of their life.
On landing, the crow bowed its head in subservience, and one wing rested on its knee.
"Your majesty, I'm more knowledgeable enough to know that you told me not to interrupt you unless it's very urgent," the crow said, venturing its head up looking into the dark eyes that glared down on him. "B-But I can assure you with certainty that this is urgent news you must hear!"
Almoron blinked, still unwaveringly glaring down at the crow who dared interrupt his little show. He sighed softly then gestured his right hand at every demon in the room. Following the gesture of his command, all the hollows and demons gathered up slowly beginning to stride towards the two double doors. Soon as the last hollow exited the room the doors closed from behind them leaving the crow and its king alone.
A right hand gestured. "Well? Speak."
The crow cleared its throat.
"I brought news from a shocking discovery that occurred back at our campsite." The Crow conveys its message to him.
"And it's urgent for you to tell me why?" He questioned him while taking a sip of his glass of wine.
The Crow lowered its head. "We found it. We've found the relic."
So there they were, Marcus and the gang, staring at each other like a bunch of stunned mullets. Not a peep was uttered, just silence hanging in the air like a bad smell. They were all looking pretty gobsmacked. But if he had to be honest, Marcus was just as taken aback as the ponies and dragon were. He couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.
Marcus parted his lips, as if to articulate a thought, but promptly sealed them. A dreadful epiphany had dawned upon him. He is not adept at conversing with the opposite sex! Prior to encountering his significant other, he was reclusive, inept at initiating dialogues, and excessively timid to engage in any form of communication with a lady, let alone maintain eye contact. Even presently, Marcus is experiencing difficulty in formulating articulate and intelligent responses.
Damn it, he thought, how should I approach this?
Wait a minute… he could try that.
Marcus remembered a time, before he and his significant other became a couple, they would always role-play by voicing one of their favorite fantasy characters. He may not be able to talk to these creatures the normal way but he is confident to converse with them through role-play. But how should he show his character to them?
Marcus parted his lips again but was nearly in shock at what he saw. The six mares and the drake were. . . PROSTRATING!? On one knee they stood with their heads bowed in subservience.
Marcus was told that Prestige Knights were well known in all of Equestria; their royalty rivaling the princess of the sun herself. Marcus brought his gauntlet up to his lips and cleared his throat.
"As you were."
The six mares and drake stood upright. The lavender unicorn placed her hand on her chest, her lips forming a small smile.
"I... oh my gosh, I don't even know where to begin," said the lavender unicorn.
"I do!" The cyan Pegasus exclaimed. "That. Was. Awesome!"
"Right?!" The pink earth pony stepped so close her nose barely touched the tip of Marcus's helmet. "And that's only half of it. Like wowie! We're looking at a real Prestige Knight. In the flesh!"
Marcus arched a brow at the pink mare. "You speak as if you've never seen one before?"
"Well, that's kinda it, sir," the purple dragon said. "No pony has ever seen a Prestige Knight in ten-thousand years; we thought they were extinct."
"I see." Said Marcus.
"I must say though, you did quite well against those bulls by yourself." The white mare praised Marcus, crossing her arms.
"Eeyup." The orange earth pony nodded in agreement. "And here ah thought we 'atta go on in and help but y'all proved effortlessly that y'all can handle yerselfs."
Marcus crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and huffed. "Those weaklings were beneath me, not worthy opponents to be considered a challenge."
"Really? Well, would you mind telling us your name?" The lavender mare asked, looking at Marcus curiously. The rest of the group also stared at him with curiosity.
I'm just a guy that died after saving a dude's life, Marcus thought. But I can't tell them that, they wouldn't understand.
"I am Marcus: a traveling mercenary in search of an opponent worthy of a challenge." Marcus introduced himself, his cape fluttering behind him through the wind, and the side of his helmet glinting in the sunlight.
Marcus yelped as the orange mare grabbed his gauntlet, shaking it rapidly. The handshake was violent enough to lift Marcus's boots from the ground and bounce him about a bit. His stomach plummeted. This orange cow-mare was strong!
"Well, howdy-doo, sir Marcus, a pleasure makin' your acquaintance. Ah'm Applejack. We here at Ponyville sure do like makin' new friends!" The orange mare named Applejack stated proudly with a big grin on her face.
Marcus staggered a bit before catching himself.
"The, uh, pleasure is all mine Applejack. I—"
Marcus found himself suddenly surrounded by a rosy hue, and before he knew it, he was lifted off his feet and landed on the ground with a thud. He let out a grunt as he felt a new weight pressing down on him. As he looked up, he was met with the sight of a cheerful earth pony, whose pink coat matched the dress she wore. The pony lowered her head and brought her nose close to his, as if to offer a friendly greeting.
"HI THERE, MARCUS!" The pink mare greeted loudly. "I'M PINKIE PIE, BEST PARTY PLANNER AND ORGANIZER IN EQUESTRIA AND BAKER AS WELL!"
She's too close—way too close, Marcus thought.
"Uh, hello Pinkie pie," Marcus returned.
"Pinkie darling, please get off of him." The white mare said.
Pinkie looked at the white mare over her shoulder.
"Okie dokie loki." The pink mare returned her gaze down at Marcus, in that brief instant she smirked at him then winked with a twinkle effect before hopping off of him with a spring.
Heat rose along the back of his nape to his cheeks. Marcus didn't know what to feel at the way she looked at him. He got back on his feet in time to see the cyan pegasus approach him.
"Forgive our friend, dude," the cyan pegasus assured. "She's just very hyperactive."
"That's quite alright. And you are?" Marcus dusted the dirt off from his shoulder.
"Rainbow Dash." The cyan pegasus greeted with a confident smile. Her hands placed on her hips. "I gotta hand it to you though, those were some cool moves you got there."
"I wholeheartedly agree." The white mare stepped up and stood beside Rainbow Dash. "I never thought I would see the day that I would actually see a Knight such as yourself in combat. Truly I am honored."
Marcus's eyes crawled from the white mare's face to the armor she donned. "I see you're a knight yourself, ms..?"
"Rarity." Rarity greeted. "And yes, you're correct. I'm actually Ponyville's only dame here."
"I see."
As Marcus shifted his gaze towards the yellow pegasus, he was met with a curious stare from the mare. He couldn't help but notice the blush on her cheeks before she quickly averted her gaze and hid behind her pink hair.
Before he could ask, the purple drake cleared his throat.
"That's Fluttershy," the purple drake introduced the mare, gesturing her with his hand. "Don't mind her, she's just really shy."
"Well, now that everypony has their turn."
Marcus turned to face the lavender mare that took a step forward.
"I'm Twilight Sparkle, but I would prefer it if you called me Twilight." Twilight greeted then gestured toward the purple dragon. "And this is Spike, my assistant."
Marcus hummed.
"Well, it is a pleasure to meet all of you. If it is alright with you, let us talk somewhere that is sufficient enough where our conversation shall continue."
They all nodded in unison and Twilight led the way. Marcus followed Twilight as they made their way over the small bridge, following the path along the neighborhood, past more apartments, quickly approaching the library where Twilight lived.
As Marcus made his way to the library, he couldn't help but notice the bustling crowd that had gathered outside. The sight of so many ponies in one place was overwhelming, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous as he approached the entrance.
To his surprise, the library was packed to the brim with ponies of all shapes and sizes. They all seemed to be staring at him in awe, as if he were some kind of celebrity. It was a strange feeling. When he made his way through the crowd, he was immediately surrounded by a sea of fans. Pinkie Pie had apparently told everypony who he was, and they were all eager to meet him. The excitement was palpable, and it didn't take long for a party to ensue.
The fillies bombarded him with questions, eager to learn more about him and his adventures. The ponies took turns talking to him, each one eager to share their own stories and experiences. And of course, there was no shortage of food. Cookies, muffins, and cupcakes were offered to him from every direction, each one looking more delicious than the last. Though he wasn't hungry, he accepted it regardless.
All in all, it was a truly unforgettable experience for Marcus. He had never felt so welcomed and appreciated in his life, and he couldn't help but feel grateful for the warm reception he had received.
Marcus blinked when he felt someone tapping his arm. He glanced down and saw Twilight looking up at him.
"If you have the time sir Marcus, there's something I want to talk to you about in private." Twilight said.
Marcus nodded. "Very well, lead the way."
Marcus followed behind Twilight up the stairs. Reaching the second floor, entering the new room, before closing the door behind them.
A/N: Star Shimmering: Hope you enjoyed the chapter my shimmerings. At first, this chapter was originally gonna be published this Sunday but I decided there was no harm in releasing it early.
Triple B Studios: Said chapter was also supposed to be a bit longer, but due to the both of us being busy with not just our other project and lives we didn't want to drag the wait for too long. So hopefully part 3 will be the final chapter for the Friendship is Magic arc.
Star Shimmering: Once that's out of the way we can begin the second arc which we won't reveal until the next chapter.
Triple B Studios: Gotta say though, made the right call not to have Marcus face an Everlasting dragon outside of Ponyville. Not only would that be too early but the damages would be catastrophic.
Star Shimmering: Maybe in the near future. It would be a surprise for Marcus once he faces enemies he never fought before, such as the ones from Dark Souls two and three. :twilightsheepish:
Triple B Studios: All the more reason to make each battle with each boss epic! How could a player learn if he can't be humbled by an enemy stronger then him; Marcus may be a level one-hundred but that doesn't mean he's invisible. :raritywink:
Star Shimmering: That is true. But there is room to grow.
Triple B Studios: Yeah. Hope you all enjoy today's chapter.
Star Shimmering: Have a good day my shimmerings!
