11:04am
The streets of Canterlot were filled again with the groups of various ponies and tourists alike from Equestria or beyond. Business moving on as usual, and the restaurants still making the worthy bits they needed to thrive in the capitalist society of Equestria. Many cultures whether it being Zebras, Griffons or on rare occasion the Elk would travel to this fine city with hopes of even getting a glimpse of the Sun Princess herself, Princess Celestia.
Markets of food that many came to sell in the city would be bought by many, and it included those of high society all the way down to the common low as the rich would state many times in their own arrogance. With the council of the city controlled by the nephew of the princess, it's taken such a hard toll on those in the poor class that was created by him. Whether they were kicked into small, unlivable residence or just out onto the streets of the city in the eyes of her divine beauty or her sister Luna who controlled the night.
Late-spring season was in the air, and it wasn't snowing at least in this beautiful weather. The sun in the sky is shining its rays down on the others with a few going inside and grabbing a bite to eat whether from the Tasty Treat or even Donut Joe's for a pile of donuts to share with friends in a gathering.
The arena is close by with the home of Moondancer closed up while she is out for the day with friends, but there is a Wonderbolts show going on at the same time. Many have come to see both the team performing their stunts as well as seeing the newest member of them all, Rainbow Dash. Cheering and applause with hooves included can be heard in the distance. Even if the stadium isn't as big as the one in the Crystal Empire, it's still enough to bring in an audience.
By the tiles in the Entertainment District, the ponies would only cross by in their day to go and see the latest opera to come in from Manehattan, or the latest in how sales and stocks were going about in the Banks of Equestria where bits were made.
Even from the crowds of mixed races, not even a single eye could pay attention to the cloaked figure who is covered completely in black to avoid the crowds or even let alone have a glimpse brought on it... he is quite tall though when making his way slowly towards the Market District. It's clearly has secret intentions judging by the cloak itself... hiding something underneath.
Hidden by each alley the figure would go through, he looked quite as tall as the winged human who resided below in Ponyville along with a few other humans... three of them at most. Knowing mostly of Brayden's presence, it doesn't really bother anypony nor the rich class as they go about their day... yet none notice the black clothing this figure wore.
A few fillies gallop about near one of the alleyways with the rest of their small friends, probably playing tag. The figure, noticing company is coming his way, sways to the large container of garbage only half-filled but left for the poor to look in for scraps and leftovers that anypony would toss into. Once out of the sight and the fillies running out into the next street, the figure continues forward.
The Market District itself seems to be bustled with shops from the foreign countries of Equus. Some going as far as Saddle Arabia to the Zebra Kingdom, some rare from afar in the lands conquered by a satyr-like figure whom carries a staff of storms. Whether it was souvenirs or just food from those lands, business would soar for the seller.
The cloaked figure was seen in daylight, and finally catching the attention of the ponies trotting about and wondering who was underneath it. They guess to themselves that it's probably one of the few humans that was brought to Equestria from Earth itself, just keeping himself hidden. Showing a bit of concern, they think he might get too hot underneath the cloak especially since the spring was showing some warm temperatures today.
His hands and arms begin to come out and take off the cloak. A few others began to look onward with curiosity while an older mare approaches him to wonder if he is okay and if he's not too hot.
"You alright sir?" The mare asks him.
The figure takes off his hood, revealing his face. In the area, a few of the ponies could catch the glimpse of a tan skin as well as both black hair and beard in color. He looked like he had intentions, as if they didn't want to find out. One of the rich-class unicorns watching this secretly calls for a few guards in the city to question him.
The human as they saw before their own eyes, began to speak to her but in a different language that was unknown to them. His hands grip onto his cloak and slip it off, revealing exactly what he could have hid underneath. It appears to be some suit of some kind... a few of the ponies taking a step back as they knew that it wasn't Brayden or any of his friends. This was someone new before their own eyes. That look in their eyes of worry even with the sound of the hooves of the guard galloping their way.
"Stop right there!"
A few of the city guards were surrounding at a distance from the man itself, showing no hands in the air. One guard is approaching, but maintaining how close he would get. He didn't have a sword on him, but he held a marking on him that showed he was from Mortem... showing why the ponies were getting nervous. Griffons on the other half thought it was just simply a troublemaker, even if they've never seen such a human before in their life.
The man looks at them with a switch in his hand, and a button that connected right to his suit, that featured what looks to be empty iron cans to store food in. None of the guards know what it is. "Whatever you have in that hand of yours, you better drop it and nopony has to get hurt!" The guard warns him.
He can only smirk. "And who told you about this?" The man who spoke in a different language speaks in English.
"Drop it, now! You appear to be threatening, since a unicorn told us that you could be dangerous!" The guard commands him.
The spears began pointing at the man himself, whom doesn't draw back in fear. He is close to a market stand with only an adult aged stallion standing there with a bit of shaking he was doing. The guards look more aggressive, and there could be a fight to break out at any moment.
It seemed like moments... like minutes passing by with the staredown. The guards knew of Brayden, and the other humans he brought. He however... they've never seen before and looked like he would start trouble with that vest colored in a two-tone green color they didn't recognize.
All it took a few seconds later was followed by the light-up of what looked like a fire. The blast however, is enough for those who got caught in the action, to be engulfed in the explosion...
...It was an attack on the ponies, and none knew the purpose of that attack. The rich having seen this, knew what caused the attack even when seeing it from a distance... a human. After the large bang, comes the outcry of the ponies caught in it. Those not caught in the explosion, but having watched it were completely drawn in a chaotic panic. From the panic, followed the screams of terror.
Brayden's POV
1:21pm
By each time I was flapping my wings, I knew I had to hurry up and get to Canterlot with each way possible. The warning from my dream last night getting my attention that Equestria was going to have an example of what true danger was like. Even with a bit of pressure drawn to my wings, I couldn't stop now.
Below the skies of the enchanted lands, I was peaking across towards the tallest mountain of Equestria above the wild trees of the Everfree Forest. From the distance in the mist hiding by the daylight's light blue, Ponyville could be seen below looking about normal as usual and unaware of what was going on. The castle stood by itself, in that distance but remained the closest from my viewpoint. The shadow of Canterlot on the mountain becoming visible by how closer I would fly with the flapping sounding almost like a heartbeat.
There it was as color begins to draw into the image of Canterlot in that distant. Though it looked quite beautiful in this distance, there was something that felt off of it when I was moving forward, the sight of clouds to move past on the way there.
A black stray cloud rising up over the city of Canterlot the closer I got, and the Friendship Express having stopped in its tracks a few mountains behind en route towards the shining city itself...
Many thoughts are progressing in my head right about now as I studied the cloud becoming visible as smoke. Was I too late? How many casualties were made for the result of not being able to fly faster or wake up earlier? No answer to my own questions and thoughts, but judging by the color of the cloud, this didn't look good at all... makes my heart feel hurt inside, unless I saw the slaughter.
By my mother herself, I hope that never happens. It'd be a really bad scene if you saw it.
In a closer range towards the city, my eyes continue to study the smoke. There was some building upward into Equestria's skies from that small area. Below is the valleys changing in height and terrain with its climb upwards to the mountains above. I haven't been up to the top of this mountain, though I'm sure I don't want to either due to the freezing temperatures there. You know... kind of like Mount Everest back on Earth.
With guidance from my wings, I hover over the paths and past the heads of various ponies no matter how rich or whatever status they were influenced their lives based by the cutie mark on their flank. Some of them look rather nervous about something when they laid eyes on me. The others that recognize me on the ground like Moondancer and Minuette, look quite happy to see me.
I smiled for a moment and wave at them from above with a smile on my face. They almost look unaware of what happened, though before laying eyes on me must have looked nervous. The smell of smoke in the air, and I knew I was getting closer to the source. Probably the Market District based on its location.
The rest of the civilians in the city look a bit shaken up, and that's when I began to show a little concern about the ponies here. Various emotions were shown of agony, panic and absolute terror filling their hearts. A few pegasi come rushing past me in flight, with the noted cutie marks telling me that they worked at the hospital. Were ponies hurt in this incident? If so, I was yet to find out what caused it.
The market came into light and my curiosity began to drop down. A replacement for that became that of what feels like pain inside, even if it hasn't been shown - but also the emotion of feeling like death took one of my family.
Ponies were spread throughout the square, trying to get control of themselves and not panic while the guards were standing into positions to keep everything in the market under control. Within the large circle of guards are the Canterlot Hospital staff tending to the wounded, but what striked me the most was the body bags on the tiles. Blood spilt and still flowing between the tiles and towards the sewer panels slowly.
I descend down towards the circle, allowing my wings to assist me on the way down. A few familiar faces are there, like my best friends. Rarity looks to be quite panicked over this judging by the nervousness on her face, even trying not to let her hoof touch the blood of the deceased in this moment. My wife Twilight and the others also were there as well to investigate what happened.
Nightmare Moon was also there, an emotion on her face that could tell she felt some guilt in her. It's almost as if she was saying "Why wasn't I there to stop all of this?" I could say almost exactly the same thing.
My bare feet land onto the stone tiles, surprising a bit of the hospital staff but they are a bit relieved to see that I pose no threat to them. Twilight does turn her violet eyes away from a concerned looking reporter looking to find the truth for the Canterlot Sun news. When she saw me, I was expecting a bit of silent treatment from her that she had been giving me for a while.
Didn't think she would come galloping towards me with a frightened look on her face.
"What happened here?" I asked her, knowing even as it was not the time for me and her to share compassionate hugs and kisses upon seeing one another.
She gave off a sad expression on her face. "That's exactly what we're trying to get down into," The tone of her voice sounds almost scared. "Celestia sent me a note this morning while I was busy with Starlight, putting away some books about magic and some magic training. Me and our friends came as quickly as we could when we found out an attack was made on the city."
"An attack?" I asked, thinking of any possible scenarios on whom caused it. "Could it have been the changelings?"
She shook her head. "I hope not. If it was so, it would probably be Queen Chrysalis trying to have your head on her platter." Even the thought of my head on her platter or wall, gave me the creeps and horrific flashbacks.
"Sir," A guard speaks at a normal tone behind me with a concerned look on his face. "Some of the others on patrol were at the scene when it was all going down."
I turn and face the guard in his golden armor. "Any evidence or collective findings?"
"Yes," The guard pulls out a black cloak which would not even let alone fit a single changeling or pony. It looked too big, but it also included sleeves, which raised suspicions for me. "Our soldiers took to studying the attacker, and to your own relief you can rest easy knowing that it's not you who did it nor your friends, but it was a human we've never seen before."
...A human?
"That doesn't make any sense," I almost sound rather surprised by this conclusion. "Me and my human friends from Earth are the only ones living here."
The sound of hooves trotting are heard approaching the circle in the distance. "Just because he is human, does give us a bit of reason why I was correct the entire time." Ugh... that recognizable arrogant voice managed to even make me feel a bit angry inside, now that I'm having to face him again.
The guards look rather nervous since this was Prince Blueblood, trotting forward towards them. Movement is made to the side, and I can see him trotting towards me with a deadly glare on his eyes, looking almost like darts. The other notable Canterlot elite like Jet Set, Upper Crust and many others with their suits and fancy clothed dresses can only send me the same kind of action. Twilight looks a little nervous about this by how they're approaching me.
"I should have known that scum like you really belong in the Everfree Forest after what has been done to the unicorns here," His voice turned rather angry in that self-absorbed tone of his. "Because of your presence here in Equestria, the most superior race in all of the ladn has lost at least three of its individuals."
Sweat began to pour down my face as I have never seen the adopted nephew of my mother become so pissed off. I mean look at his hooves, it's almost motioning as if he wants to buck me in the face. Rarity can only glare at him, knowing that he was making a big scene out of nothing and not to mention, acting like a racist.
"I..." I laughed for a moment nervously. "...I-I didn't do it..."
"Don't try to lie your way out of this, human! We know now that your influence has only brought us death... and destruction!"
He approaches me, poking onto my chest with his left front hoof. I can feel myself getting pushed back a bit by his poking and prodding, but even then I don't want to fight him. Rarity looks quite angry, like almost wanting to just make a move and stop this nonsense before it got worse.
"Enough, all of you!"
I was still thankful enough to hear Fancy Pants' voice, whom is one of the elite that I've given my trust to, ever since Nightmare Moon returned. That British-like tone in his voice, and his hooves trotting forward to intervene in this argument gave away that even when he speaks, the elite would have to step down from their actions.
"I've worked with Brayden before, and even I would never blame him or his... 'species' for what was done here today. The Canterlot guard are sure to investigate it for a while," He spoke to the other elites whom could only glare at him for supporting me. "So there's no need to pointing hooves and playing the blame game."
A snort came out from Upper Crust herself, looking at him. "Did I mention that this 'scum' called me a... a..." She paused for a moment as a smile emerged on my face of when I called her a bitch during the winter time, reminding her of how I went and decided to give that elite a taste of humiliation. "...Never mind, I'm not going to say it. It's forbidden in Equestria after all."
Rarity finally takes one hoof forward to enter the confrontation. "That is enough!" She sounds rather cross, even when trotting next to me to take my side. "It is unnecessary, even for a stuck-up prince like you to taunt my friend because he is different from the rest of us."
My eyes caught onto the prince's white horn as the aura of his magic surrounded the unicorn and moved her back to the side, and keeping her there. "Stand aside, Rarity. You shall not interrupt with me and this human's self-trial."
Twilight looks like she's building up anger inside of her towards Prince Blueblood for the names he is calling me like 'human' or 'scum'. She growls at a good volume for him and the rest of the elite to hear. "Do not... call him... a human! His name... is Brayden!" The pupils in her eyes have shrank a bit when expressing this rage.
"And what will you do about it?" He turns towards her and looks at her. "I almost completely forgot on how you married this wild beast."
"The Princess of Friendship is not a true princess for marrying this 'country' species!" I can hear one of the elites that have joined with the arrogant prince wearing that silly fancy suit of his say, but I cannot see him among the rest in front.
Jet Set finally got a voice to speak out. "He called my wife a curse word! Such a crime like that should not be acceptable!"
I was getting a bit nervous, and the guards weren't doing anything to control the situation. I wanted to get their attention and ask them to help me, but they haven't seen what the royal guards in the castle have seen when I found out my traits to being Celestia's son. They wouldn't believe me in any chance given.
"It's all his fault that we got attacked, and now Canterlot is in danger - along with the rest of Equestria!" Another voice from the elite is heard.
My wings open up and I want to soar away to get away from them, but I can feel a tight grip around me in an aura of light brilliant arctic blue, just like the color of his eyes. "Don't even think of running away!" He barks at me.
Twilight gallops forward and squeezes in-between both me and Blueblood. "That's enough, I'm not going to let you hurt him!" She stands on her two back legs and opens up the both of her wings, in an attempt to protect me.
A crowd of ponies begins to gather around the guard's circle, trying to get a glimpse of what was going on. In the crowd are all three of the familiar pony races that I knew of, looking rather worried about me while a few who I suspected were elites could only ask for Blueblood to provoke an attack on me and buck my teeth in.
The prince laughs at my wife's attempt to stop all of the fighting. "Your marriage to him won't make this stop!" He exclaims for a moment, then finally shoving her to the side and knocking her onto the stone tiles below.
Seeing him do that... seeing Blueblood hurt Twilight, made my blood boil as anger began to show on my face. "How dare you hurt her!" I shout at him.
"You see now, everypony?!" He addresses all of the ponies in the area that are watching. "His anger has been unleashed towards me. He wants to only bring harm to us, and these attacks will keep happening to us - unless we do something!"
"I say we have him executed for treason against the ponies of Equestria!"
Having heard that suggestion from one of the elites, the others began to chant with agreement in their voices. This answer alone made me gulp with fear, as this was only the rich-class acting like this. Nonsense, I was being blamed for a crime I didn't commit!
Pinkie Pie could only gasp upon hearing that word 'execution' along with everypony else who was a friend, best friend or anypony close to me. I swear Rarity looked like she was about to faint when she heard that voice in the mob of elites answer with that, and agreement coming in the way. Twilight can only get up while the rich approach me.
The magic fades around me, and I can feel as they are tying my hands with rope and taking a firm grip on my wings, but not enough to break a bone in them. Prince Blueblood just takes an opportunity to move forward towards me to make a move.
I can feel his hoof slam into the side of my face, leaving me with a bit of a bruise. "None of these ponies should ever have trusted you! If you stayed on Earth where you truely belonged, we would all be happier!"
...Reminds me of things bullies once said to me as I was growing up. Only... it would be wishing I was dead instead. Even when his hoof slams into my face's side, I fell to the floor and on the side by the shoulder, spitting blood out from my mouth.
"Hang the monster!" I can hear the chants of the elite. The only ones who aren't doing it are those who didn't have the status, and even Fancy Pants was trying to tell everypony to stop this at once.
Twilight gets up onto all of her four hooves, galloping towards the prince who looked even more aggressive that I had ever seen as two of the elites picked me up off from the ground, dragging me by the arms with the crowd. "Brayden didn't do anything!" She insists, afraid that I was going to get killed by the hooves of the elite. "Guards, please do something about this!"
The guards don't respond to her wishes, even if she had the wings and the status. "Sorry to say this, but because I am of the royal family; the guards will not do anything to help you with this. Only Aunt Celestia, Luna or myself can command them," Blueblood responds to her, amid the chanting and the screams of the public to spare my life. "You don't even have guards to command for your own castle, so either way... you influence nothing in the city for these ponies!"
That's all I can really hear as I am being dragged away with him in tow to watch and oversee that nopony intervenes or tries to set me free. A few of the other elites that I knew that had shown despise for the poor and other species in their city, gather eggs and throw them at my face within the close range they were in.
I can only taste as a bit of the rotting egg yolks begin to slide down on my face, and all those dragging me to another part of the city, just calling me the usual insulting names for my species. Some of the yolk drip towards my eyes, and I closed them so that I would be sure none could be able to slip right in and stop me from seeing exactly what was going on. Being that I was blind with the attacks, I didn't know where we were going.
"Brayden!" I can hear the voice of Rainbow Dash crying out, though I couldn't look to see what was happening.
My bare feet are hurting from all of the tiles that it would climb and suddenly scrape against below, especially with the toenails I have. It felt rather irritating, but no matter how I tried to speak out and tell the angered elites this... more eggs or insults drown out my voice to reason with them. For what happened here, there would be no convincing them or their one-sided views.
I can feel something sliding around my neck as we continuing to move forward, and I can tell by how it ranged to around the back of the neck, that this was a rope meant for me. An end to a life for me, should the hanging begin at any moment.
The insults... the eggs tossed to slam into me and the rest of my body... it almost felt like this was already the beginning of hell for me that I would find myself in. Even though I didn't do anything wrong... and knew nothing of this human that attacked. Still, I can only try and think of the good stuff amid everything going on as well as the screaming of my name from Twilight.
Crying is also heard among the anger displayed, as I knew it was Fluttershy. I want to reach out to her and give her comfort, but even so I can find myself close to death's arms as sound begins to drown out slowly from all of the happy memories I shared with those I loved when the rope with tightening around my neck.
I felt my breath choke, a lack of oxygen emerging and having no choice but to keep my eyes closed...
"Stop..." I can hear Nightmare plead with the furious. "...please!"
Being that my own hands are tied, there was nothing I can do about this, even when I was slowly giving out to the demands of what death wanted. The screaming, crying and wrath can only get louder the more I felt like my body was going to give up soon... it could only take somepony bigger to stop this.
"ENOUGH OF THIS!"
From amid the screaming, I knew I recognized that Royal Canterlot Voice somepony spoke out in. It doesn't sound like my Aunt Luna coming to stop all of this, but I knew this to be the voice of my own mother... Celestia who trotted away from me, days ago for what I did.
Now I wonder, why does it seem like that my close and best friends who saw what I did to King Sombra and trotted away... now want to speak with me?
My eyes slowly open up, seeing that everypony and their volumes had completely drawn towards being silent when she unleashed the "RCV" to gain their attention as she also had the authority. There she was in the sunlight, shining brightly in the sky and flapping her large dove white colored wings as her eyes stare down at everypony with a look that was both cross and angered.
"Where are the guards?" She almost demanded. "Why are they not stopping you from doing this?!"
"Because I made the orders, Aunt!" I can hear Prince Blueblood right behind me. He comes into my view, even when the rope around me loosened and allowed me to breathe again. "What this scum has done to bring only harm, and he could bring more attacks similar to this if we do not have him killed for what he did!"
She descends down to the ground with the now-startled elites and allowing her a path to see me in the status I remained in. Blood continued to pour out from my mouth from the damage that Blueblood had done to me, as well as the egg yolks mixing into it when it was dripping to the tiles below.
Her voice sounding rather angry, though still calm in her tone acknowledged the elites around me, being that they were in her presence. "You shall not bring harm to him as long as I live!" She said, being the mother I could see in her - being there as I knew she would be.
"Why should we?!" Jet Set called out, sounding just about as angry as the arrogant prince leading them to do this.
Celestia could only close her eyes as the looks of the concerned, and the anger surrounded me and her at the same time. Some of the pegasi in the air, can only watch and see as she would soon open her mouth to be that it would finally be something being revealed to them all.
To display the importance as to why I should not allow harm to be brought to me, just as I promised to never bring harm to anypony unless they now threatened to bring that kind of issue towards the innocent. Her magenta eyes opened up, and from there with the voice of true family love came the truth:
"Brayden is important to me, and I am one responsible for the reason he is in this world thanks to my sister... he is my first-born and only child. By my own word, nopony shall bring harm to my son."
Complete silence was brought among the crowd who had surrounded me and the elite who wanted to execute me. There was complete shock amongst those who weren't aware of the news that I was told long ago. There could only be the sound of the soft-blowing wind in the sky, even when the aftershock settled in.
I can feel the ropes around my neck and hands becoming slowly released by a few unicorns behind me. The wings that remained in a tight grip is slowly and easily released by the clamps that I felt on the diamond blue wings of mine. The feeling of weakness from what I had taken washing abroad inside of me when they are taking it off.
Taking only one step forward towards my mother, I can only fall down with only my knees and hands to catch my grip from falling to the street tiles below me. My brown eyes turn up with only the extention of worry on Celestia's face and the trotting towards me.
"Brayden..." She calls to me, opening her wing and placing it around my back.
A mother and son moment together in that moment came to be when her worries in her eyes were still seen visible, I knew there was more to that moment. It was almost as if she wanted to apologize to me for what she did to me. I gain only a bit of strength from this, enough to get me back up onto my two feet and move closer to her.
My arms gently moved around her neck, and my head positioning itself past her neck. I can feel one of her hooves move to my back. A light weight of her head above mine is felt, and I felt comfortable being that she didn't want to shun me away.
"Your friend Alex... he has never been more right about what had happened to my subjects," She manages to get out, feeling a bit of drops as I can tell. Pretty sure my mother was trying not to cry about this. "I should have heeded his warnings of what would happen if we didn't realize the good you did to help us with King Sombra. All of us... we were wrong to shun you away for what you had done to save us from a possible enslavement..."
I position my head to the side from underneath her head and allow myself to nuzzle the left cheek of my mother. "Mom, you don't have to apologize. It's not your fault."
Parts of the rotten melted yolks and my blood were getting onto my mother's coat, so I had to eventually release from the hug. When I had released from her hug, I could only look at her while hearing a few of my friends' reactions to her announcement that only the few I've told were aware of it.
"Ah don't get it. Celestia is Brayden's mother?" Applejack is quite confused by all of this. "Things in Equestria are gettin' stranger by each passin' day, yet Ah didn't expect this at all."
Rarity's response to the news caught her completely out of nowhere. She could barely close her mouth until me and Celestia stopped sharing the family hug. "My... my stars!" She does manage to get out. "Brayden... Celestia's son?!" She tries to maintain herself on this when that huge smile grew on her face, but ends up fainting.
We all know how Pinkie reacts to the big news when they are revealed. Holding in her breath, she nearly farts out confetti from her ass. "Brayden is the son of the princess?! This sounds like a party to me!" She chants with a sing-song tone after having asked in the same surprised tone that everypony was feeling.
"No parties, not at this moment Pinkie. Maybe later." I can hear Nightmare Moon using her black coated left front hoof to place on the thrilled pink earth pony.
The party pony was a bit surprised by her action, but removes her mouth from the hoof and placing her right front hoof onto it. "Of course it'll be later. Did you think I'd make to having it at a bad time?"
"Well, I didn't suspect it either..." Rainbow Dash's voice can be heard while in my sight, both Twi and Flutters are trotting forward towards me. "But hey, I can't really complain as he is still the friend we know." She puts a soft smile on her face, and proceeds to hand me a letter.
I looked at the letter, containing that familiar cutie mark I recognized while living at the castle. "A letter from Starlight?" I asked, taking it in my hands and opening it up.
Rainbow puts on an awkward face, but still keeps the grin on her mouth. "You could say that she insisted on helping with the letter."
The parchment was seen inside of it when I gave the package a tear. Fluttershy in part of my sight, is holding onto a wet cloth to aid me with the mess I had on me from the beating I took and the eggs thrown at me. From there, I begin to read the written text:
"Brayden,
I know that you're probably mad at us for what we did on giving you the silent treatment. A few days ago, Alex came to all of us and had told us that you were in the right all along for having had to give King Sombra the rightful death.
Yes, we know... it's the Equestrian law we were blinded by for this once without knowing it. The law in which it is forbidden to kill a pony. Even though King Sombra had no values of ever trying to stand on trial, it would be a complete total backstab and it would have resorted in your death and our enslavement had you not decided to take his life with the Song of Order by which you carry.
With that, we understand the consequences that you are most likely considering if you don't want to talk with us for a while. We are sorry for what we wrongly did, and even over time... we hope you can forgive all of us for the mistake we made.
From: Starlight Glimmer, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Cadence, Sunburst and Spike
Love: Celestia, Luna and your book-loving princess and wife, Twilight Sparkle"
I chuckled for a moment. "Book-loving princess and wife, huh? Starlight really loves to add something special there as a joke."
Twilight's cheeks lit up with pink for a few moments. "Don't ask. I kind of insisted on adding that part to the letter." She claimed and giggling for a little bit, the tone in her voice sounding calm for a moment.
"Prince Blueblood," My mother who stood before me, acknowledges the stallion behind me who most likely was giving me dirty looks. "Why would you strike my son?"
"You just don't understand anything I am trying to tell you nowadays Aunt Celestia," He begins to whine. "Ever since the truth slipped out, you've been trying to ensure that nothing bad happens to him or any of the other humans he has here. It's almost as if you are trying to coddle him like a newborn filly!"
"I only do what I need to do to protect him. He trusts me completely enough since his arrival to know that I am not over-protective as you think I might be. I've actually given him plenty of privacy to be with his wife and friends and he's made some proud achievements."
He responds with a 'pfft' as if it was nonsense to him. "Proud achievements... like causing a human we've never seen before to attack us!"
With that accusation brought up once again, she finally sets her hoof down to the tiles. "Words like that cannot and will not be used to target him as the evidence was shown that he's done nothing wrong... and that whoever it was, wasn't in his group. Head back to the castle, as I'll be having a talk with you later about this."
Being that the higher power was in the area and sight, the unicorn prince himself just raises his head, a "Hmph!" following afterwards when he begins trotting away with a few of the other elites like Jet Set and Upper Crust joining him.
"You're lucky I'm not going to strip you of your status as a prince." She warns him as he trots away out of my sight.
Even as he trots away, I could hear him murmuring to himself again. Don't exactly know what he was saying, but by the tone of it... probably just pissed off and had to let loose the rest of the steam he had inside of him in another part of the city or his own room. Upper Crust just gives me this glare for a few moments from behind her as she follows along.
A damp wet cloth is being placed onto my lips and gently wiping to clean off what damage was done to me. Fluttershy being the one to do that, looked rather worried about me. I can see Twilight approaching me with the same kind of emotion displayed even when I was being cleaned up.
"Are you okay Brayden?" The tone of her voice sounding very troubled, feeling her hoof touch the top of my right hand, giving it a gentle rub.
I turn and look at those beautiful violet eyes of hers. "I'm fine," I responded to her. "But what about you? Blueblood shoved you, and I am hoping you're not hurt."
"I'm not hurt, just very surprised that he would do that, even to a mare."
I can hear somepony agree with her statement which I knew was Rarity herself. "I was right all along about him!" She had finally gotten up after that shocking conclusion told to her by Celestia, and was able to catch onto the conversation between me and her.
My eyes did turn to look at Rarity when she said that, and then change back to glancing at the lavender toned alicorn in front of me. Those eyes gazing in the opposite direction towards me. Her hoof still remained on top of my hand, but I allow myself to take it, and hold it.
That look in her eyes... there was something else she wanted to say, but looked like she was having a bit of a hard time getting it out. I am not going to rush her on getting an answer out, so I wait patiently while she gets herself together. I too was quiet even with the nervous look on her face, and then the sound of her exhaling a sigh.
"Brayden," She gets out, moving closer to me and not once taking her eyes off of me. "I know you've already read the letter Starlight made from us to you, but I feel like I should just let you hear it from my voice."
I move my other hand to her mane and give it gentle strokes to keep her calm. "You don't have to apologize Twilight," I said to her in a calm, gentle voice. I can feel her wings wrap around my back, so with no reaction there my right hand let go of her hoof to move around her neck with that arm. "I completely understand that you and our friends are feeling a bit of regret for turning me away... you know deep down I will always forgive. It's how it is written in my own blood."
A smile appears on her mouth, and I gave her a gentle push towards me. My arms are wrapped around her neck, and those soft and warm hooves wrap around my back. I can feel her left cheek nuzzle with me as me and her share a warm and compassionate hug together.
For that moment and my wings shuffling a bit in its closed state, I almost felt as if I was reliving that very first night when I had confessed my love for her as I always did. My hand shifts for a bit to stroke to silky and soft mane once again, knowing that she felt to be in relief that I haven't changed my stance on them nor her at all. I motion my head to the left, gently placing my lips onto Twilight's cheek to peck her.
She giggles for a moment. "I can see your peaceful personality hasn't changed at all." She comments after that, nuzzling my cheek again after the kiss.
"How did you know?" I joke with her, chuckling for a moment and then just opening my eyes to look at her from this side. "It's just a relief to see that you and the girls are okay."
Her head moves and is removed from my shoulder, looking at me once again. "Of course we would be okay, the news was given to us when we were in Ponyville, judging by the black cloud of smoke," She says to me. "If it happened in Ponyville, you would be already demanding answers from who could have done it."
"I don't know what Alex did to tell you all through, but I'll have to give him a talk to once this has all blown over and we find out more about why this attack was made here."
Pinkie rushed in between us with a bright smile on her face. "Alex turned out to be angry at us for not talking with Brayden after the King Sombra incident, but even so I already forgave him. Though Rarity seemed a bit distracted to listen along with what your friend was telling us."
The white unicorn herself looked a bit guilty about it. "I- I was making something extra for Andrea! I couldn't let any distractions get in the way!"
I look to Rarity, seeing her face full of that same emotion even in the tone of her voice. "There isn't any need to fear about it, I knew you had your own duties for fashion with others; so it's okay." I told her.
"Oh?" She said with a bit of a surprise. Following afterwards is a smile of relief on her mouth, seeing that I didn't have a problem with her working and doing her job. "With all that aside, I'm hoping you'll like the finalized design of the dress I am making for Andrea. Being that it's been practically weeks or months since we brought her and your other two friends back from Earth, I believe we should give them something a bit more comfortable to wear."
A smile appeared on my face when I was thinking about Andrea's reaction when she sees the dress. Though I can't quite paint a clear picture on what it would look like in appearance, I was quite sure that it would be rather something that would be for Andrea's fun personality. "I'm sure she will appreciate it well from you. You've made me many clothing and suits, I really don't know how to-"
"No need to thank me, it's just my Spirit of Generosity inside of my heart."
From the sound of the crowd of ponies quietly talking while observing everything that is going on, there was a distant sound that I recognized but couldn't quite put my finger on it. It sounds like a rush of wind above our heads... almost like there was a distant roar.
I try and ignore that sound, keeping a smile on my face as the fading of the sound grows distant again, though none have noticed any difference at all - considering that the ponies of Canterlot live on the side of a mountain. The looks on my friends' faces haven't changed at all either when the sound came by.
The whooshing of wind sounds much louder this time the next couple of seconds later. It manages to catch the attention of everypony who didn't hear it before, and Twilight began to look around in wonders of where the sound was coming from and why it was getting closer. I allow her to move off of me, getting her wings off my back and her hooves back onto the tiles.
"What was that?" She almost sounds rather alarmed when the sounds continued to move closer towards the location.
Twitchy-twitchy is Pinkie's tail that I looked and saw that even alarmed her as well to what was unexpected to come up soon. "My tail's saying that something isn't good at all judging by my Pinkie Sense!" She says to me, a little worried.
My eyes were kept in the direction that the whooshing winds were evolving from, as its pitch changes and begins to deepen in its tone, almost as if sounding like a roar. It almost sounds like I've heard that familiar roar from somewhere... oh shit... Mortem...
Above the rooftops in the city, rode above one of Equestria's feared enemies in flight and terrorizing anypony who dare cross it. It's scales of bronze and fearful gaze made sure that any pegasi who dare look in its eye be their next meal for the winged beast itself. Each pegasi who had been watching what had been happening before with the anger of the elites now have their attention turned towards the creature from hell itself.
I've seen them before, and so have a few familiar faces in the crowd... a blood dragon.
Screams of terror were next thing to happen as each earth pony, pegasi and unicorn began to gather away behind their dear leader Celestia. My mother, doing all she can to keep her subjects under control and to not be brought into a panic unless the blood dragon decided to makes its first move on any of them.
The only ones besides myself not to move from position is Twilight, our friends and Nightmare who are in complete surprise to see a blood dragon for the first time in the flesh other than last time when there was the journey into Mortem. My wife keeps herself close to me, with hopes I can protect her if she is the desired target for the beast itself, that roars loudly in the skies above.
Gazing right at me with its reptile-like eyes, I can easily tell that she is not the one that he is after. By its powerful wings, it floats above us in a circular path to ensure that it can maintain a position for it to make it's proper landing - judging by its descent.
I don't have the Song of Order on me... dammit! If I had it on me, I would already have it sheathed and ready to defend and fight back against it.
Its feet stomp down onto the tiles, crushing them below and causing the ground below us to shake, and proceed with making us all stumble a bit from the small rumbling quake. I thought I was going to fall, but with Twilight behind to support me - I didn't. Unarmed before its eyes, there was a sign upon its growl to not make any moves. Guards swarm around the winged dragon, pointing their sharpened iron spears right at it.
"G-g-g-great Celestia!" I can hear Spike saying behind me. "I haven't seen a dragon like that before, but I can tell he's not one for good news."
The eyes of yellow turned to the baby dragon behind me for a moment, clawing forward by a few giant steps towards him. "And who are you to judge a messenger of the Dragon Queen herself?!" It's low-toned voice of anger spit out.
I turned for a moment and could see Spike stepping forward and looking brave. "Yes, it's I... Spike the Brave and Glorious, talking to you!"
"Spike, what are you doing?!" Twilight sounds a little panicked to hear her best friend standing up to him despite how small he was, while the blood dragon looked much tougher than him.
The blood dragon could only laugh for a moment. "Nothing more than a puppet for the ponies, aren't you? Too bad you can't have the strength we have when the Dragon Queen rises and sends you to feel her purifying flames." He responds to his comments, even as he continues forward. "A little brat like you couldn't possibly stand up to her, nor can your Paladin of Equestria save you from the damnation she will soon bestow upon all of you."
"You're not going to hurt them!"
He tries to charge at the dragon, despite how much bigger in size he was. I am quick to unfurl my left wing and use it as a barrier. Spike manages to stop, but looks at me for a moment as he is probably thinking about why I'm stopping him.
I closed my wing and took a few steps forward to him, opening my mouth and unveiling who I was. "You're looking for the Paladin of Equestria? Then you are looking at him."
"The Dragon Queen had high expectations when she told us of your first battle with her. You are her seem to be quite powerful with your magic. However, you still are not as powerful as she is. A return was made by her to your lands, thanks to a portal to bring in an army from Earth she recruited all by herself, as well as weapons to her own use," The dragon looked at me as I stood bravely before him. Celestia dared not to move a muscle, but remained worried for me as it was a mother influence on her like any other mother that their own offspring would get hurt. "After the attack here, I was sent here by her to find you... and here you are as she had predicted..."
"Why would Rebecca send you here?" I grit my teeth, trying not to think about how Rebecca wanted to kill my friends the first time confronting her in two years.
The dragon crawls over towards me, inhaling a sniff from me into his nostrils. "So you have alicorn's blood mixed with your human blood..." He tells me, as if I didn't know that already. "But you do not possess your own magic, and only would need the blade to help you."
"Enough mind games!" Nightmare shouts at him. "Tell us why you are here!"
He is not at all bothered by the black alicorn's annoyance when he turned back to look at me. The sharpened teeth of his visible before our own eyes. "As the messenger tasked by the Dragon Queen herself for whom you call Rebecca, she has a message for you personally - and I will allow every single one of these ponies here to listen. For it will be uneasy for them," He has a bit of a smile on its lips. "But it'll happen to them sooner or later."
It's wings began to glow with orange as mystic symbols of red began to flow out of it and into the sky to form a large oval circle. All of us could only watch while Nightmare trots beside me, and places a wing in front of me in case it was actually a trick.
In that oval shaped screen-like spell, there is the flow of what looks to be fire burning inside of it forevermore. The dragon spreads it wings and with a dipping position, floats off from the ground towards the spell. I didn't know what to expect what'll happen as soon as I laid eyes upon Rebecca again.
Ponies around me were frightened by when the dragon got absorbed into the screen and allowed for more power to the spell, but the flames in that screen began to grow more out of control. In the blackness based in its background, I can see a picture coming in... and I can see a bit even when it was still blurry and forming out from nowhere in that effect.
A familiar shape in the picture, based on the red hair... I knew that it would be Rebecca that I was about to face in months. The fire begins to die down and the image began to unveil more of itself before my own eyes. I place my left hand onto Nightmare's wing that is protecting me, and I lower it down with a look in my own brown eyes that just told me to let me handle this.
Nightmare almost doesn't want to let me go past, but has no choice but to hear my word. A few steps closer to the spell, and the picture became clear in it above everypony else as Rebecca was looking right down at me and all of Canterlot, a glare of hatred upon her face for having seen me again or her own enemies who are my friends.
She hasn't changed in appearance either, though she was wearing something very queen-like being that holding the title of the Dragon Queen judging by the black and scaled gown she wore. Her hazel-green eyes staring darts at my brown eyes. Underneath that gown is her black vest-like suit that I recalled her wearing when I fought her.
"Brayden..."
That was the first time I heard her voice in months, even when I glare right back at her. My wings a shuffling for a moment as it was just itching to fly up to the screen and attack her, though I didn't have my weapon on me - so... no, I'm not making an attack since that spell isn't a portal either.
The tone of my voice began to sound a little bit angered when I saw her. "What are you doing here in Equestria?!"
She laughed for a moment. "Surprised, aren't you? It wasn't too hard to find that portal that led to Mortem itself. All it took was the connections into those so-called 'episodes' that enpowered where the location was, based on what my pendant was telling me."
"Episodes? What do you mean?"
"The episodes that you were in, and featured in... managed to cause an effect on Earth where there was a portal appearing in Switzerland each time you appeared whenever the episode debuted. Anything other than that, looked like the episode was completely normal."
A blank stare is drawn onto my face. "I'm pretty sure Alex told me something about that." I comment with a tone that just says 'duh'.
"It gave me an opportunity to bring the Global Persecution here, with a little persuasion that guide them with me, and them and my dragons still do my bidding even after my ancestors were banished for the many centuries... all the way back to the Dark Ages. But now, you're wondering about the attack on Canterlot."
"Did you call for that attack to be made so the elite here could blame me and the others?!" I started to sound a little angry.
"There's a motion that has been going throughout history. Divide and conquer," She says to me, forming a smile underneath that glare. "Why do you think I want to ensure that you and none of your friends are powerful enough to stop me?"
"Many ponies I befriended over the time I've been here are on my side. They wouldn't want me killed unlike that one unicorn Blueblood and a few I believe have a grudge against me. Nor would our allies in the Dragon Lands surrender to you." I responded to her.
"Ember whom holds the throne is no true queen if she is being peaceful towards all of you, and giving all of you a fair chance. Had she been more tough, she would've made a great ally."
"You leave her out of this!" I can hear Spike shout with the accompanied steps he made to move aside from me. I turn my head to see the angry Spike facing her in the screen spell now that he's got her attention. "Ember is our friend, and she'd never stand with the likes of you or somepony as wicked as you!"
Rebecca began to giggle with a hint of amusement before speaking to him. "So you must be the baby dragon that is smothered and raised to be just like your pony friends around you."
"Yeah, and proud of it!"
"Is that so?" She responds, exhaling a bit of an almost inaudible sigh before continuing with a slight inhale of air. "Well, I think it's just too bad that you are completely wingless, and are nothing more than their servant puppet to them. Typical of those equines you stand with."
Spike clenched his small dragon claws together. "You sound just like my old nemesis Garble."
"Garble, hm? I sound like him?" She asked in a sarcastic way. "I'll be sure to look him up, he'd do quite nice for my army."
An aura of purple surrounded Spike and pulled him back from the screen back towards Rarity. I already knew by the sound of magic being channelled that it was Twilight behind me, just trying to keep her assistant safe. "While I think it's good to stand up for Ember, might I suggest letting Brayden handle the rest of the talking?" I can hear her whisper.
Spike gets up and tries to run back towards the spot, but in order to keep him restrained from causing more unnecessary trouble with Rebecca there had to be help. Rarity and Pinkie were there to keep him from intervening further from what she was planning for me and all of us.
"Enough shenanigans!" I turn back to the mystical screen to face her. "What do you even want? If it's to hurt anypony, then it is something I will never stand for!"
She smiles for a moment, and I can hear the sound of whimpering in the mystical screen. Her right arm begins to lift upward and I can see that she is holding somepony quite familiar with a similar Stetson-like hat almost similar to Applejack's. "Am I now?" Rebecca says with the tone that didn't sound like she would surrender easily.
I took a good look at the stallion now clear before my own eyes in the screen that her single hand held onto. Aside from wearing a cowboy like hat that looked all in the family, there was the two-toned color of brilliant gamboge and amber highlights in his mane and tail. I remembered him from the journey with Sunset & Co. when on our way to Mortem and provided a great help. The colors in his eyes look to be a brilliant pistachio and his coat is a light gold. Judging by the cutie mark simply being an apple... I can tell that this was a member of the Apple family.
"Braeburn!" I can hear Applejack cry out with fear.
"Finally... a recognizable face I remember from the last experience." Rebecca comments as she held Braeburn in place, who is in complete fear.
I can hear the stallion struggling for a bit, with almost the same cuts on him that I can recall being inflicted upon me from her with the burn marks that was left from the cuts. The burns looked to dig themselves quite deep but not enough to make contact with the blood stream, though to admit being a human for so long; doesn't make me an expert on pony anatomy. So wherever it was, I was shit outta luck on guesses for knowing how it worked.
Braeburn looks to the screen to see his cousin from there. "Applejack..." He sounds very hurt when he weakly spoke. "Ah... Ah tried to escape... but she got me..."
I turn around to see Applejack galloping forward, and she looked quite angry to know about this. "Ya let him go this instant ya witch!" She was close to screaming at her when raising her voice. "Ah swear on Celestia herself that if ya dare hurt him anymore... Ah'll-"
"You'll do what?" I can hear Rebecca respond to her. "You'll try to buck me in the face? I possess two katanas blessed by the ancestors before my place as the new Dragon Queen, I'd practically slice you in half."
Behind her, I can see that familiar sheriff being dragged along with a few ropes to pull him forward. He is struggling to try and get away from the different men that were there and looked to be from a desert area.
"That's exactly what the attacker looked like!" I can hear a voice behind me call out, along with a few others in agreement.
I couldn't take my eyes off from the screen though as the sheriff and Braeburn are thrown into a jail cell of their own, with the iron bars slamming tight by the men themselves. Rebecca can only turn and look at me while my heart began to feel a little bit of an uneasy feeling that was quite hurt. Her wings unfurl and she begins to walk backwards to reveal what looks to be prisoners that are deputies of Appleloosa themselves being targetted.
Rebecca snapped her fingers and allowed a few men positioned there in their usual clothings of old times to take out their firearms and aim right at them from the angle I was seeing. Then comes the loading of them and then the opening of Rebecca's mouth to speak again.
"Our last fight definitely shown to me that you are connected quite well with the friendships of the many ponies. You could say that it's a sign of your weakness... and I have to expose it for what it is," She said for a moment while sweat is dripping down from the earth pony deputies themselves, fearing for their own deaths. Then she makes the order confirmation. "Kill them."
The gunfire was the most terrifying that I could see with my own very eyes as bullets are loading right into the three of the stallions along with their ear-piercing screams when their blood is spilt all over the floor of the canyon county. My eyes couldn't let go of the violence and the disorder that she was causing and worse is how it would affect my heart...
...I ended up screaming for a moment and felt my own hand touch my chest where the heart was positioned, trying to keep the sudden stinging away - but with no avail when it has began to have the burning sensation of seeing innocent ponies die before my own eyes. I couldn't even breath at all when this came across me.
"Brayden!" I can hear Twilight as she stands next to me, seeing me fall onto my knees by which I had no control over. I wasn't about to fall though, as I easily could prevent myself from doing that.
The voices of my close and best friends began to surround around me while I can feel myself beginning to vibrate a bit on the inside, almost as if a chill came across me. Rebecca's glare and smile can be seen in the picture above, watching me suffer even when the prisoners have succumbed to their wounds inflicted by the men she had.
My vision is beginning to shake a bit...
October 2, 2005
I can see myself as a twelve year old kid again, back on Earth in the same town I grew up in. It was the end of summer already and the beginning of the autumn season. This was back when middle school was my current education for that year.
At this school, I didn't really encounter any bullying or experienced anything myself. If any, it's where I remembered most of my childhood for playing the part of how I met the best friend who would eventually become my enemy. If anything else, the years until the end of summer in 2010 is where me and her made many good memories together.
It was another rainy afternoon when school came into the recess break and the kids were outside. Judging by the weather, the forecast in the morning said that it wasn't going to thunder and that it would only be a lighter rain to deal with. I was not with the other kids when they were all playing on the field, as they had their own sports interests like soccer and playing basketball in the court. Not really my thing, but I had my own things I would do to avoid the popular crowds.
Wandering and exploring the small woods near the school was something that I really liked to do, especially since there was no dangerous animals running about with vicious teeth that would want to kill me. Most of them were just small squirrels running about and gathering acorns for the next coming winter in two months. I can remember this day for a very long time, as this is when a memory was made in that coming spot.
The raindrops were falling onto the leaves, and dripping off of them to fall onto the forest floor below. Those that remained on the fading leaves would remain there, dampening the leaf itself to have a wet touch should any hand touch it. The sound of the rain is also heard as well, falling onto the dirt and trees.
Footsteps are heard by my own shoe-covered feet, touching onto the dampening mud as I journey forward into the forest behind a couple of homes in a neighbourhood. From my knowledge of being here many times, I knew there was a large sewer pipeline fit for any kid and adult to climb inside. For god knows how long, it's been abandoned - so I shouldn't have to worry about getting myself sick at anytime from the smell. Probably reserving the health of the forest itself.
The pipe was close by, and I'm doing all I can to not slip on the mud and fall with a slide down to the bottom of the forest. My hand is gripped onto branches of trees sticking out from the soil, as a good way to keep me in position or from sliding away should I slip. I continue forward, nearly having slipping en route there until my hands gripped onto the steel itself past the cement.
I climb right into the pipe and sit there while the rain runs outside in the forest - the school out of my viewpoint. A few driplets are caught by the swirly shaped steel and crawl down towards the darkness with only the speck of light on the other side to show the other end that mostly led to the neighbourhood. Loads of kids whether middle-school or high school would short-cut through it, but not at this time of day.
Probably most of the time for their own private drug dealings, as there has been a bad case of kids getting involved with those kinds of people. Pretty sure how their behaviour changes is based on them being complete bullies in that timing of school - while elementary bullies, are just bullies to make others feel weak and an outcast.
Sniffing sounds are caught by my own ears while I had been watching the rain in the forest. It was enough to catch my attention that it sounded like there was someone else in the steel pipe with me.
I turn around and I can catch a glimpse of a girl that I didn't notice before, though I recognized her briefly from when I was attending the assembly for the First Day of School in the gymnasium.
She had red hair as I remember many times growing up, but was almost covering up her face with it along with her arms crossed and her head dug into it when she was sitting. A bit of darkness is covering a bit, but by the sniffing... twelve year old me must have wondered what was wrong and if she was okay.
Moving from the position I had been in, I made a slow approach towards her but kept a distance in case she didn't want anything to do with me. She was shaking at first, but eventually halted on it and stopped shaking.
Her head moves upwards and I can recognize her as Rebecca when she was as old as me by the same age. Tears were streaming down from her cheeks from those hazel-green colored eyes of hers as she looked up at me. The emotion in my eyes could tell she was feeling emotionally hurt and I felt like asking what was wrong.
Silence is the only thing that really came out as I have lost memories over time of what I had said to her and of my many conversations with her and having lunch in the cafeteria with her for practically every school day that made her my best friend. I can feel my mouth moving, but there is no sound but the rain.
Rebecca responds in silence as well, as she did explain what was really going on with her and why she was crying.
A bit of a story was told by her; as she came from a different elementary school and grew up almost in a way like mine. She was bullied for trying to be different and to stand out among everyone else at the school yard. She felt lonely... and I decided to make a friend with her. I did have friends in the same classroom, but I didn't hang out with them as they had their own interests that weren't my own.
Needless to say, she accepted my friendship offer and she calmed down after talking with me for a while, as well as making worthy introductions.
When someone hurt her feelings, I would be there to support her... because as her best friend, I cared about her... as long as I was there, no one would tease her for her interests that we shared in common...
Equestria
Present Time
My eyes seemingly open up to when I had gone through a lot of pain of seeing the ponies die, and I felt absolutely angered now that the stinging was leaving my body and allowing me some room to maintain myself.
To my own surprise, I can feel a set of mulberry colored wings wrapped around me and a hoof gently rubbing my back softly. I am being comforted through the pain by my own wife, whose head is past my own so I cannot see the emotion on her face. The looks on my friends' faces could be seen as well, along with my mother's expression who looks dreadfully worried about me.
I can hear Twilight's beautiful and gentle words soothing away all of the pain I had experienced. "It's all going to be okay Brayden... we're all here for you..." It almost felt like medicine to my ears.
Rebecca still remained on the screen with that glare on her face as she looked down upon all of us with a sadistic smile. This wasn't the Rebecca that I knew anymore when I saw her, as she had turned into nothing more than a monster for what she ordered her men to do. I am able to lift up my head, and glare right back at her.
Anger is flowing through my veins for what she did to those ponies, and if they had families... I will by my mother herself, avenge them for the family members that they had grown up with. The emotion that had been purified by my own magic isn't acting corrupt this time to where it would shut down my body... but it was acting to be meaningful on why these ponies died by her hands. I almost wanted to jump through that screen and strangle her.
"My only mistake was that my ancestor did not get a chance to stop the knight who once wielded the Song of Order himself, before it was given to you. For that, I will not repeat that mistake again of letting myself get banished again!"
Celestia stood forward before me, allowing me to watch her. "That's enough! I'm not going to stand by while you hurt and kill my subjects!"
"Thus: I give you this order! You are to bring Brayden to Appleloosa, and exchange him peacefully to switch places with this 'Braeburn' I hold in a cell. He'll be taken care of, and I will give back the member of his friend's family in one piece!"
Flames began to appear on the screen as the transmission was coming to an end. Even when I regained movement from the shock, I couldn't just simply try to make a move to the screen. She's not even there with us, and it's only her blood dragon messenger sending this news to me and everypony else.
Upon the completion of the spell, it appears once again with a mighty roar and begins to make flight back down south to Mortem. Even so, the ponies around me began to sound very worried judging by the tone of their murmuring.
I began to stand up slowly back onto my two feet. I wasn't about to let Rebecca get away with this, and if this was something to trade me for Braeburn; I knew that it was going to be a trap since she is good at secretly planning something out. I knew that I shouldn't go alone for this to deal with her or the soldiers who are determined to put me on the chopping block. I struggle for a bit with some soft grunts, but I am able to get up off of my knees.
"Applejack," I turned to my close friend and looked at her. "We have to get your cousin back. He's not safe under her watch as long as he remains in that cell."
She trots forward to me, taking off her Stetson-like hat and holding onto it. "Celestia knows what she'll do to him. We've gotta do somethin'!" She hung her head for a moment and exhales a saddened sigh. "Ah already lost mah parents before, Ah don't want somethin' similar happenin' again..."
I place my hand onto the shoulder of the gamboge coated earth pony, her scared eyes looking at me. I knew that in her mind, things were probably going to repeat themselves with memories that passed long ago. I had to give her some assurance, and I believe this was the solution to do it.
"Do not fear what you think will happen AJ," I spoke to her in a more calm tone in my voice, her emotions not changing a bit. "You became the first best friend to ever become my close friend, and you have shown me many times of your stance on how family matters for you, and it's taught me a lot of those values. I promise you this - I will not be alone when I go to Appleloosa. I will save your cousin, and bring him to Sweet Apple Acres."
A surprise came from her when she moves closer to me and wraps her hooves around me in a hug. I in return, allow myself to share the hug with her - knowing that I no longer had to ask for permission to give her one. We share it for a few more moments, and then we release.
"I know it's a hard choice for you Brayden," I turn to the sound of my mother's voice whose mane flows by itself. "What you've promised sounds to be like a sacrifice to go in and save my subjects, and even when you are armed and alone, I cannot allow myself to sign an entire army to attack... only a couple of the Equestria soldiers."
"A couple?" I asked.
Celestia shown a bit of disappointment. "I wish I could spare more, but with the recent attacks both here and in Appleloosa... we don't know when the Dragon Queen could strike again, so we have to be prepared. I hope you understand, and I will be waiting until you come home safe and sound."
"Those couple of soldiers will have to do, but I will assure that they will be safe and sound when they go back to their families... though I understand you can't save them all. I'll get back to the castle in Ponyville and retrieve the Song of Order."
I move forward to my mother and allow myself to give her the familiar 'mother and son' family hug that we share now that the news is leaked out. When I get back and hopefully survive, she too knows that I don't want any paparazzi or the tabloids coming about to follow me or make up false stories in the newspaper - so she'll work something out... though it'll take time.
"Brayden... what are you doing?" Twilight sounds alarmed by this decision, almost having been speechless when talking with Applejack and my mother.
I turn to look at my wife, the emotion on her face showing that something was wrong. I approach towards her, my wings shuffling a bit, as I didn't really know what to say to her. She practically worries about me a lot which I feel is a good thing - but I knew I had to do what must be done to save lives.
My right hand is placed onto her left cheek, and I give it a gentle caress when the tone of my voice drops again. "I can't just stand by anymore. I need to go with soldiers to Appleloosa to get back those who survived."
I could hear her gasp quickly for that moment, as I can sense she knew my life was going to be put in absolute danger, especially with the weapons they had. She's seen it all before when I battle Khaln, but this was Equestria soil that they committed the genocide, and whether I'm able to put a stop to Rebecca's army invading Appleloosa or not - I only did have one priority.
"Brayden, no!" She says to me with the same worried tone in her voice. Her soft, gentle hoof takes my right hand off from her cheek and holds onto it with the frown and same expression as the tone in her voice on her face. "Look at those weapons they have. You could get hurt worse than I might imagine or much worser... you might get killed!"
"Rebecca has made her message quite clear, and as long as I don't go there - the attacks on Equestria by her soldiers disguised are bound to keep happening. It'll repeat every day, every week... until she gets exactly what she wants. She made her choice, and I will be going," I told her, keeping calm when I spoke with her. "Sorry, but this action is to protect you and everypony else from further harm and death."
My head is brought forward to my wife's forehead and gently stroking her mane again, I pressed my lips onto there and gave her a kiss there. It didn't really change the expression she was feeling, but if any I am hoping that this will make her feel assured that I will be back from the battle which I did have a feeling would be bloody.
"Please don't go... you already are hurt from what happened today." She tries to tell me when I had released from the kiss on her forehead.
I can hear hooves trotting behind me. "I'm sorry Twilight," It was Celestia talking with her once again. "He must do what must be done."
From those violet colored eyes of hers, I can see a bit of tears beginning to form and I can sense that she didn't want me to go. I spread open my wings slowly and wrap them around her in a wing-hug that I shared with her. My hands gently pulling her close to me, and allowing the tears to crawl down and slide onto the clothing I wore.
Her lips come forward and I can feel them touch mine, and her eyes are closed. The feeling as I was pressing my lips with hers, felt like absolute heaven whenever this was happening and it was also the feeling of home there.
We finally release from the kiss after a few moments, and my wings that were hugging her move off from her and close up. I move my arms from around her off as well and gave her one last gentle stroke on her mane before I turned and began to leave, with my destination being Ponyville to grab my claymore.
I really wish I didn't have to leave... but I'm not coming back without a fight, even if it takes some faith in my friends to help me out with the soldiers. All I hope by my mother's light, is that the spell Nightmare gave me will work at helping to protect me, since it's only me and the select limited soldiers there to help me fight and push back.
But Rebecca did this all... and now her soldiers will have a taste of Equestrian-style medicine as an example not to mess with me or all of the enchanted lands.
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Having been going through computer updates can be really rough as it delays on the writing for that temporary time, plus there is my workplace. Still, I thought the outcome for this chapter was alright despite all of that.
Yes! I have seen the second trailer for "My Little Pony: The Movie" and needless to say, I am really excited to see the movie when it comes out. With that comes news that I have confirmed a re-write that will have Brayden included in it. I do picture him battling Tempest Shadow, though the earliest thoughts had pictured him battling the Storm King. Yes, I have read a bit of the prequel comic - so I know his personality now. Still, I can't wait since it'll be the first time going to see a movie with my local brony group.
Got a few concerts lined up this month: Boston w/ Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in 8 days, Iron Maiden w/ Ghost in 12 days and finally Metallica w/ Avenged Sevenfold and Volbeat the day after. Honestly, I am very excited to see the American legends Metallica at last, as I waited a long time to see them; being that I've already seen Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax in concert. Dragonforce w/ Once Human this month is still a maybe, but I will see if I can go.
It is confirmed though that I will be going back to Fan Expo Toronto on the 1st of September, though there are no confirmed MLP stars announced just yet to my knowledge. So far, I express interest in meeting the Game of Thrones actress "Lena Headey" who plays Cersei Lannister, plus Jennifer Hale who voices FemShep in the Mass Effect series. Tim Curry and Meat Loaf will also be there, so it should be fun.