A/N: Hmmmm, I think it's time for me to go another hiatus again. Nevertheless, here is the new chapter.

I might as well start off with the good news: I did go and see a few concerts in July which was Boston with Joan Jett, Iron Maiden for the third time with Ghost a fourth time seeing them. The night after was seeing Metallica at the Rogers Centre. Both Avenged Sevenfold and Volbeat opened for the American rockers, so the show was really good. I managed to get both a setlist for the Joan Jett show, and one of Kirk Hammett's guitar picks. Really worth it. Next concert worth stuff coming up: Deep Purple a second time with Alice Cooper a third time, followed by Epica with Lacuna Coil the next day.

Some bad news to share though: I do have to apologize for a delay in this chapter's release. Just know that it had nothing to do with a review that I received from the previous chapter, but again no story is perfect. I delayed on it because I was distracted and I'm constantly under stress because of work and the scheduling that I have to go through because of it. People have no idea what things in life are like in my shoes. I have been thinking of going for a new job, because from the latest offer - it seems to have better time management.

Another thing is that this story isn't going to last forever. It's pretty much going to come to a close soon, because leaving a story unfinished bugs the hell out of me. What is there, like a couple of chapters left? 25 of them? I don't know. I am working on something new however, and it basically takes place in the same universe as this story. It won't be canon to the story though as it won't be affected.

I'm looking forward to seeing "My Little Pony: The Movie" in October. Besides, who can't go wrong with seeing actual G4 Seaponies? Yes, I know they are also Hippogriffs. I'm really looking forward to seeing Tempest Shadow though. The feline Capper and the main villain, the Storm King look really promising. I'm even surprised that Zoe Saldana managed to land a role in this movie.

Aside from those, I might as well put this story on hiatus again for now. Hopefully something good will come in the way for me.

Review Responses:

guest (1): Thanks.

4theworldman: Thank you, but you'll find this one to be mostly going all Metal Gear Solid until the fight begins near the end of the story.

billykilly: Thanks. :) Lots of stuff are planned for the story, but as of now it's on a hiatus. But get ready for a new story soon.

guest (2): I thought that Tempest looks like she would have a good backstory, like how she lost her horn. In a movie re-write I've been promising for a bit of time now, I can see a fight between her and Brayden.

Ashley: I have something like that planned. We'll just have to wait and see.

guest (3): We'll see. Though I plan on writing the episode that has Daybreaker, but it'll be the final episode re-write I have in mind for the story.

guest (4): Patience please. :)

guest (5): He could stop by Yakyakistan at some point, though it would be with a group of friends. :)

jvs12: I know he was too forgiving, but isn't that Brayden's personality after all - unlike Alex who tells it like it is.

mr234scott: I know I responded to you already, but I'd like to thank you for sending me this review. :) I love it when people get excited to see that I uploaded a new chapter.

guest (6): As I said, patience. It's not easy doing something like this especially when I have work.

P.S. RIP Chester Bennington.

Outside of the window, the train is seen rolling alongside the tracks as en route south from Ponyville towards the canyon and desert-side part of Equestria. The sun of Celestia has already set down over the horizon to create an orange toned sky. A few buzzards brush by, but I can never recognize them from the speed that the royal military's train was going. Even the tone inside of the room I sat in was completely different from a normal train - even so the Friendship Express. Only difference being that it had a more duller green instead of looking cheerful.

I was seated in a private cabin that I took up once I got on board the train from collecting the Song of Order from the castle. From that other side of the sky where Luna's moon was slowly making its rise over the horizon, I knew I was going to have to brace myself when I would be going face-to-face with Rebecca again, and she might not be alone this time.

But hey, at least I've got the few soldiers that were trained in the grounds of the castle in Canterlot. I haven't seen them in action since I'm not one for that kind of stuff or the diplomatic politics of the land.

On the other side of the room and seated there with some odd look on his face is Alex, who was just eager enough to come along with me for the battle. While I am happy that he wants to assist me, he doesn't need to join in the unnecessary bloodshed should something like that happen. I tried to coax him out of it, but he made himself come along anyway.

I just hope he knows how to deal with these machete-wielding maniacs and the dragons...

My eyes are directed out of the window with a good view point to study on the desert and rocky lands as I was already familiar with what Appleloosa was like. In that darkness outside on the other side of the horizon, it's distant and faint but I can tell by the orange glow that it is the flames to lure me towards the trap they've set up for me.

Memory lane is kicking in once again while in this room, my mind drifting away from reality and into that same sequence like the astral realm when you normally have an out-of-body experience. Most of them being without sound, and that short by brief...

The face of mine looked to be filled with sorrow in a high school hallway, while tears are leaking down from those brown eyes. Ahead from me is Rebecca who appears to be walking away from both me and Andrea. I can still remember that day when she discovered that both of us were watching the show - after I talked about it for such a long time on my discovery of it. Words of hers hurt, as it revealed her true self.

Another captured moment being that of when I was re-living my first battle with her on the visit to Earth. Our blades clashing together in the rain, and our powers shown before humanity's own eyes for the first time at the bar. The flames created in the path of destruction she created with the fire breath she had.

I was so sure about it... but that pendant around her neck could be the reason why she's acting this way, as she's worn it many times but never went as far as to be that powerful.

"Yo! Earth to Brayden!" I can hear Alex's voice snap me out of it, as the tone of his voice sounded like he was asking for attention. "You in there?"

I groan softly for a moment, my eyes turning to look at him - his butt still seated as he looks only a little bit annoyed that I would get myself distracted again by what's been in the past. He is leaning in his chair, even the expression on his face giving away how he spoke. Typical Alex being him.

"Right here Alex, what do you need?"

He smirked for a moment. "Just making sure that you're ready." He responds.

"I think you mean that I'm ready to just about get my hands on that bitch if I must." I was already too pissed by what Rebecca had been doing to the civilians of Appleloosa. Even if Alex was to be reasonable on calming me down, I don't think it'll work.

"Relax Brayden," He raises the both of his open hands to urge calmness. "Even if she did do that on purpose, I know you. You've always been a man of second chances."

My eyes turn into a bit of a glare. "Why?" I began to question him. "Why the fuck would you go and yell at my wife and friends?"

"They were practically acting ridiculous with this Equestria law bullshit about murder, so I put them in their place," He said, getting up off from the seat and approaching me. "Worked like a charm unlike how you would normally act when they decide to not talk with you after that."

I get up from the opposite side seat and approached him. "My friends are easily sensitive, that I can understand - part of me knowing they'll regret giving me the cold shoulder later. That attack on Canterlot showed what happens when they decide to turn their backs." I began to get a little angry in the tone of my voice.

"What my point really is is that you are too forgiving of your own friends, and decide to have too much a heart for them." Alex says, being at the exact same height as me.

"Because I don't want to lose them."

He scoffs for a moment, a little bit of shared anger in his voice now. "Your weakness really shows when you decide to simply give them forgiveness. Hell, you're not even angry with them for their constant running away from you."

"Nightmare doesn't run away from me, at least she understands!"

"Because between you and her it's a completely different story, being that you saved her life. More than half of the elites in Canterlot actually want to have her killed, and ensure you go with her being that they are with Blueblood."

"At least she isn't weak..." I responded, cletching my right fist together - maintaining all I can to not punch Alex across the face. Had he said anything bad about her, I would have already done so - but being that Alex is my best friend I wasn't going to do so because I'm more better than being a violent person myself.

"But to forgive your friends easily... I expected better from you, like giving them a taste of their own medicine and not talking with them as punishment." Alex responds to me.

I release the pressure on my fist and just let it calm. Not really worth getting angry over something he was saying to me. I inhale silently and then exhale out a quiet sigh. "I know you and everypony expect me to change to be better... it's only up to me though to see that I can maintain the friendships, as when they realize their mistake and apologize to me - I must forgive."

Alex places the both of his hands onto his face. "Oh my god, I can't believe you even said that." He says almost muffled under those hands practically embarassed by the tone of his own voice.

"Why? What's wrong with that?"

He lowers his hands, and I could swear he was almost as red as a cherry in the face. I certainly didn't expect him to come forward and grab me by the shirt with the both of his hands. "There are some times where you can't be so over-the-top on that forgive and forget bullshit you did back there!" He sounds angry which did cause me to drop the anger that I once held. "Why you did? You're afraid! Like a pussy, you're afraid if you don't forgive them - that you'll lose them!"

Silence was dropped in between us, those surprised eyes of mine keeping in that same direction even with his hands gripped onto my shirt. I never thought of Alex to even call me a name never given to me before. Sure... acted as I didn't want to fight even with the face of danger in front of me. But to show a bit of sternful feeling... it is something I didn't want to show, because I could end up emotionally hurting Twilight.

"Now you go out there and see the troops your mother gave to you for this mission, and I don't want to have this talk or hear about something similar to this again!"

His hands let go of my shirt, and the pressure that I felt between me and him began to lower. I trust him, but I figured he might have just been a little pissed... unless he was right about my passive actions and thoughts. I'm not really sure, but I'll have to give him a talk to when he's calmed down about the past few days and the conclusion.

I took in a bit of breath, holding back those tears that I thought were going to leak when Alex grabbed ahold of me. Brushing past him, I approach the sliding door made of what seems to be coated iron. The sound of footsteps being Alex was right behind me to watch my back as he always was there to do in case there was trouble - back to when I was being bullied in school on my days of Earth.

My right hand grips onto the door's handle and I gave it a tug to the left. It pulls open slowly, but enough to give us the space to walk out from the room and turn in direction down from the end of the train car to the next one on the right where the soldiers eagerly wait for my arrival.

But how in the hell am I supposed to order them? I have barely any leader experience unless you count Twilight, who I know is bound for doing something like that even with her status as the Princess of Friendship.

The train car door looks to automatically slide open in the connection of the two cars that me and Alex were in, and even the sounds of the train rolling on the tracks can be heard louder and clearer in the connection. Almost as close as even the Friendship Express' railway sounds like itself... but the exception being that this train gives off a more steel appearance and the wheels being more grindier.

Soldiers of the few turn their heads and look at both of us coming into the train car, those blank emotions drawn onto their faces with only those various colored eyes to glance. They were of the usual three equine races. At the other end of the train car, their weapons being that of spears all lined up in rows and designated to the assigned name of that stallion who held onto it for the sake of protecting Equestria and their princess.

The canyons continue to move as the train pushed as fast as it could like one of those trains on the Eastern continent of the Earth. I can sense that we are moving as close as we can towards Appleloosa, and I was already getting myself ready thirsty on what Rebecca had done. With the Song of Order on my back, I awaited for the right moment and the right plan which I hope Alex behind me will back me up on.

One soldier with golden armor gets up off from the seat with the other soldiers, trotting forward to me. He kept his blank emotion firm, but got a bit of voice in him to speak with me. "Sir, we are ready for any plan that you request of us when you have one."

"Very good," I said to him, nodding my head. "How long until we reach Appleloosa?"

"In a few minutes at the speed the train is taking us. We'll arrive at the station in no time."

Just discovered the problem right there with the train station over there since the invasion, as there could be GP soldiers waiting for our arrival upon the train coming to a stop there. We would easily get ambushed and flanked by them, and could result in my own capture and death. I didn't want to say this, but the soldiers will have to keep a distance when stepping out from the train.

I raise the both of my open hands. "That could be a problem, notify the train driver that we'll have to stop a short distance from the town, but close enough for us to flank the GP on patrol and keep it low. We don't want to make too much noise."

"Right away, sir." The soldier salutes to me, and gallops past the train car door to head to the front of the train. Ugh... I understand that I'm the son of an alicorn princess and all that, but I honestly wish they wouldn't do that. Makes me feel uneasy.

One soldier looks a bit confused by my words. "Keep it low? Are you suggesting a stealth mission?" He asked me, sounding only a bit worried - even with the expression on his eyes showing that.

"Too much noise could end up bringing in more trouble for us to burden on. Which is why it'll be a quiet way of getting the civilians out from the hands of the Dragon Queen. It's not simple though, as you'll have to find easy hiding places from patrols or keep out from sniper eyesight which can already be tough enough based on the firepower they have."

He nods in understanding from my comment, but still shows concern on his face. "But what if we are caught?"

"If you are, by all means and what it takes... drop the stealth act and fight for your own lives," I responded to his own concern. "Alex will lead you all to the prisoners."

"Me?" I can hear him ask when I turn around, looking at him. He looks quite surprised to see that I'd put him in charge, practically almost speechless. He gulps for a moment. "You've known these ponies for longer, why me to help them out?"

I placed my hand on his shoulder, maintaining the calm in my voice when I spoke to him. "I do not see myself as a leader. I know that you'd do a better job at that than I. I know that Rebecca is here, and I must go alone to face her. For the sake of Equestria and its ponies, when I swore the oath of the claymore I hold - I promised now and forever to protect them and those I love, no matter the odds."

The guards listened to every word that I said to him while he looks at me, holding that worry that everyone and everypony would show when I was putting myself in danger's way. My eyes briefly switched to his pockets that held onto the firearms he brought back from Earth. "You got enough firepower and bullets on you?" I asked.

He smirks for a moment. "You know it quite well," He says to me. His smile drops though even when I remove my hand from his shoulder and he continues. "However, I don't understand why you go at it alone sometimes."

"One day Alex... you'll understand."

I can feel motion on the train floor I stood as I can feel myself beginning to wobble. By the speed outside, I can the speed that we are headed at was starting to slow down towards a complete stop - distant from the station of the southern town. I was trying my best to maintain my standing position by where I was.

Galloping is heard from the distance as it was most likely the guard I commanded who is returning to notify me the task was done. His white coat is seen coming in from where he had already entered. To a skid he halted when he entered back into the train car, panting for a few moments.

"Just as requested, keeping our distance sir." He stated, saluting to me.

A nod came from me along with a smile, though I did feel a bit 'iffy' on the entire saluting to me. "That's good... but if I may, I must ask that you or any of the soldiers not salute to me as of the moment. Being that the news was released to the public today, I don't want any paparazzi thinking I lead an army or some shit like that."

The soldier gasped for a moment when he heard me curse. "Forgive my language." I said to him, notifying that I didn't mean to curse.

"You are the princess' son. It is our duty to forgive you for even your smallest mistakes, should any of us pass on the battlefield," He says to us in his calm voice. "Whenever you need us, we'll come fight by your side."

"Thank you soldier. I might not need to ask since you are all soldiers of the Equestrian empire. Celestia will need you all in her dire hour should something happen to her, as even I will be there."

Another motion is made as the train came to a complete stop. I feel myself shifting by the gravity of the train, and then get thrown forward past the soldier I was talking to towards the metallic floor, catching myself with my hands before my face could slam onto the ground. The sound of the train's wheels screech for a few more moments, and then stop in position.

I groan for a moment as I slowly begin getting up. "I've really got to get used to this kind of sudden stuff." I said to myself as I manage myself back onto my feet.

"You okay?" Alex calls to me, almost sounding like he held in a bit of laughter - even with his hand holding onto the railing to keep him from ending up like I did. The other guard, I could recall him stumbling for a few moments - but I am guessing that his four legs kept him from falling or being thrown forwards, to the side... or backwards!

That's something I'll probably never know.

"Yeah," I said to him, turning to look at the both of my wings as I shift them around for a bit. "I'll have to give the wings a bit of a brief stretch before taking flight in them."

"Being that you assigned me to lead the soldiers, what about you? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to Rebecca like I said," I responded to him. "I know she's still here in Appleloosa and not in Mortem where she is hiding behind plenty of dragons that she owns to her best advantage. Gives me a good opportunity to strike."

He looks at me kind of concerned. "Well, I've seen you and Rebecca fight, and she looks to pack a punch - so be careful."

"You know I'll be alright. Wherever she is, I'll sneak in. Anyone gets in my way, I'll kill em. You and the other soldiers focus on rescuing the other Appleloosa civilians."

"Um sir?" I can hear one of the soldiers speak out. I turn back to the guards for a moment, looking at the one whose hoof has been raised. "Reports show concern that the buffalo tribe led by Chief Thunderhooves could be well in danger by this threat that the Dragon Queen has shown. Should you consider a few soldiers left over be sent there to evacuate them and get them as far away as possible?"

Proven a point right there, as I can't forget about them either. They might end up giving Rebecca information upon capture, and could end up dead - so it's better they are both alive and in the care of Ponyville's folk. I don't think I've even met him or Little Strongheart either, so this will be unexpected of them to see a human before their own eyes. "Do what you must to get them out," I responded to him. "If there are any other concerns or questions... let me know."

Silence filled in the train car as the soldiers remained silent. The only sounds filling in the room are that of Alex's breathing and the shifting of hooves from those trained and ready to fight. Not even one word was said.

"...No questions then. Alright, let's move out."

Off their seats, the soldiers proceed on their way to the opening train door to let them outside with a breath of fresh air. I followed right behind them, heading outdoors into the coming night-time.

My wings slowly spread open, turning to the ladder on the outside of the train, and grip onto the iron with my hands and bare feet. Luna's moon was shining brightly down on all of us - with the hopes that she will give me and everypony the strength we need to save the day. I can see the red clouds above the land of Mortem, shadows of blood dragons appearing every few seconds.

The sun of Celestia had finally faded into the horizon, with limited light left for me to see what evidence there was of Rebecca's location. Even as there was no more illumination, the flames were enough for me to know where she could be...

...Appleloosa's town hall. Though they are faint.

"Follow me." I faintly heard Alex telling to the troops - their hooves quietly trotting away along with him in the lead ahead to the left side of the town. By my own observation, the folk of the town are being kept in their own homes and told repeatedly not to come out or they would end up getting shot, or worse... decapitated. The soldiers that didn't go along with Alex, went in a different direction towards the buffalo tribe.

No word was coming from the Song of Order itself, as it remained quiet the entire time. Good... being that I'll have to be quiet for this as well. Singing shall only be the case if I am caught by one of the GP soldiers, and then I will take it into my own hands.

I figure that there should be a window on the second floor of the town hall I could crawl into. Probably behind the building itself, so I should fly over to check since my wings are itching for quite a flight themselves. Flapping my wings, I lift myself off from the train and dip down low towards the ground, but maintaining a steady flow in the wind and at a distance.

Having to keep out of sight, I would occasionally turn my head to look towards the light from the town itself to see if anyone had taken notice. The GP officers from that distance don't even bother to turn their heads to see me behind them. Even so, the sound of wind brushing from the wings could grab their attention.

Slowing speed down, I was right behind the town hall placing myself against the wall with a thud. I attempted to not make any noise at all, since it could grab more attention.

"What was that?" Crap...

I can see the shadows of the two soldiers I saw before on the wall of the building across. Not moving a muscle, my eyes can only watch as they stood there... waiting for them to move and come over to the other side of the building. If they for sure see me, I'm dead as a doornail.

"Are you imagining shit again?" I hear another voice say.

The shadows move as its the two soldiers conversing with one another on the noise. "I swear to you that I heard something behind the town hall." The first one said.

The other soldier exhales an inaudible sigh which I caught from my vision from the light of the fires. "I'll go check it out. Whether it's a pony escaping or a random desert animal... I'll shoot and kill it."

It turns out and he begins heading towards the back of the town hall. Fuck... there's literally no darkness to blend in with nor do I have any disguises to help me out with this. They literally have machine guns, and it will only take one man to fire the weapon and scream out my prescence. It'll draw attention... then I will end up getting killed - or worse, Braeburn gets killed.

No... think positive. Use the powers of your claymore to guide you Brayden...

I can feel the magic of the blade flowing throughout my human body, allowing me to give some power - but not enough for invisibility... pretty sure the Song of Order has its own limitations as to what magic it can use. Still, should be enough to grab him by surprise and out of sight.

Footsteps of boots are heard on approach around the corner and I readied myself to take ahold of him. Sweat is coming down my forehead, as his own shadow is already there on the ground. I had to be quick, and this would be the moment of doing so.

Once he came right past the corner, I reached out from there and used my wings to grip onto the soldier. I pulled him right towards me as he never suspected anything like this to happen at all with him, disarming him of his rifle. My left hand grapples onto his mouth, and I struggle to hold him still while he is yelling muffledly... such an angry tone I was hearing from him as I held onto him. Finally, I threw him down to the ground, the tone of my voice changing.

"Don't... say anything," I warned him in a quiet, yet sharp aggression in the tone of my voice. My other hand grips onto the Song of Order and places the blade right onto the GP soldier's neck - struggling to escape my grasp. "Don't even call for help. If you try to, I will kill you right here."

He shakes around, his hands trying to force my hands and arms off from him. He shouts something muffled at me, but I can tell that it's in a completely different language... Arabic perhaps?

I keep the Song of Order at his neck. "Is the Dragon Queen in the town hall holding both Braeburn and the Sheriff hostage?" I questioned to him, trying to intimidate him into giving me a straight answer.

The claymore itself is singing to warn me of potential danger ahead of time - should the muffled protesting of the soldier be heard. Its singing is quiet, but is enough to make me focus on what I was doing. I swear though... I feel like that caped superhero who interrogates villains in a police station - something in the comics I grew up reading as a kid.

"Where are they?!" I practically growled in his face.

He continued to muffledly shout in the language he was speaking in. No idea why he spoke in English there, so I guess he combines on both languages at the same time. His eyes are directed towards an open window on the second floor of the town hall... just as I was thinking at the same time.

My hand holding the grip of the claymore moves back and throws itself forward by my own will. I end up clobbering the soldier in the face for a bit of a bruising - my intimidation now becoming much more angered as I pinned him down.

"Tell me now!" I warned him, placing the blade right onto his neck once more as a final warning. "If you don't tell me, I'll ensure you'll be thrown to the pits of Tartarus!"

He stops struggling for a moment, moving my hand to give him some room to talk with me. Should he begin yelling, comes his own death wish. "In the town hall, just as you wished for. But she's accompanied with our leader... Achmed Daou II. You'll never be able to stop him if you even dared," He managed to get out, chuckling a bit from even my glare at him. "He's a much stronger warrior - whether by scimitar or rifle... he'll have your head and we will all rejoice as Equestria suffers..."

"Not... today."

Blood was shed onto the Song of Order's silver as he had given me all the evidence I needed from even his own words. To ensure that he wouldn't run off and get myself ambushed, I used the blade to slice his throat to keep him silent. My wings release him onto the ground, and his body drops to the ground with a soft thud, his feet scraping onto the dirt below.

This bloody mess should serve as a distraction for the other soldiers so there is no chances of either me or the other group on the other side of town getting caught as they'll be too busy finding out who could have killed the soldier. I was quick to sheathe my blade for now.

On my back, my wings are still open but now show purpose as to fly up to the window. I allow them to flap and launch upwards toward the window, my hands gripping onto the sill and letting myself climb up and move through into the indoors when I leap through.

My feathered wings catch onto the sides of the window to prevent myself from falling forward and landing with a loud band to the floor of wooden planks below. I already would have them distracted and I don't want to draw more further attention for anybody. I place my bare feet onto the planks and allow my wings to let go of the window.

I was in an office, almost looking like a mayor's office itself. Papers look to be scattered everywhere on the floor, the desk, practically everywhere in the room. It's a mess, but I am sure that whatever happened here must have been a struggle between the mayor and the soldiers taking him or her away to the cells or to be put on the execution block. I'll never really know...

A cracked glass picture on the desk there could be seen before my own eyes. I walk forward to the desk, placing a hand onto the frame and taking ahold to look at it.

The mayor turned out to be a stallion himself, and he appears to be holding two young fillies who I am guessing are his children. I couldn't see what his cutie mark was, as he was turned to look straight at the camera with an easygoing smile on his mouth. He appears to have a light green toned coat with a dark brown colored mane and tail. His children in the photo being that they were both female had different colors. One had a light yellow color for their coat while her mane and tail were the colors of a lighter shade of brown - almost like her father. The other filly has a chartreuse coat with pigtails in her sunset toned mane. Her tail is most likely the same tone, though it was barely even in the picture.

Where is the mother in the picture though? I'll never really know unless I ask him... that is if he is still alive.

"Brayden..."

A voice in the silence managed to get my attention, though it was more male by its tone and younger by age. I place the picture frame down back onto the desk and look around in the dark room. There's nopony even here in the room... unless I'm hearing things which I mostly am.

"Do not fear Brayden... I'm not with any of the enemy. Say no words, but hear my advice when you see me."

The sound of hooves trotting was heard right behind me with only the sound of nostrils breathing. A pony in the same room as me? If so, must have been one of the townsfolk that went hiding in this room while the Dragon Queen's army was seizing control of the place. I was already eager to turn around and see who it was.

Whoa... didn't expect someone to be as tall as my mother herself.

The figure himself looked to be a unicorn himself, but with the height of Celestia herself. He seems to be covering up his appearance and body with a black coal-like coat and his mouth being covered up. The only thing I could get from the appearance was that it was white around the eyes and hooves. His cutie mark was covered up, probably trying to keep it secret. His horn looks to be covered up underneath the hood he is wearing by my prediction.

Behind my back, the Song of Order hasn't even responded or made any comments about this figure in front of me as he had come out of nowhere.

I knew I had to keep quiet, since there could be a soldier outside the door. "Who are you?" I asked him.

His eyes of what look to be yellow under the hood can be seen glancing at me, not moving from that spot he stopped on. "My name is Arryl. It's a nickname for my real name... but you may just call me Arryl, as its something that I prefer to be called... even by the ones in the heavens."

"So you are a unicorn?" I asked him. "Why the heavenly echo in your voice?"

"I do apologize in advance for the sudden scare, but I was tasked by even the First Alicorn herself to see you. The heavenly voice shows that I was given the opportunity to come before the Paladin of Equestria himself, and the son of Celestia... the princess of both the sun and Equestria and one of the final five remaining alicorns in existance as currently noted."

"You know the First Alicorn herself?" I was quite surprised myself. He knows her as she was mentioned many times before from even the stories and legends that I read on how she created and sculpted the land of Equus from her own magic and hooves. No idea why she would be called the First Alicorn, as her name is very much unknown to anypony. Not even Celestia knows who she is named.

Arryl nodded to confirm the answer to my question. "Yes... even after billions of years and eras to forming Equus, she still maintains her beauty and appearance quite well for being the creator."

I was completely confused on why the First Alicorn would end up sending Arryl down to Equestria to see me herself. "Why would she pick you to see me? I would have honestly thought I would be able to glance at her with my own eyes if she came here." I asked with a bit of a comment still confused.

He lowers his head for a moment, closing his eyes. "She would come down if she could, but unfortunately she is unable to. Even after the creation of Equus, it tired her greatly and she hasn't been there from the heavens since the first few beings were being born from the dirt and developing into the beings you see here today." He tells me, exhaling a bit of breath before continuing. "In the heavens, she approached me and sent me on the mission to watch over you and see how you are doing."

"Okay..." I raise the both of my hands to reassure how calm I was about this. "But doesn't everypony in the world get watched over by beings from the heavens to assure that Equestria isn't thrown into danger?"

"Of course Brayden, but this is a different task she gave me. I am your guardian, and I was sent to ensure that nothing in the prophecy is overturned by the Dragon Queen... whom used to be your best friend back on the world you were lost in."

I hung my head, placing a hand onto my other arm. "Yeah..." I said with a bit of disappointment in the tone of my voice. "Since then, she hasn't been herself and now she's spilt Equestria blood by her own hands, so I must stop her before it is too late."

I can feel his white hoof reach toward me, contacting my left hand. "It is never too late as long as you have the Magic of Friendship with you. That is what your wife Twilight Sparkle represents as the Princess of Friendship." He tells me.

"How did you know?"

He removes his hoof off my arm and places it back onto the wooden planks below. "The First Alicorn watches everything that goes on in Equestria and beyond. Even she tells us of this while we are in the heavens, hence it could be the reason why the Song of Order was given to you for a purpose."

"I know... but I thought I was chosen to have it when Nightmare Moon was bringing in the eternal night. She had no idea that millions were going to end up either frozen or freeze to death."

"The Song of Order chose you for that, but came to you for the purpose of putting an end to the Dragon Queen before she succeeds with her missions of bringing her own dominance of Equestria and putting an end to all ponykind. Anypony else who isn't of Equestria blood will be spared like the griffons and the felines in Abyssinia. The zebras are sure to suffer next after she seeks for more."

No response from the Song of Order came to be, so I guess listening was the only option while still keep watching for any guards outside. "Even if she sent you down to watch me, is there a spell you will put on me like Nightmare did to help in my battles?"

"Unfortunately no," He responds to me. "I am only a spirit from the heavens and thus - cannot perform or fight alongside you. Only give you advice or watch you, even if you cannot see me. I have seen the glimpse of your future, but only if it comes true. A betrayal followed by disappointment which eventually leads to forgiveness, the loss of a loved one... you've been told of this many times. But nothing like what'll happen if you triumph with victory."

I can hear the sounds of boots outside of the office, and I duck my head past the desk in case one of the soldiers is planning on opening the door. Arryl also lowers his head to stay out of sight. Boots moved from the right all the way to the left before becoming quiet again.

"Fight your enemies if you must. Whether you want to kill them quietly or with a load of noise... you must not let who you are rescuing suffer by the Queen's hands. The First Alicorn is counting on you and your friends."

An aura of white could be seen appearing around his horn underneath the hood he wears. Finally, there is a flash of white that temporarily blinded me for a second or two. I did have to cover my eyes with my right arm to prevent damage should it be the case. When I uncovered them, I was surprised when I saw that Arryl was gone from where he stood.

He wasn't in the room or anywhere outside galloping away... he was gone... Oh right! The mission!

I kept my bare feet quiet as I was moving across the wooden planks in the office, placing my back onto the door, making sure it didn't make any unsteady movements. No sounds of boots coming back in the way for the patrol in the hall outside, but I was sure by the shadow of what look to be legs, there is a guard to take care of.

"Make haste when you are opening the door, you'll have to be quick on this one." The Song of Order spoke to me, making me almost jump. Thank Celestia that I am the only human in Equestria that can hear his voice.

I whispered to the blade even when I took it in my hands to ready for the quick-kill. "Finally spoke after all that silence. Why the long wait to speak?"

"Chose not to intervene in your talk with that hooded unicorn Arryl," It says to me with a bit of annoyance in the tone. "You never know if anypony else, even from the heavens can hear my voice."

I just nod my head for a moment, switching off from the door and gripping the doorknob. There is a small twist to open up the door, and I pulled it right open to see the soldier standing there, unaware that I was even right behind him until I reached forward with my wings to take a grip onto him.

The soldier struggles in my wings, nearly grunting with fury to push me away. The only answer that he would end up getting though is the silver blade to his own throat like the last one who gave me answers. I place the body right down onto the floor, but I didn't realize that there was a thud until it was too late.

I can hear the faint sound of talking in the hallway outside the closed door. "I heard a noise..." One voice says.

There is another voice that speaks out. "I heard it too, let's search for it."

Fuck... what am I going to do now? The second I step out there, they could easily spot me, depending on which way they were going. If they are coming in from the direction on the left, I could very well be screwed into breaking back from the stealth I've been going through quite decently. Not perfect, but it could be better...

Wait, I'll hide in that cardboard box next to the desk that's been left open! I'm sure none of them will notice anything suspicious then!

I move backwards, ensuring that the door is left slightly open for me to get out from. When I finally turn around, I dove straight towards the cardboard box fix for me to crawl with. It scraped on the floor by its edges when I was picking it up. Boots are heard outside the door, so I took no chances and got onto the floor, slipping the box on top of me.

The sound of movement is heard outside of the door from underneath the box. I try to not breathe, or at least breathe quietly when there is the sound of the office door squeaking open.

Chatter is heard from the soldiers right there at the door. A tiny hole in the box unnoticed by the two of them, gives away their appearance and the both of their hands gripping the assault rifles quite well. Even if they catch me, I could very well blow into the element of surprise since I have the Song of Order ready. The blade is trying not to sing of danger, as that alone would bring attention to the soldiers that I was right there.

My surprise... they turned to the right and continued down casually and slowly on foot in their patrol, speaking in their foreign language.

I began movement in the box, moving out into the hallway right behind the two. I had to be careful, as my heart rate is already nervously reaching to the extent that I could get caught if they pull the box off from me. The box is close to the wall so that they could mistake it for a package that their other teammates left behind... anything is possible.

They turned down a corridor which I kept behind, and past a room where I figure it could be the main hall of the building... not even guarded up here except in this hall unless on the first floor there is where the soldiers are expecting me to show up and ready to surrender.

A machete sheathed on the soldier's right pants hit the box, and I was forced to stop moving when even the boots stopped in their tracks. They seemingly stood there for a bit of time... the emotions on their faces look a bit confused. I can hear a bit more chatter coming from there, but by even the language they were speaking it was a bit hard to understand. Not even sure which language but it could be Arabic? Not sure...

While they aren't looking, I could break my own cover since these two are the only ones I have seen other than the soldier I killed in the mayor's room back there. I readied the blade, and was ready to pop the box off from the top of my head.

Confusion was still on their faces, stil wondering if they were even being followed. They might have started to catch on when one of them notices the cardboard I am in. Chatter in their language begins again, but I can read it as in they are questioning how it even got there in the first place from outside.

I finally threw the cardboard box off from my head by which the Song of Order began to sing loudly of the danger. In their hands are the weapons, aiming right at me but I had to be quick before this meant death for me.

This starts when I roll forward past the guards who now have their attention, my wings sticking out. They both trip down on it, and I turn and fire a bolt of magic right at the first soldier on the left whose weapon is blown back. The other soldier does fire a bit of bullets, which rings out loudly.

I could feel pain riddled from my left wing, as they were in the direct fire. As a result, I directly throw the Song of Order right at his chest - impaling him with it.

He was almost practically trying to scream or get out a sound from his mouth. I dove forward and placed my hand onto his mouth to silence his attempt for back-up. He does scream in the end, but it is quiet and muffled. The other soldier tries to get up by which my brown eyes have noticed. My injured left wing, slams him against the wall and knocks him back down.

From the blood I pulled the Song of Order from the soldier and drove it into his open mouth when he tries to go for more breath. Then with a full force of pure anger and picturing that it was Rebecca... severed the head from the body. The bloody skeleton of the spine could be seen coming out when I pulled the Song of Order away. His body begins to squirm violently around for a few moments as if it was seizure... then stops moving.

I carved a large piece into the other soldier, and proceeded to toss him in the opposite direction of his weapon to the other hallway. That'll settle things for now, but I must see what is in the main hall.

The tune of a harmonica catches my ears... someone's in the room and it sounds like one of those cowboy tunes from the western films. I move up against the wall and shift to the side until I was at the arch.

My head turned into the main hall, and there is enough space to crouch and move towards the balcony railing and see what is happening in the room. I kept a low profile as I was doing so, seeing the lit chandelier still aglow... but the main floor was a clear jackpot right there for what I expected to see.

It was a square shaped cell that looked like a jail in the middle of the hall, and in it contained the mayor of Appleloosa, Sheriff Silverstar who is the one who is playing the harmonica by how bored he was... and the top priority that I set my eyes on: Braeburn.

There's only one guard standing at the cell with a rifle in hand and ready to fight if trouble arises. He is close by the sheriff and swipes the instrument away from him and tossing it across the room.

"Stop that noise! No one wants to hear that rubbish shit!" The guard barked at them to the sheriff's own disappointment.

Inside the cage, I can hear the sheriff groan. "I can't even believe this nonsense! We're not even allowed to play music either under these people?!" He says with annoyance in the tone of his voice.

The guard just glares at him and continues his job of guarding them until my 'supposed' arrival.

Crawling to the other side of the balcony upstairs, the guard has his eyes right on the cage, and I thought to myself for that moment. I could move along the wall and when the guard isn't expecting it - I jump down with the claymore aimed right at him, slicing him in half like those ninja films where they slice up someone and they don't move until the ninja pushes them and they go into pieces. Something like that but only just one move and not a bunch of other times.

I climb onto the railing with my feet trying not to fall. My wings give me a push though, and I begin to shift on the wall towards the edge for a turn. All the while, I begin listening to the conversation that the captured ponies had begun in the cell.

"It's worse than you imagine Sheriff," The mayor spoke out. "These humans were even more violent than that one human who came in not too long ago with a group of other ponies."

"Ah helped them out," Braeburn speaks out, his brilliant gamboge and brilliant amber highlighted mane exposed since he wasn't even wearing a Stetson-like hat. I know this because it looked close to what Applejack's hat looks like. "They came ta me like what, months before winter came through... somethin' 'bout goin' to... 'that place'. Ah was darn frightened 'bout them goin' there and tried to stop them, but they insisted. At least they made it out."

He was talking about when me, Sunset, Daring Do, Bon Bon and Sonata journeyed into Mortem to retrieve the final black book of the Dragon Queen. To my knowledge, I'm sure that both Aunt Luna and Sunset are pouring their hearts into figuring out the mystery behind it. Sunset sends me letters to notify me of the process.

Recently before the attack, she would report to me on what she discovered and what lied in the texts of the pages. From the last one I received, there was something about a map leading up into the North past Yakyakistan. Haven't heard back in a while, but when this has all blown over - it'll be the time to ask.

Shuffling along the wall, I eventually came to a stop towards the central point of the cell, the guard was his back turned and below me, not giving any notice of the Song of Order I've prepared for him.

"Aw shucks. Well, you did all you could help try and convince them not to go in while you still could," The mayor spoke out to Braeburn, placing a hoof onto the earth pony's shoulder. "Say... what was his name again?"

"Ah forget... Ah think it was Brandon?" For Celestia's sake, you don't even remember how to even say my own name? "Ah dunno."

I let gravity slip me down towards the guard, the Song of Order ready to strike as I gain downward momentum to swoop down at him without warning for him. Not even the prisoners notice even my shadow when I fall towards the ground behind the soldier.

Oh shit...

He turns around and sees me dropping down from above, his hand gripping right onto the machete and dropping his own rifle to take ahold of it. I position the blade just in case that iron machete of his just even tries to castrate my own balls. Any wrong moves and I could be screaming in absolute agony... death followed afterwards.

A clash of the silver and iron blades can be heard, and I place my bare feet onto the silver that my own claymore had while staring down at the soldier. "You really need to sharpen that blade a little more." I commented in a rather sarcastic tone in my voice.

I can hear him shout as he releases his hand-held weapon in order to make me fall. I was quick to my a backflip, but I ended up stumbling on my feet from landing. I can feel my body go onto the ground at first, but I jump back up.

"That's him!" I can hear Braeburn shouting with complete surprise in that southern-accented voice of his. "My cousin Applejack sent 'im to save us!"

I turn and look at the cell for a brief moment. "I'm not alone, I came with a couple of others to help me."

Boots continue to step my way as his machete looks quite ready for bloodshed or dismembered arms or legs... I turn back towards the soldier, walking towards me at quite a threatening pace. He appears to be looking quite angered, and thirsty for a satisfaction to make me the fresh one for Rebecca to see dead or alive.

"I'm going to enjoy cutting your little grape balls off," He threatened to me in English. "They would serve quite well as a prize for the Queen herself."

"Well, you're going to have to kill me first."

He starts running towards me, allowing his blade to clash with mine once again - striking repeatedly at each other again and again. Silver and iron colliding with the sharp sound of what sword battles were like in the past during Medieval times. The banging of iron can be heard as we sway back and forth.

I duck my head at one occasion when the guard swung the machete from across in an attempt to behead me. This gave me the opportunity to combine my right fist with a bit of magic provided to me by the claymore itself, giving him an uppercut to the chin.

That punch sent him stumbling back, but never falling as he maintains onto his machete. I would make a flying attack, but with the bullets that were shot into my left wing and its bleeding condition - I was limited on that since it would hurt a lot more if I was to flap it around. Even the blood can seen flowing down the wound points.

He slashes right at me, cutting a part of my chest. I grunted for a moment before his hands push me to the ground. I start to get up, despite the absolute pain I was feeling from my chest down. God... it actually stings like a bitch. I get up, seeing him sprinting right towards me for another cut to the chest or to put the machete in a stabbing position so I die before these ponies.

I'm not having any of that though, so I ran forward with a jump at the end to headbutt him, practically dodging his machete. He and I are knocked onto the ground, and both of us begin our struggle to fight one another and see who comes out bloody and surviving in the end - which I hope won't be the guard.

I put my hand forward to cast burst of magic into his face knocking his own head hard into the ground. He looks to be more angry, pushing me down onto the floor when he gripped onto me and rolled around to get on top of me.

There was another headbutt to my forehead, giving me practically a real headache since I was on the floor behind me. He drops his machete and takes out a hunter's knife placing it onto my neck in the struggle.

"Where's your friends now to save you?" He almost laughs.

I try to push back on the blade on my neck, even when his right arm knocks the Song of Order out of my left hand, leaving me defenseless.

"Oh what do we do?" Silverstar panicked. "I don't even have a back-up rope to keep him back from the boy!"

He presses the blade further onto my neck, but it hasn't penetrated past to skin, but I fear that he soon will when my eyes kept being so watchful of that hatred in the guard's blue eyes. All I can really do at this point is pray something good comes...

...until I saw him look surprised for that moment there. His eyes began to roll into the back of his own head and close up. The knife on my neck loosens its grip and releases from me when he moves forward at me, landing on me.

The feeling of liquid can be felt on my chest aside from the stinging. I can tell that it's his own blood, and if it is possible that somepony had killed him. I can feel the burden of the guard's weight begin to ease when he begins rolling to the side, revealing that there was a bloody knife in the back when I turn my head to see it flop down to the floor.

Hands grip onto the keys in the pocket, and my eyes to turn to be surprised who was actually there to save my life... again. It's Alex, turning and smirking right at me.

"Didn't think I'd leave my own best friend behind, did you?" He asked me.

He offers his hand to help me up onto my feet, I take his hand and get up onto my feet. I grunted for a moment, as the cut across my chest began to bleed just like the left wing. My head begins feeling a bit light-headed, so I stumble a bit.

"Dude, you alright?" Alex sounds a bit concerned afterwards. "That cut looks really deep by the look of it."

I nodded to him, getting down to grab the Song of Order. "I'm fine..." I said to him, panting a bit. "Once we get back to the train, I'll go to the nurse to get myself stitched up and healed. Until then, let's get these three out."

Alex goes over to the cell to release the three that I've been trying to get out. "Me and the other soldiers managed to get the other civilians out from town. I told them that I was going to find you after we fought off these guys." He tells me, unlocking the door and opening it. "They thought I was crazy, but I went anyway. Something about a dead soldier behind the town hall which made them drop guard and attack us."

"Oh... yeah, that was me." I said, using my free right hand to scratch the back of my head. "Sorry about that."

From the cell, the Mayor and both Braeburn and Sheriff Silverstar trotted out from there with relief on their own faces. Braeburn of course is the first to come forward to me. He has quite a smile on his face, seeing that me and Alex just saved their lives.

"Ya have saved our lives..." He manages to get out.

I chuckled for a moment and speak before he can say anything else. "And you all are eternally grateful."

"Did Applejack send ya to come 'n save us?"

I almost didn't know how to answer that question he asked, but I cleared my throat and spoke to him. "Not really, but she did ask me to get you out of there which I still intend on doing," I responded to him. "It was mostly my will to rescue everypony else until she spoke. In the end I am thankful she asked me."

He smiled, holding his torn hat to his chest when he took it off. "Applejack will be really happy to see me in one piece. Thanks fer rescuin' us partner."

"No problem Braeburn," I said to him. "And unless we want to face off against more of those soldiers - I recommend we make our way to the train outside of the town."

He nods to me. "All of us will follow ya and yer friend every step of the way."

Alex moves towards the double doors. "It's not too far from here, this way out!" He advised to us, taking ahold of the handles to open them up. The mayor joins up beside me as we begin making our way to the doors.

The doors were swung right open, and Alex's look on his face that attempted bravery at most times dropped when the night skies were seen before our own eyes. It is almost like he was completely in shock, as almost all color was gone to reveal how white he became. Something about it that spelled trouble for us.

I attempted to sprint over and see what exactly was going on, but I knew I had to take it easy on my injuries. I just kept it easy while I went past Alex, looking upward into the night sky to see exactly why he would be looking almost frightened or horrified. I can't really tell what he's thinking there, but the look just told me itself.

That figure in the sky wasn't even a dragon itself sent... no, it was Rebecca herself with her arms crossed!

(Play Banjo-Tooie OST - Here Comes Trouble)

Below her is what looks to be another soldier, though he wears more improved clothing despite the rest of the soldiers as if he in charge of them. He looks quite familiar... as if I saw him on television as being one of the world's most wanted men. Wait... it's Achmed Daou II! The leader of the terrorist organization, the Global Persecution! What the fuck are they doing over here, and why would Rebecca even want to use them as her own pawns in this little game she is playing?

"Surprise!" Rebecca says to me with a bit of sarcasm, triggering the anger inside of me. "It's so good to see you again face-to-face Brayden!"

Already my teeth were gritting, and my wings opened up. I was ready to ram at her and strangle her throat for the murders she committed to those ponies. "YOU BITCH!" I tried to fly up at her, but the amount of pain in my left wing causes me to fall down towards the ground, only having been able to get a few feet off of the ground.

"Partner, take it easy on that. Yer hurt." Braeburn takes my left with Alex taking my other to help me back up onto my feet.

She could only laugh at my failed attempt to try and attack her. "So much for being the special one for your 'so-called' friends in Equestria? Where's that princess of yours? Pussy out as well?"

"I'm not letting you go anywhere near Twilight, because if you even hurt or try to kill her... so help me..."

She descends down from the skies above and slams right into the ground. Her dragon wings still remain open, even as she is amused by the own remarks at her. Achmed can only stop right there, waiting for her orders. The red jewel in her pendant begins to flash a bit, as I am certain she was planning something else. She has no katanas on her, but she still holds her powerful and dangerous fire magic.

"Or what?" She says with a mocking voice of intimidation. "Are you gonna strike me down with that claymore of yours if I do so?"

Alex steps in front of me, going by all means to ensure she doesn't try to even hurt me either. "Enough of this!" He shouts at her. "You took innocent lives! Do you really think you're still my friend after all of that?!"

"You chose your own side, so it proves otherwise who the real friend is for me," She responds to him, having turned her head to speak with him. "But this is only of my concern between me and Brayden. So would you kindly back off from this fight? Thank you."

She moves right beside Achmed and turns to him, her right hand starting to expose glowing veins in the colors what fire would really be like. I watched her with curiosity on what she was planning to do with him? Could this be a possible sparing of her powers to give to him? A granting to give a human powers? Something like that would be impossible to happen unless you were one of those superheroes destined on Earth, which were only in fiction.

"Achmed, you know exactly what to do at this point," She talks with him. Her hand is placed onto his chest with a sound of magic sounding almost like it is being transferred. "I want you to kill Brayden, and anyone who gets in your way from doing it."

Though I stumbled a bit, I kept my grip on the Song of Order which was lit with magic. Ethereal armor appeared around my body, as I was ready for a fight. "What about you, coward? Going to run away from this fight?!" I yell at her.

"Not at all. In fact, I'll have the honor of watching you die." She responds to me.

My focus was turned onto Achmed when Rebecca released her hand from his chest. He doesn't appear to scream, but I can sense that he is undergoing some sort of transformation that she used in the transfer of magic. His veins were that of fire, and even his body made a start of rippling inside.

Rebecca flies back upwards into the skies, watching as the leader began to morph and begin growing wings on its back. I can feel myself stinging in the chest, but I couldn't run off and give up on this. Even so, I couldn't let the leader of the Global Presecution get away or let alone try to kill me for the sake of the Dragon Queen. Horns begins to grow from the sides on the top of his head, and his eyes looked to have changed into fire itself.

"Behold," Rebecca looks at me, using her magic to conjure a protective bubble of flames around her to keep me from attacking her. "My demonic subject... Achmed Daou, the demon-king of the deserts, second murderer of Equestria!"

The demon himself roars at me, its wings quickly flapping even when it has grabbed his rifle, locking and loading with bullets of what looks to be gold-tinted. His fiery eyes are locked into place at me when he begins to open fire towards me, which I didn't suspect would happen fast enough.

I manage to jump right out of the way, hiding behind a destroyed and collapsing well full of water. Alex and the others look to be separated on the other side of the small town, all their heads ducked at a flipped table thrown from outside the local bar there. Neither of them suspected that the demon would begin to fire his weapon almost immediately.

They weren't the exact targets, as I knew the path of bullets were meant for me. I kept myself there as I prepared to use magical tactics from my hands. If combat is what is necessary to keep me and everypony alive here, so be it.

(Play Linkin Park - Breaking The Habit)

I make a swift move out from behind the well, seeing dust pick up off from the ground where the bullets were making a landing when they missed by the poor luck of the demon itself who looks to have a hard time trying to aim at me and fly at the same time. A few of the bullets strike into my arms and right elbow though, and they stung quite worse.

I released my left hand off from the Song of Order and began charging up a bolt of magic from that hand, casting it towards the demon. He is knocked backwards, but maintains his own stance to continue aiming right at me, reloading.

"Go now! Make that break for the train!" I turn my head around and face Alex and the others, with a bit of warning. I didn't want them here if more terrible shit happened. "I'll take care of the fight!"

Alex looks to be the only one who took a stand against that. "I'm not leaving you to die! I want to stay and fight with you!" He shouts back at me.

"No!" I resisted to his answer. "It's too dangerous! Get Braeburn and the two to t-"

I was cut off when I can feel something slam right into me. It was the demon himself, throwing himself onto me, rapidly flapping his wings. I can feel my back being dragged across the desert floor until eventually he stops dragging me from the slam, repeatly slamming the back of my head into the ground. I am trying to fight back and remove the hands on my shoulders that he uses to slam my head.

"Get to the train right away!" I can hear Alex briefly shout - unable to see him while locked in place by the hellish figure.

Those fiery eyes looked to gaze in my own brown eyes, trying to expose fear into my own heart and scare me. My legs seem to be free, so I moved them back and threw them forward to his chest. His eyes were knocked away from me, and I can see him stumbling backwards as I flip back up onto my feet, ready to use the Song of Order which begins to sing of danger.

A roar sounds off and he charges at me again. I swung that blade across during the charge, striking him across between the chest and right elbow. He shrieks as he falls to the floor, a bit of dust rising from the impact. He does however trip me even after that strike, falling to the side this time.

I rolled back up onto my feet as he rapidly flaps his wings and gets off from the ground. He still wants more of what I gave to him it seems. I charge magic into my left hand and fire a burst of it right at him. I wasn't accurate on where it would hurt him, but anywhere it would strike was fine as long as I didn't miss.

The burst striked him by the legs, but it doesn't drop his attention from me. He reaches for his weapon again, firing another hail of bullets right towards me which I wasn't prepared for. Small bullet penetrate into me once again, striking me around my chest. Though I am thankful none of them striked my heart or head... yet, and hopefully not.

I can hear Rebecca mockingly laugh. "Weak against bullets?" She teases me.

"No, I'm just trying to stay alive!" I shouted at her, opening my bloodied wings and using them to propel myself forward towards the demon himself, taking the opportunity to strike at his head.

The magic itself was enough to send him flying backwards by a couple of feet, and I began to charge at him once again, letting him spray more bullets in my direction. I am doing all that I can to try and avoid his gunfire, but with all the scrapes and whips from the bullets it is almost impossible to avoid.

He stops firing for a moment, as the magazine he had in the weapon ran out of ammo. This would give me a good opportunity as he struggles for a magazine that he has. I flew up towards him, using the blade to strike at his hand that gripped onto a magazine full of gold-tinted bullets. He releases them, and I grab ahold of him, sending both him and myself towards the ground with a slam.

Squirming and kicking me off from him, I can see him rising up from the ground from the dust impact both of us created. In his hands, my vision trying to see through the cloud caught a glimpse of him pulling a pin and tossing an object towards me. I can see it land to the right side of me.

Oh fuck... grenade!

The explosion sent me flying at the same time that I was trying to jump backwards to avoid the damage, landing onto a wooden deck. My ears could catch a bit of ringing as a result of the what happened - but part of me hopes it isn't permanent.

Another shriek from him, and he begans to make a hasteful approach towards me - casting the gun to the side and grabbing his soldier knife. I swing back onto the dirt and ready myself for what looks to be close-quarters combat.

I never did expect to hear a gunshot to the right, even when I haven't taken my eyes off from the demon himself. I can feel blood spatter onto my shirt as the bullet made impact onto the enemy from the shoulder front. I turn my head to see who fired that shot.

Alex! He's holding one of the rifles, aiming it right at the winged beast and ready to fire when willing to.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I shouted at him, driving the Song of Order and clashing with his knife which the demonic Achmed looks to be skilled with. "I told you to go with the others!"

He fires another shot at him, resulting in the demon stumbling to the side. "I'm not going to leave you behind!" He argues back.

Shot from there, the demon's full attention was now directed towards Alex himself and begins to make approach towards him. "Shit!" The demon swung at my best friend, but I was lucky that he even ducked on time.

"Language!" I warned him as I jump onto the demon and begin struggling with him.

I was shaken all around, as he tries to get me off from his back. Kept a tight grip on him, and eventually threw him face first right onto the ground. Then I grabbed onto the horns and begun to slam his face numerous times to the dirt, making the demon appear to cough it up. I used the Song of Order and slice a deep cut into the demon's back.

He shrieked for a moment, and then didn't expect me to grab a table leg and break it off from its source, bashing him across the face when he attempted to get back up. He still had a trick up his own sleeve though.

The claws it had grown from the mutation spell gripped tight onto the wooden piece. He struggles to have it, and eventually pulls it from my hand since he was stronger slightly. I can only watch as he uses it and strikes me in the chest knocking me feet away from him. I landed in the dirt once again, struggling to get up... I feel almost practically exhausted, and the bleeding looks to have gotten worse.

Was thrown off from my attention when the demon lands on top of me with that vicious grin on its own face, pinning me down to the floor and readies his knife. I can feel it jam right into my right shoulder, and that is when I could feel just as much pain as the other injuries.

I screamed like no other. The demon appears to have a grin, and I could hear Rebecca laughing as I had the knife gripped hard into my shoulder. I was already beginning to feel weak and light-headed from the loss of blood that I earned and the time I didn't take to patch myself up.

"Brayden!" I can faintly hear Alex shouting as I am trying not to fall unconscious from the strong grip because I would already be dead if I did so.

Even when held down by the demon and his weapon, I saw a completely open spot to attack him at the chest. I still have my right hand gripped onto the Song of Order, and I readied myself even if it would result in a much deeper cut into the shoulder.

I move upward towards the demon, striking him right into his chest. I can see him shriek right at me... his teeth shown, and a bit of that spit getting onto my face which was really disgusting. He released the knife from my shoulder, and stung for that moment. Couldn't move it after that as it only hurt more.

His claw removes the Song of Order from his chest and he raises his knife again, aiming for either my lungs or heart. "Goodbye..." I can hear its demonic voice speak with me.

Another gunshot is heard, and I can see the blood go onto my face this time. I knew that it was Alex again who had made the shot, and its outcome was right at the demon's head. The fire in the eyes of the monster looked almost surprised, but unable to react as he falls right to the side.

I was released, with my head falling to the left side to see the outcome of Achmed in even his own total defeat.

All the light that resembled fire in his eyes began to disappear into nothing but blackness, and his entire body began to turn into flames when he is lifted by Rebecca's magic off from the dirt.

I can hear her speaking to us. "You both did really well at fighting together, so no wonder Brayden has someone who won't leave him behind to die..."

"I've known him for as long as you, but I understand him more!" Alex responded to her. I wanted to say something, but I was unable to get the words out.

"Of course you would, and most likely this will be the only time you will be able to back him up in battle. Because I know me and him will face again another day soon, and when that day happens... it won't be so easy like last time!" She warns us, even if she knows I'll be ready when it happens as I can recall facing her before. I'm sure she would love a second battle.

I can hear the demon's shrieking once again... though it sounds much more warped and distorted at the same time. "What a worthless attempt to keep the leader alive! I shall consume his soul, and banish it into the gap between dimensions!" Rebecca shouts one last time, gripping onto the soul of Achmed Daou and flying off back to Mortem with it in toll.

My breathing sounded rather weakened, and I was unable to move from the spot even with all the excessive blood moving all over the place. My vision looks a bit hazy and my head feels light-headed with a bit of a concussion from the head-slamming. Alex however is doing all he can get me up onto my feet.

"Brayden, get up. We need to get out of here before more of those... soldiers come for us." I can hear him, but I cannot look at him as my vision can only switch between my eyes closing and seeing everything from where my head was tilted. "Brayden? ...Oh, this is not good at all!"

I was beginning to slowly drift in and out of consciousness, and I felt like I was already being placed as an offering at death's door from there. I blacked out for a moment, and then opened my eyes to see Alex carrying me on his back towards the train...

My vision was black again for another moment, as I opened them again for another moment to see a nurse in a metallic room... most likely on the train of Equestria's military, attempting to give me the stitches to sew up my injuries... I'm out again...

One last time, I was able to catch another glimpse of what was going on around me as I am slipping away from the waking world... hospital staff, doctors and more nurses surrounding me and my head placed onto a pillow. Around my mouth is an oxygen mask, along with the sounding of beeping and struggles to keep me alive at this rate. I recognize one of the nurses as Redheart, who works at the Ponyville Hospital. So, I figured that they brought me back home.

"Brayden!" I can hear that familiar voice crying out, though it is faint...

It sounds just like Twilight, as I can see glimpses of her struggling and making way to see me in my own condition. There are voices as the vision grows darker of her being told to stay calm along the final sight of me going through emergency doors into a room for what looks to be an operation...

My vision turned black, and all of the voices and images were gone.

Long ago, in the beginning of time... there was only the void of darkness that was Equestria. Not one soul roamed through and it felt practically empty.

There was one soul however who descended down from the heavens, the First Alicorn herself shining brightly into that darkness and from there - had the deed of scattering her magic across the void to create what was there today and past millions of years ago.

Her first spell, creating Equus' from her vision and sculpting the land the way that she saw it, creating the canyons... the mountains... the valleys, molded in the earth and mixed with the dirt she blessed herself. The oceans were created from her liquid tears that dropped into the descents.

Her second spell, creating a vast environment for all of Equestria... its similarities like of Earth, the human world itself, creating the system of the sun and moon that would eventually find its rightful princesses one day to raise and lower them each day. The world was also provided a natural source for those to breathe there, with clouds to roam freely in the skies.

Her third and final wish was planting those seeds into the ground that started off as bacteria - but would eventually grow into a vision of how she saw the three races in her mind, the Earth ponies, the Pegasi and the Unicorns. Though separate, she created the Whinnepagos alicorns in her own perfect image, even when they were lost in the ages and fallen into extinction thousands of years ago. She added more life like Earth's nature animals and the creatures like the Manticore... the Dragons of Equestria today... Zebras... other races would follow afterwards.

When she saw that life began to grow peacefully from there, she ascended back into the heavens and showered everypony there with a gift which allowed the magic of friendship to spread and exist within their peaceful souls.

This gift was known as "The Sparks" and six of them existed within Equestrian blood of everypony born from the womb of anypony whether it was any of those races mentioned. The six of them consisted of what was considered to be like the Elements of Harmony: Magic, Loyalty, Generosity, Laughter, Kindness and Honesty.

As long as anypony had it within their hearts, they would have the magic flowing throughout them... even when they found a new race that didn't have the sparks just yet. For the sparks to be enabled, that said pony must befriend those that represent those traits, and once all six were given to them... it was almost like the human holiday called "Christmas". For they themselves have rightfully earned the title of being the Equestria citizen they were since birth.

With the ascending back into the heavens, the First Alicorn left behind a book of her own prophecies and that of what was yet to come in the years ahead. It was a book where the leather itself on the front of the book was that of her own symbol and its design being the color of snow white. It was given to the unicorn wizards when they saw her light.

Nopony knows exactly where the White Book of the First Alicorn lies now, as many prophets in the years ahead would only predict what the symbol looked like in their own depiction. Some say it could be lost in the archives of the Canterlot Library, but those are just stories. Others say that after the war between the Griffons in the Griffon Kingdom to the north-west of Equestria, it was forever lost in the reaches of the Tower of the Wizards when it collapsed into the dark canyons connecting to the Ibex village.

The book remains a mystery to all who know nothing of what she sensed would happen in the years after the creation... and that a second holy war was going to be unleashed, and this time: it would be on Equestria's soil.