Comet Tail was floating in a void of darkness when a mare's voice echoed at the back of his head. He couldn't tell what the mare was saying as it sounded more like static, but something was telling him it was clearly words, but he couldn't understand them. He tried to narrow down the source of the noise but could only discern it was behind him. Despite this, everything told him to face at all, no matter how much he wanted to know its truth. However, before he could accept the full scope of this strangeness he was woken from this darkness by another voice.
"Comet Tail, wake up."
"What?" He shot up from the bed and found a softer blackness around him. Reality's darkness always felt so warm compared to the darkness he saw in his dreams. Slapping himself, he realized that was far from the first time he heard that voice or felt that ominous presence behind him. It had been happening ever since he survived the fight with that insidious white dragon half-breed that took his leg.
Slowly he began to wonder just how he got to this bed. Early, he was protecting a client. Now here he was in the blackness, just after an explosion. His eyes widened upon remembering and scanning the bedroom. The feelings were unfamiliar at first until images came into focus.
He knew this bedroom. It had been long since he had slept in this room, and now he was waking up in it. Yes, his bedroom! His heart skipped a beat at the sight of it. The walls were white, and the furniture was black. A very basic color pairing for a very basic stallion.
He was wearing a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans. Something felt off but he couldn't put his hand on it. Why was he here in this place? He brushed the hair out of his face and walked over to a mirror. It was the only difference in his room. He'd always hated looking at himself, but he decided to do it anyway.
His eyes widened at the lack of scars and wounds covering his visage. He ran his hands along his sides and back and the same thing happened. His eyes froze at his leg. It was fully restored.
"Wha-?" He began to panic, jumping around the room like a mad pony. "Where am I? What is going on here?! This isn't real."
"Easy, easy." A voice spoke behind him.
Comet spun around and saw a white figure in a fancy blazer with a dark red mane. Her horn glowed brightly and she smiled softly. His eyes narrowed on the scales mixed with a mane. "Half-breed dragon."
"No, I am a kirin... remember." She held up her hands in defense. "Those fakes of both dragon and pony blood and not here with us." Placing her hand on his arm, she assured him as best as she could. "It's good to see you awake, Comet Tail." There was royal air about her, but she wore no crown or emblem. "Have you adjusted yet to the new you?"
"New me?" Comet took a deep breath. "Who are you?" He asked.
"Autumn Blaze." She leaned away from him.
Comet Tail raised an eyebrow to that name it sounded very familiar to a rank he had seen previously. The stallion once worked under the kirins so it made sense he would know the name from somewhere. He turned his guard toward her as she stepped off the bed. "Where are we?"
"Your house." She answered simply. "I found you out cold in the forest and brought you back to your place. I must say it was a bit difficult to do it myself-" She was stopped as he raised his hand.
"Don't lie to me." His eyes dulled into annoyance and slapped his leg. "I was in the city, and there was an explosion that would have certainly drawn the attention of the undead soldiers... the Poena Guard." He stepped off the and got right in her face. "This isn't real, is it?"
"It could be..." She rolled her eyes away from him, watching something beyond his sight. "If you want it to be."
She shivered a bit and moved closer. Her posture tried to stay relaxed and slow. Comet Tail tensed up at the close proximity. He stepped backward, then nearly tripped over an empty pillowcase. He looked back at her, and she held out a piece of paper.
Autumn Blaze cleared her voice and spoke, "Just sign here and all of this can be real as you wanted to remember it."
Comet Tail leered back at the bed, the two pillows catching his greatest attention. "Even if this was real, it wouldn't bring Noteworthy back to me."
"He is refusing-" Autumn Blaze was stopped as Comet Tail aimed his hand at her. Her throat gulped air at the sharp edge of seemingly nothingness pressing forward. "How can you see your gladius?"
"The moment I slapped my leg, my real metal leg, the handle popped out into my hand." Comet Tail gave a bold grin and stepped closer, making her back away. "Sorry for making you think you were in control. It took my body a few seconds to accustom myself to the illusion."
Autumn Blaze looked past Comet Tail, again, as if see somepony else in the room. Comet Tail caught on, flicking his blade in that direction. There was nothing there to be seen at first. Yet the more he narrowed his eyes, the more a static shape came into his vision. While the kirin couldn't fully see it, she could always sense it was there and hoped he could see more than her. Holding her pose for a second or two, waiting for his reaction and confirmation. Once she was sure, the kirin gestured to another figure behind her, that neither of them could see in the illusion.
"Well, Mr. Comet, good to see age hasn't rusted your reflexes." Another pony walked through the illusions. His metal wings crackled through the false walls around him. His appearance was obvious to the unicorn.
"The head of the Poena Guard himself, Iron Sentry!" Comet Tail turned back to him and ignored the static forming at the corner of his eye. "Why is a traitor like you here?!"
"Me? A traitor?" Iron Sentry gave a smug grin. "I did everything in my power to prevent the war. I'm loyal to Equestria."
"Enough..." Comet Tail grumbled at the sight of the stallion. "Why are you showing me all of this, Iron Sentry?" He dropped his weapon to his side. "Just have your undead devour me, according to the King's will."
Iron Sentry chuckled to himself, placing his hands on the wall of the illusion, ignoring his demands. "So, Comet Tail. You remember this place, right? You have a lot of memories here."
"Yes, I do."
"Your relationship with Noteworthy was something to admire!" Iron Sentry mused at the thought. "I know that feeling, to love someone no longer in reach. To hold them close." He turned back to Comet Tail, and his face dropped into a frown. "Yet never feel them again. The difference is Noteworthy is alive for you."
"Stop lying or I'll kill you." Comet Tail growled, walking forward to resume his attack.
"Oh, but I am telling you the truth." Iron Sentry bowed and lowered his massive metal wings. "There is no greater love than the real thing."
"Then why show me an illusion." Comet Tail swung his gladius around, aiming back at the kirin.
"Don't be a fool, Comet Tail! This is more than an illusion." He held up a cup filled with warm milk. Bringing it to his lips, he drank it with ease, despite his ally being in danger. "As fresh as the moment it was poured."
Comet's eyes narrowed at the sight. "This is a trick, and you know it-" He was stopped upon feeling the cold barrel of a shotgun against his neck. Limestone came into the visage as well.
"Please, Comet Tail. My lieutenant would splatter your skull long before you can spill a drop of the kirin's blood." Iron Sentry smiled, "Don't think of it as a trick, think of it as a payment."
"A payment?" Comet Tail scoffed. "For what?"
"We've lost a great warrior, one that could save the world." Iron Sentry sighed and placed his hand on Comet's shoulder. "He was the closest thing I ever had to a brother."
Comet raised an eyebrow, catching on quickly. "And you want me to find him."
"Exactly!" Iron Sentry nodded. "Preferably alive, he can be a very stubborn batpony."
"Right? So your king can kill him instead. Maybe turn him into one of the Anti-Six like you." Comet Tail turned away, walking over to what he could assume was the exit.
"Now, now, Comet Tail. It is not like you to abandon a comrade in need." Iron Sentry smirked, gesturing to Autumn Blaze to follow him. "What would Noteworthy say if he knew you were running away?" He smiled as the words stopped him, but the unicorn still refused to face him, so he decided to up the wager. "I forgot to mention the batpony I'm after... is being hunted down by the same halfbreed that took your leg."
Comet's eyes widened as the details were still so fresh in his head. He spun around and pointed his weapon at Iron Sentry, only to be greeted by an entire force of loyal soldiers. The strangest thing about this was how different these were from Iron Sentry's usual Poena Guard. None of them matched the army of undead ravel Iron Sentry normally led into battle. They were alive, breathing, and had a fire in their eyes. All completely free from the King's mind control.
"I, above anyone else, know the rage and malice of the King..." Iron Sentry lifted his metal feathers over Comet Tail's eyes. "And yet, even I choose to follow him." The wings could be seen shaking the longer he went on.
Comet Tail stepped back, lowering his gladius. "How did you resist him? All fall under his will out of fear of his power?"
"My will is stronger... and running out of time..." Iron Sentry his face flinched and twisted. Limestone rushed to his side and quickly slapped him in the back of the head. The strange gesture brought the pegasus back to his senses.
"Careful, Flash." Limestone took his hand firmly in her own. "Don't let him win."
"Right, I'm sorry." Iron Sentry turned his head, and Comet Tail noticed his left eye was a dulling gray, slowly morphing into the glare of undead. "We'll have to make our business short and simple."
The pegasus's wording made even less sense now. Yet Comet Tail couldn't disagree with the evidence around him. "... What kind of offer are we talking about?" The unicorn decided to give a small chance of listening to them.
"A fair one." Flash nodded. "First off, a complete pardon from the King himself. All previous crimes including any possible crimes you might commit on this mission."
"Whatever Like you could do that while disobeying him?" Comet wanted to question the reasoning. Iron Sentry just said that he wasn't loyal to the King. Yet here he was making offers that could only come from the King. "I'm not following misguided logic."
"You'll have direct meetings with Noteworthy and Autumn Blaze every step of the way." This part of the offer was the most pleasing of them all. "How you should mend things is totally up to the two of you. Just know as long as it doesn't hinder the mission, you can have as much fun as you want..." Iron Sentry worded this last part more carefully. "Within reason. Of course, whatever limits Noteworthy agrees to. Once the mission is finished this illusion will become a reality."
Comet Tail glanced back to Iron Sentry's wings returning to full strength and down at the floor, his mind racing. He could see bringing him this information had brought great strain upon him. "What's in it for you?"
"I serve the King."
"And yet, you say your loyalties lie with Equestria." Comet Tail pointed out.
"Which is why you will accept this mission." Iron Sentry dropped his head and made things clearer with a blatant threat. "If you fail, well then... I guess you could rekindle your love with Noteworthy in the afterlife." There was a distinct smell of decay upon those words.
"Do you seriously expect me to believe all this?" Comet Tail asked. "Why would you even ask for my help?!"
"Because you can see our benefactor." Iron Sentry turned away at something he saw behind Comet Tail. He retracted his wings and waited by the door. His words made no sense at first until Comet Tail realized what he was looking at behind the unicorn was the same ominous presence he always felt.
"Wait, the static?" Comet turned back around the image at the corner of his eye. Finally able to face it somehow, he was met with greater confusion as the shape took a solid form.
Standing there always beyond his sight, but now in full view was a creature of pure paleness. It was tall, nearly touching the roof of the bedroom. It was also thin and very lanky and had static all over its face. The static only revealed a smile, or maybe a frown. Either way, the mouth was clearly moving. However, that wasn't what sent shivers to his core. There was another detail he never considered this shape to ever have. Such an assumption would change his logic forever in this world. But seeing it now, that truth couldn't be any more real. From her horn coming into view to her wings spreading out, her species was clear to him.
"What? What are you?" Comet Tail fell to the floor in total fear, swinging his broken gladius. It did nothing but phase through her like she was a ghost. Instead, her visage slithered over him with a mix of complete softness and utter terror.
"With Celestia, Luna, Cadence dead and Twilight still missing. It makes no surprise you claim I serve King Kray..." Iron Sentry smiled upon the confirmation. "But my true loyalty with the last true alicorn in existence... the Pale Mare."