FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I honestly did not feel afraid at all as my friends and I trekked through the Everfree Forest. Perhaps it was because I was more curious than intimidated by my surroundings since I never had the time to properly explore it at night up until now. My friends did not seem all that worried either, except for Fluttershy. She always stayed right by my side and would jump in fright at just the sound of the wind blowing or a squirrel scurrying up a tree.

"Um... Honey? I don't mind you being clingy, but would you mind clinging to something else?" I asked, Fluttershy clinging to my head.

"Um... Sorry. It's just..."

Applejack spoke, "We're all a bit nervous, girl. We're gonna be seein' Nightmare Moon in a while, after all."

Twilight Sparkle added as she led us, "It'll be a while before we get there too. The Everfree Forest is pretty big."

I nodded after prying Fluttershy off my head, "Yeah. It took me all day to find it last time."

Rainbow Dash then asked as she hovered a few feet off the ground, "How about we pass the time with some ghost stories?"

Fluttershy replied, "Um... Let's not?"

However, Pinkie Pie performed her signature hop, "Ooh! Great idea! Maybe a story about Nightmare Moon! Or maybe a story about the Changelings and their dark queen!"

As Pinkie Pie went on and on about potential story ideas, I stopped and looked around while my friends continued to walk along. I feel I should mention this. During the first day I spent in the Everfree Forest around eight months ago, I occasionally had the most curious feeling. As if I was being watched.

The same feeling as then had come over me. I crossed my arms and tilted my head up, crooning my neck back and forth to get a good look at my surroundings. Since my goggles were still covering my eyes, it was impossible to tell that I was scanning my surroundings out of the corner of my eyes.

As I slowly rotated my body while trying to seem as oblivious as possible, I saw them. In the distance, a pair of eyes staring at me from between two trees that seemed to shine in the darkness. They were an unsettling, yet alluring, shade of green; the pupils being slit like those of a reptile. I immediately thought it was a dangerous beast about to pounce on me, so I turned and reached for the hilt of the Celestial Sword.

The instant I showed a reaction to the creature's presence, it seemed startled. It suddenly backed away, allowing me to get a view of its silhouette. It was not a reptile at all. Its overall shape seemed to be that of...a pony? It was very tall, probably as tall as me. I could see a horn and...wings?

The creature had a strange crooked horn and the wings... I could barely see them in the darkness. Regardless, the creature continued to watch me from a distance. It did not seem aggressive, so I removed my hand from my sword's hilt. I said nothing, waiting for the creature to react.

The eyes closed just slightly as I could almost imagine the creature smirking at me. I then heard a woman's voice speak to me with a strange distorted effect, "Don't let me keep you. We'll meet again someday." I then saw the silhouette suddenly move out of sight while giggling in a bizarre way, the sound of insect wings buzzing in the distance.

What in the world did I just see? Some mischievous forest spirit? Before I could ponder it further, I heard Rarity call out to me. "James! Darling, don't trail too far behind! You'll get lost out here!" I decided to disregard the whole incident and ran ahead at a swift speed to catch up to my friends. Whatever that creature was, she did not seem like a threat.

Once I had caught up with my friends, Twilight asked, "What kept you, James? Did you see something?"

I shrugged, "I have no idea. Sorry if I kept you."

As we continued walking, Rainbow Dash constantly hovered around me. She seemed to be eyeing my wings while they were folded. I did not pay much mind. She was probably just jealous of their size. However, she suddenly flew behind me, leaving me thinking that she was just going to guard the rear of the group.

I heard Rainbow Dash whistle at me. "Hey, James! Turn around!"

I paused and looked behind myself. "Yeah?"

When I looked down, I saw that feisty pegasus waving her rump at me, her tail graciously hanging over anything too revealing. "Like whatcha see?"

I took a step back as I winced, "Rainbow, seriously! You know I'm already... What's with that look?"

Rainbow Dash had suddenly brought her hoof to her mouth, as if to stop herself from speaking. Before I could inquire further, she rolled onto her back while laughing herself silly. "Oh my god! Wingboner!"

I gritted my teeth as I realized what she had done. I looked out at my sides and found that my large white wings were spread as wide as possible for all my friends to see. "Oh, come on! I get wingboners too?!"

Fluttershy blushed as her wings suddenly sprang open. "Wow... Um...you have an impressive wingspan, James..."

I groaned, noticing my girlfriend's wingboner. "Ugh, what is with you pegasi and wings?!"

I looked down at Rainbow Dash, who was still rolling in laughter. "I couldn't help it! I just HAD to see if you could get wingboners!"

I looked down at her for a moment before snickering. I pointed at her, "Ya know, that was actually pretty good, Rainbow. Clever."

Applejack then spoke, "Well, look on the bright side, James. At least now ya can brag that ya got the biggest boner in Equestria."

I winced before doing my best to not laugh. "That sounds SO wrong!" In unison, we all burst into laughter.

Once I had managed to fold my wings again, we continued onward. Under normal circumstances, I would have been a little intimidated of my surroundings in this unnaturally long night. However, the presence of my friends kept my spirits high. I suppose it is true. Everything is more enjoyable with friends.

As we walked, Pinkie Pie asked, "Hey! I just had an idea! Why don't YOU tell us a ghost story, James?"

I glanced down at the silly pink pony, "Huh? Me?"

Twilight smiled as she continued to lead us, "Actually, that sounds like a great idea! You can share some of your homeland's culture with us!"

I cocked my head to one side, "I dunno... I'm not exactly big on horror stories."

Rarity replied, "Oh, James, don't be silly! Surely you must know of just one ghost story!"

I tried searching my memory the best I could for anything to share with them. And after a moment, a smirk spread across my eyes while I adjusted my goggles. "OK, I've got one."

Pinkie Pie hopped up and down in place, "Ooh, let's hear it!"

I turned around to face my friends while giving them the creepiest smirk I could muster. "You might regret those words. I'm gonna tell you about....." I then leaned forward while shifting my weight to one leg while also draping my right arm across my knee, "The Slenderman."

At that name, Rainbow Dash burst into laughter, "The Slenderman?! Come on, that's not scary! What is he? The ghost of dieting?"

I kept my smirk up, "Well, yes, he is very slender, hence his name. He resembles a human man, always dressed in a black businessman suit with a red tie, but his arms reach down to his knees. And be warned. He is not human at all."

Rainbow Dash smirked, "Yeah, right. If you're not scary, how can he be scary?"

I replied, "You're right. From those aspects alone, he shouldn't seem intimidating. But his most defining feature...is his face."

Fluttershy asked, "His face?"

I nodded as I began to speak in more of a whisper to add atmosphere, "Exactly. His head looks like it is tightly wrapped in white bandages, but you can't tell from a distance. He has a nose, but the rest of him is featureless. No hair. No ears. No mouth. No eyes. And despite these apparent handicaps...he ALWAYS gets his prey."

I could tell that my friends were starting to become genuinely spooked by my words. Except for Pinkie Pie, that is. But then again, what CAN spook her? Applejack asked, "Uh... OK then, so he's got a creepy face. What else does he do?"

I began to slowly circle my friends without taking my eyes off them, "He stalks heavily wooded areas. Just like this one. He might even be nearby right now."

My friends gasped in unison as they started to look around frantically. Even Pinkie Pie was starting to look intimidated.

"His preferred prey are children who wander into his territory. But I'm sure that he might make an exception for cute colorful ponies too." I hissed, trying to sound as creepy as possible. My friends seemed too creeped out to offer a reply.

"When you start to hear your own heartbeat in your head for no apparent reason, be on guard. He has found you. Oh, and I don't mean that he is on his way to your location. It means he is looking at you from somewhere nearby. And he will get you." I went on.

Rarity whimpered, "I.... I think I hear my own heartbeat right now..."

Pinkie Pie shuddered, "Ooooh.... I do too..."

Twilight Sparkle replied, "Ea....Easy, girls. It's just a ghost story. The Slenderman is just fictional."

I leaned in close to narrow the distance between my and Twilight's faces. "Are you sure? How would you know? You've never seen the Slenderman before." I then straightened my posture, "Probably because he never approaches from the front. He always sneaks up behind you or from the sides, always out of your field of vision."

Rainbow Dash shuddered, "So... He just might be right behind..."

I smirked, "When your ears are being filled with noise and mist is blowing across your vision, he is right next to you. You must run when that happens, or you will become his next prey."

Fluttershy was breathing deeply in sheer terror, "Please, don't come any closer, Mr. Slenderman..."

I grinned wickedly, "But if he gets too close to you, it's over. And the last thing you will ever see is his blank, emotionless, featureless, empty face."

Rainbow Dash shrieked, "NO MORE! I ADMIT IT, YOU'VE GOT ME SCARED!!!"

I began to walk backwards from my friends, "You never know. He might be behind that tree. He might be right behind you. He might even be standing right behind..." I noticed my friends beginning to back away from me while apparently gazing at something that was taller than me. "Girls, where are you..."

I froze as I realized what was happening. "Oh god... He's...right behind me, isn't he?" They did not respond, their eyes fixated on whatever was behind me.

Was the Slenderman truly right behind me? My vision was not clouded with mist, a sign that always points to him being in close proximity to someone. Were the magic-resistant qualities of my armor protecting me?

I tensed up, knowing that if I locked eyes with the Slenderman, I would be doomed. But maybe if I struck before he could get me...

I counted to five in my head before turning my gaze to the ground and spinning around with my foot lashing out for a kick. Instead, I felt myself strike something hard and sturdy. When I turned my gaze upward, I found that I did not strike the Slenderman at all. Instead, it seemed that I had kicked a very stout tree with a grotesque hideous face carved into it. I winced, "Stupid face!"

"More like scary face!" I heard Fluttershy shriek. My six friends were backed up against each other while apparently cowering at the sight of all the trees around us being hideously deformed with frightening faces carved into them. Except for Pinkie Pie, that is. Honestly, what is that silly mare NOT unafraid of? Does she take anything seriously?

As I looked around, I found that the trees certainly looked frightful in the darkness. But as anyone with half a brain would know, they were still just trees. I asked, "Girls, what's wrong?"

Rarity replied, "How can you be so calm?! Just look at them!"

I groaned, "They're just trees! What are trees going to do to you?!"

All of my friends faced me with looks that seemed to show a combination of realization and embarrassment. I walked up to one of the trees. "Besides, if they're looking this unpleasant, I think that's because they woke up with some morning wood." I then gently tapped a low upturned root with my foot. "Get it? Morning wood?"

Pinkie Pie started snickering, "Ooh, I get it!"

Rarity smirked, trying to contain her laughter, "James, don't... It's very ungentlemanly..."

I went over to another tree and smirked at it, "So, how do you call yours? Mr. Twig or Sir Branch?"

More and more, my friends began to crack up at my attempts at poking fun at the scary trees. "Ooh, someone likes what he sees! This one's leaking!" I shouted, pointing at a tree that had some sap oozing down its side.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash flew up to a tree that was right next to the one I was 'talking' to and smirked, "How's your nuts, bark breath?"

I turned and pointed at her with a grin, "Ooooh, good one!"

She faced me while hovering and pointed at me with her hooves while also grinning, "Hey, I learned from the best!"

Pinkie Pie then hopped over to a tree to join in. "Ooh, just look at the way this one's watching me! I better go grab a nutcracker!"

Applejack then chuckled at another tree, clearly having gotten over her fear. "Ya know, I've bucked lots of trees back home. I wonder if I'll hit yer 'nuts' if I give ya a buck."

On and on, we kept coming up with silly jokes before all six of my friends fell into a giggling pile, our raucous laughter filling the cool night air.

"Oh man... No more laughing... My sides hurt... Huh?" I spoke while looking around. All of the creepy frightening trees had somehow changed back to ordinary trees. "Umm... What happened here? They stopped glaring at us for some reason?"

Pinkie Pie giggled, "Laughter! When you laugh at scary stuff, they don't seem scary anymore!"

I frowned, "I fail to see the logic in that... But since there's nothing in the way anymore, should we get going?"

Twilight nodded as she and the other mares climbed to their feet. "Yeah, we shouldn't waste time. Let's get going." She led on, the rest of us following her lead.

One thing I noticed about Twilight Sparkle is that she seems to have a knack for taking charge in difficult situations. I suppose being tutored by one of the rulers of Equestria gave her a boost in confidence and bestowed upon her strong leadership skills. I really do feel like she is the right girl to ask to lead this mission. Then again, she is the most logical and rational person here.

As we walked, Rainbow Dash was hovering next to me. As I noticed her, I realized something. About 90% of the time I have seen her, she has been airborne. Why? What compels her to always be flying?

"What's the matter, Rainbow? Afraid you'll get your hooves dirty?" I asked.

The pegasus mare looked at me, "Huh?"

I replied, "You're ALWAYS flying. Don't your wings ever get tired?"

She replied with a grin, "Nope. I just love flying! That's not a problem, right?"

I frowned, "If you don't do some walking regularly too, your legs might shrivel up and become useless from lack of use. Seriously, you need to balance yourself better." I tapped her leg, "It's no wonder you pegasi are so light. You've got hardly any muscle on those bones."

Rainbow Dash groaned, "OK, I'll mix in some walking." She then landed before me with a loud clop looking rather irked.

"You'll thank me later, Rainbow. I actually think Fluttershy is physically stronger than you." I spoke while looking down at her.

"Seriously?! Guess I better step things up then!" Rainbow Dash replied while appearing to be doing jogging warm-ups in place.

As we continued on, I asked, "Hey, Pinkie? Is your Pinkie Sense telling you anything?"

She replied, "Um..... Ooh! Twitchy tail! And you know what that means!"

We all stopped and looked up. But from what we could see, there did not seem to be anything above us that might fall. "Maybe it's not going to happen yet?" But as Rarity took a step further in the direction we were heading, there was a rustling above us.

"Halt!" A woman's voice shouted as a trio of pegasi dropped through the canopy and landed before us. They were all clad in full-body jumpsuits and goggles. The Wonderbolts? No, something was off. Were they the same pegasi that were pulling Celestia's gnarly-looking chariot during Nightmare Night?

The three pegasi consisted of two stallions and one mare, who stood between the two men. They had dark gray coats and blue tails and manes styled in a windswept look not unlike those of Spitfire, although the mare's coloration was slightly lighter. Their goggles had lenses that were yellow and seemed to be 'half-closed', bringing to mind angry or determined eyes. Their jumpsuits seemed to consist of a very dark gray and purple, the main body covered in purple while the head, front of the neck, and lower legs were dark gray. The two colors were separated by jagged lightning bolts. Lastly, where one would find a cutie mark on their flanks, there was a strange skull with a bony wing attached. I instantly got a sinister vibe from this group, my legs bending slightly to prepare for any incoming assaults.

Rainbow Dash seemed to recognize them. She trotted right up to the three pegasi and grinned, "Hey, long time no see! I know what you're gonna ask me, and my answer still stands. I'd love to be your team captain, but my friends come first. But if you ever change your...you know...requirements, I'm always up for it."

However, the lone mare of the group replied, "We are not here to ask you to lead us, Rainbow Dash. We are here to prevent you from going any further."

Applejack stepped forward, "Now hang on one pony-pickin' minute. What do ya'll have against us goin' on our merry way?"

One of the two stallions spoke, "We are the Shadowbolts. Nightmare Moon's right hoof guardians. If you wanna get to her, you'll have to get through us first."

Rainbow Dash growled, "So THAT is why you tried to get me to abandon my friends last time! You jerks!"

The other stallion spoke in a slightly deeper voice, "No. That time, it was Nightmare Moon herself in disguise. This time, we are ourselves. If you want to get by us, you will have to use force!" The three pegasi branched out a bit, lowering their bodies to the ground in a clear display of hostility.

"Ha! You three against us?! This'll be a snap!" Rainbow Dash spoke as she raised herself, standing on her hind legs while doing a few boxing jabs with her hooves. Did I ever mention she is a black belt in karate?

"Heh, they don't know who they're messin' with. Got room fer one more?" Applejack said as she stepped forward, flexing her legs and neck. She is certainly the physically strongest pony in the group, so Applejack can definitely lay the smackdown on anyone who tries to tangle with her.

"I'll help too. I think I have a few types of magic that can help in a fight." Twilight Sparkle said as she stepped forward. Considering her vast knowledge of different magic, I am certain that what she said was not a bluff.

One earth pony, one pegasus, and one unicorn against the three Shadowbolts. It seemed like a balanced approach. However, I felt a twinge of fear in my gut, as I feared what may happen to my friends if they got into a fight.

Usually, when confronted with a challenge such as this, I tend to respond nonverbally. And that is what I did. Squinting my eyes under my goggles, I calmly walked forward, passing Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity before passing my three friends who stood ready to face the Shadowbolts. As I stood before the three pegasi, a deathly silence fell over the area as I could feel all eyes fall upon me.

I stared my enemies down for a moment before the mare of the group asked, "You got something to say to us?"

I held my left arm straight down so the Lunar Shield was on its side as I reached for the hilt of the Celestial Sword. "No." I replied calmly as I drew the sword from its scabbard and held it out to my side, its shining white blade giving off a glow that shone light over the area.

"A sword?!" Twilight shouted as I stood ready. I did not want to fight, but I was clearly the best suited of the group for engaging in combat.

Rarity gasped, "Oh my stars! Just look at that visage! He is truly our knight in shining armor! Now all he needs is a helmet." How right she was.

Fluttershy spoke, "Princess Luna's cutie mark on the shield with Princess Celestia's cutie mark on the sword... Did they make those?"

Pinkie Pie replied, "Maybe! But they go together so well, don't they?!"

Rainbow Dash squealed behind me, "Oh man, this is gonna be tight! Let 'em have it, James! You can bring these losers down!"

However, Applejack stepped forward, "Hang on a minute there, pardner. Are ya sure yer up ta this? I mean, I've never known ya fer bein' the fightin' type. We can probably handle 'em."

I replied, "I'm gonna have to get my hands dirty at some point. Might as well start now."

One of the male Shadowbolts laughed, "Just listen to this guy! The pup thinks he's a timberwolf!"

Twilight stepped forward, "James, it's OK. I'm sure we can handle them. You don't have to put yourself in harm's way for us."

I replied without taking my eyes off the Shadowbolts. "Twi, the entire reason I'm even out here is to make sure you girls come home safely and in one piece. I didn't do all that training in Canterlot for nothing. And besides..." I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, "Your brother entrusted me with bringing you home safely."

Twilight gasped, "Armor? He asked this of you?"

I replied while turning my gaze back to the Shadowbolts. "He supervised my training. He said he knew you would be in good hands with me. The fact that he placed so much faith in me means I must be the right man for the job. I don't intend to fail him."

Fluttershy spoke, "James... When did you get so brave?"

I replied, "You girls are all I have. Remember when I disappeared from Equestria? Can you imagine how I felt when I lost you? I don't want to feel that again. That's why I'm doing this. I don't want to risk losing any of you."

I think I heard Rainbow Dash sniffle a little before she spoke, "Dude... You rock. If things get rough, just say something and I'll back you up."

I smiled, "Thanks, Rainbow. But I'm pretty sure I can handle this. I've got the weapons and gear while they have nothing."

Rarity spoke, "Just don't drop your guard against them. I strongly suspect that ruffians like them do not fight fair." I heard the clopping of hooves behind me as my friends backed away to give me room.

"OK..." I muttered before pointing my sword at the mare of the group, suspecting she was the captain.

She growled, "You better point that sword somewhere else, punk."

I replied bluntly, "I will not."

The captain gritted her teeth before suddenly trying to head butt me. I flapped my wings once to retreat out of range, landing around twenty feet away from them. I heard Rarity squeal, "Eeee, just look at how he moves! So divine! Floating gently through the air before landing as lightly as a feather!" I tried to not snicker, finding Rarity's praise to be somewhat entertaining and embarrassing at the same time. I bent my knees as I held the large Lunar Shield out in front of me, the tip at the bottom nearly touching the ground. I then twirled the Celestial Sword forward in an underhanded motion, as if to taunt my opponents.

"Heh. Looks like he's serious, captain." One of the males spoke.

The captain smirked, "He's in over his head. Look at how he carries himself. He's probably humming a tune. The guy's probably never even seen combat before."

The second male spoke in a somewhat lower pitch than the other, "I've got this, captain." He then walked towards me before taking a defiant stance. "Your move, newbie."

Any other newcomer would probably just charge at their opponent without a second thought, but I knew better. I watched and waited, trying to figure out what would be the best way to tackle this obstacle while never lowering my shield.

After a moment, Rainbow Dash started cheering, "C'mon, James! What're you waiting for?! Spice things up! Rip 'im a new one! Don't just stand there! FIGHT!"

This went on for a moment before I turned and faced my friends. "Knock it off, Rainbow! It's not smart to just... Gwah?!" I felt something ram me in my lower back, pushing me forward. I spiraled and staggered out of control before falling flat on my face in front of my friends.

"Are you serious? Is this guy for real?" I heard my opponent ask behind me. All three Shadowbolts laughed in unison at me.

"Oh no... Are you all right, James?" I heard Fluttershy ask right in front of me.

I felt rather embarrassed from making such an amateurish mistake in front of my friends. I growled in frustration as I started to climb to my feet. "Rule #1 of combat: Never turn your back on the enemy."

I then glanced at Rainbow Dash before pointing my sword at her, "Rule #2 of combat, and this goes for you, Rainbow Dash! Never distract your allies from a fight!"

My brash pegasus friend chuckled sheepishly as a blush spread across her face. "Uh...heheheh... Oops?"

I brushed myself off before walking back over to the Shadowbolt that had just rammed me and resumed my stance, shield out in front of me. "Now then, where were we?"

I noticed the stallion relax a little too much. Perhaps that little mistake caused him to think I am not a threat at all. "Heheh, fire when ready." He said with a smirk, his stance being not as low to the ground as before.

While studying him, I developed a plan in my head. While I was disgusted of the thought of harming other people, I had to make an exception if I was going to protect my friends. And if things went the way I was planning, this next attack was sure to hit. "Rule #3 of combat: Never charge into a fight recklessly."

I slowly inched forward, my shield constantly being held out in front of me while I carefully moved my sword into a reverse grip while using my shield to mask my actions. After a minute, I was probably less than six inches from my opponent.

"What're you doing? Letting me admire the paintjob on your shield?" The stallion asked with a chuckle.

"Nope!" I replied, ramming the shield into his face to stun him.

"Ow! Wha..." Less than a second later, I performed an underhanded upward swing of my sword, cleaving through his leg, neck, and up through the middle of his head on an angle. The shining blade of the Celestial Sword cleaved right through my target as if he was made of paper. Strangely, there was no blood spilling from him. Only a strange blue mist.

"Dang... I gotcha good, didn't I?"I asked, not expecting a response from him. Seeing the blue mist billowing out of my target as he just stood there gave me the impression that he may not even be truly alive. Just extensions of Nightmare Moon? Regardless, the lack of blood helped soothe the guilt of having just struck a living creature with the intent to kill. Moments later, the Shadowbolt collapsed to the ground without a word, his body bursting into a plume of the blue mist.

"Woo! Nice one, James! Now ya just gotta bring down the other two!" I heard Applejack shout.

"That wasn't...as bloody as I expected..." I heard Fluttershy speak. I too was puzzled by the fate of the Shadowbolt I had just 'killed'. What are they even made of?

As I looked down at the blade of my sword while returning it to a standard grip, I felt a boost in confidence. If I could take down that Shadowbolt this easily, the other two would be easy prey as well. I smirked as I faced the remaining two pegasi and pointed my sword at them. "Next!"

Strangely, the remaining two Shadowbolts did not seem fazed at all by the loss of their comrade. The captain grinned wickedly at me, "Heh... Don't know what you are, stranger. But you're not bad... However..."

The lone stallion then smirked, "Think you can handle both of us?!"

My eyes went wide as they suddenly charged me as a duo. I heard Pinkie Pie shriek, "Hey! Two against one isn't fair!"

I was still feeling confident since I was completely armed and armored while the Shadowbolts were entirely without weapons or armor of any kind. But when I made a swing at them, they swooped to the sides with the captain sailing into my back with a kick. Or was it a punch? Are any strikes from a pony a kick regardless of what leg they use to attack? Regardless, I staggered forward from the kick, somewhat startled from the hit.

"What the..." I muttered, the swagger having been knocked out of my step.

"Told ya you can't handle us, kid. Now put your sword away and go home. You're not getting to Nightmare Moon." The captain spoke as she and her partner hovered by me.

I backed away, starting to wonder if I could handle them. Forget any movies or TV shows you may have seen. Taking on two opponents at once is extraordinarily difficult. Certainly not something a novice like me could handle.

Rarity called out, "James, they're too much for you! Leave it to Applejack and Rainbow Dash!"

Applejack added, "She's right! Just back off and we'll handle the rest!"

But when I looked back at them, Rainbow Dash stepped forward. When we locked eyes, she gave me a determined gaze. "James! Forget everything I ever said about you being a total softy! You've got guts! The fact that you're fighting them in our place shows it!"

Fluttershy spoke, "Rainbow, he really needs to..."

My friend did not stop talking, a determined smile spreading across her face. "You can handle these two fakers! Go for it! You're the man!"

I was genuinely touched by the dramatic change in opinion Rainbow Dash had for me. All I could do was smile at her before turning to face our enemies. The stallion asked, "So, you done yet?"

I began to look back and forth while tilting my head, "What's that word I'm looking for? It's right on the tip of my tongue...... Oh yeah, right!" I then took a sudden swing with my sword. "Nope!"

My sword narrowly clipped the captain's leg, creating a tiny rip in her suit. "Heh! Wise guy, huh?!"

I spoke, "Bring it." I took another swing at her, forcing her to back away while the stallion came at me from my left.

"Oh, no you don't!" I shouted as I hurled my shield at him, pushing him away and bulldozing him into a tree.

"Whoa! Since when could you do that?!" Rainbow Dash called out.

I immediately pursued the stallion, calling my shield back to my left arm as I closed in with earth pony speed. My opponent seemed dazed, leaving him wide open to an attack. But just as I closed in and lashed out with a kick, he regained his bearings and leaped away, causing my foot to miss and crash through the tree. A large chunk of it was kicked out, showing just how much force was behind it.

"Whoa nelly... Where'd ya get that kinda power?!" I heard Applejack ask. I did not have time to give a response since I had to block an incoming tackle from the Shadowbolt captain with my shield.

The two Shadowbolts backed off from me, apparently surprised by my flexible fighting style. I asked while twirling my sword at them, "Having fun yet?!"

The captain growled, "Oh, it's about to get fun. Gonna be pretty entertaining when we snap you in two!"

The two of them suddenly charged at me in unison. Only this time, something was different. They were mirroring each other perfectly, almost as if they shared the same mind. Even so, the greaves on my legs enabled me to hold my ground when they both rammed my shield. But in the blink of an eye, they swooped to the sides and began to attack me simultaneously.

I was helpless as they performed hit and run strikes on me, ramming or kicking me on the run before darting away and coming back for another less than a second later. I was not feeling any real pain since my armor was protecting me from the strikes, but I was being constantly disoriented from being knocked around so erratically.

"COME ON! FIGHT FAIR!" I heard Rainbow Dash shout.

At that instant, the attacks ceased. I stood there, trying to collect my bearings. I then heard the male Shadowbolt shout, "Then how about one at a time!" I glanced up, seeing him coming in for an attack.

I stood ready, my shield pointing at him. I intended to block and then smack him in the face with my shield. But an instant before he struck, I noticed out of the corner of my eye the Shadowbolt captain coming in from my right, where my defenses are weaker. It was as if time had slowed down. She was going to strike the instant after I blocked her ally's attack. And judging by her height, that hoof was about to be sent right into...my unarmored head.

I felt a terrible chill flow down my spine. Equines kick extremely hard. If that attack struck me in the head...

"Lights out, punk!" The captain shouted just as her comrade struck my shield.

I thought I was a goner. But just before I thought she was about to strike, someone else came into my field of vision and blindsided the captain with a flying punch to the ribs. I heard the voice of Rainbow Dash shout, "BACK OFF!!!"

I saw the captain go flying before rolling across the ground, that blow having caught her entirely by surprise. Taking advantage of the confusion, I smacked my shield across the face of the male Shadowbolt before delivering a kick of my own to his body, sending him towards his captain. I then asked, "Rainbow?"

She looked up at me while standing by my side. "That was too close. That kick would've broken your jaw if it hit."

The captain groaned as she climbed to her feet, "I THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST BETWEEN US AND HIM!!!"

Rainbow Dash smirked at her while looking at me out of the corner of her eye. "Let's just say I've learned that playing unfairly just isn't cool. Right?" She then winked at me with her big rose-colored eye. I smirked back down at her, grateful for her assistance.

"Fine." The captain spoke as she and her comrade began to hover in place.

Rainbow Dash looked at me and asked, "Tag team?"

I nodded, "Let's rock."

Rainbow Dash began to hover, throwing a few mock punches towards the Shadowbolts while I stood my ground, my sword at my side with shield out in front. I felt a large boost to my moral, knowing I could not ask for a better battle buddy than Rainbow Dash. We were sure to win now.

"You take the captain." Rainbow Dash spoke as she zoomed over to the male Shadowbolt for a high-speed tackle. No matter how swift the Shadowbolts are, Rainbow Dash will always be faster.

"Heh, bring it on, babe!" I heard the male Shadowbolt shout as he evaded Rainbow Dash's charge by swooping over to the side. What they did for the next few minutes, I am not certain. I had my own opponent to focus on.

"Just you and me now, punk." The captain said with a smirk as she swooped at me. This time though, I knew better than to take on fast flyers while grounded. I jumped straight up, causing her to swoop right under me while I began to flap my wings to hover in the air.

Out of nowhere, I heard Rarity squeal, "Oh my stars, the way he flies! So angelic! Like a guardian from on high! James, take me into your arms and let me fly with you!"

I felt my face flush red from listening to Rarity praise me once again. What Applejack said next summed up exactly what I was thinking. "Give it a rest, girl. He's got more important things ta tend to."

"OK, flyboy. Let's rumble!" The captain shouted as she turned back to attack again.

This time, I moved to the side at the last second, swinging my sword at her while she passed by. "Whoa!" She just narrowly ducked it, the sword clipping the tips of her wings.

"You sure you wanna keep going? I really don't have any desire to hurt you." I asked, starting to feel like I had a fighting chance facing the captain 1-on-1.

She turned back, swooping at me again in a surprisingly predictable pattern. "Like I said. If you want to get to Nightmare Moon, you'll have to get through... OW!"

Out of nowhere, the male Shadowbolt came crashing down onto the captain, slamming them both into the ground. "Aw yeah! The Fantastic Filly Flash! Works every time!"

Rainbow Dash swooped down from the canopy and began to hover next to me. "Didja see that?!"

I nodded, "If my guess is correct, you grabbed him before diving towards the ground and letting go."

"Yup! That's how it works. I supercharged his descent so he couldn't stop!" She replied, grinning proudly.

The two Shadowbolts seemed very dazed by the collision, slowly staggering to their feet. I asked, "Rainbow? Is it fair to use unfair tactics against opponents who don't fight fair?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged, "Well... We are in a hurry, so why not?"

I nodded as my left gauntlet was engulfed in a cobalt blue aura. As the two Shadowbolts were engulfed in an identical aura and lifted into the air, Rainbow Dash asked, "Hang on! You're using magic?!"

I nodded, "Yeah, but we'll talk once we deal with them. I'm sending the stallion towards you. Get ready." I raised my sword to my left shoulder, preparing to perform a swing to my right.

"OK. Let me at 'em!" Rainbow Shouted as she stood several feet to my left.

"Let us go! This isn't fair!" The Shadowbolt captain shouted as she and her comrade began to struggle in the air.

"Sorry. We're in a hurry, so we need to wrap this up quick." I replied as Rainbow Dash got in position. I then added, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but..... GET OVER HERE!"

At my will, the two pegasi began to hurtle towards us at high speed. "Gotcha!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she jumped. As they began to pass through the gap between us, I slashed with my sword while Rainbow Dash lashed out with a kick. Our attacks struck home, my sword cleaving the captain in two at the waist while I heard a sickening crack as Rainbow's hoof connected with the other Shadowbolt's jaw.

The two halves of the captain rolled and flopped over the ground due to the momentum, blue mist spilling out of her before she burst in a plume of it. The stallion did not seem to be done at first, slowly staggering to his feet.

"Rainbow, he's not done yet! Watch... Whoa! What happened?!" Pinkie Pie shrieked once the last remaining Shadowbolt looked at me. Ugh, that sight made my stomach churn. His head was on backwards. Rainbow had snapped his neck with that kick! He stared at me with a blank expression, mouth hanging open slightly. After only five seconds, he collapsed. His body burst into blue mist upon hitting the ground.

"Well, that's that!" Rainbow Dash spoke, the tension in the air having calmed down.

"Are you OK, James?" Fluttershy asked as she rushed over to me.

I nodded, "Thanks to Rainbow Dash, yeah." My brash pegasus friend beamed proudly at me, clearly feeling pretty proud of herself.

"Thank goodness... I was so worried whenever I saw you get hit." Fluttershy replied as she hovered up to me and embraced me gently.

Twilight then stepped forward. "James... Was that magic you were using? Just what does that armor do?"

I looked down at my right hand, the Celestial Sword still glowing in my grasp. "I was told that this armor compensates for the inferiority of the human body. It grants the wearer all of the abilities of the three races of ponies. Including a unicorn's magic."

Rarity smiled, "How practical! You should wear that armor all the time if it's that useful!"

Twilight then asked, "And that sword... And the shield. What are they?"

I smiled, "I think you can guess who made them. The Lunar Shield is a perfect defense. Nothing can get through it. The Celestial Sword is a sword that can cut through almost anything. So far, only the Lunar Shield itself has stood up to a strike from it. That, and it makes for a handy portable light source."

"Whoa... That's a lotta gifts fer just one guy. The princesses must really have a lotta faith in ya, James." Applejack spoke.

"I'll bet it was Princess Luna who gave him all of that! She really really likes him, you know!" Pinkie Pie added with a giggle.

Twilight smiled, "No time to chat, girls. We need to get going. The night has already overstayed its welcome. And James?"

I nodded, "Yeah?"

Twilight asked, "If you don't mind, would you mind leading us? That sword can be used to light the way. And you're definitely the best armored and armed out of the group. You would make for a great first line of defense."

I nodded, "OK then. But I'll be counting on you girls to back me up. I'm not a soldier. My mind isn't honed enough for heavy combat situations."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah, you already showed us back there. You got confused way too easily. If you get in over your head again, I'll be there to back you up." She then held out her hoof to me for a brohoof.

I smiled as I returned the favor, lightly bumping my right fist against her hoof. "Thanks, Rainbow. Anyway, where to next?"

Twilight pointed, "That way. I'll be right behind you to give directions." I nodded and began to walk, Fluttershy right by my side while everyone else walked behind me.

However, not even twenty seconds later, I began to feel slightly lightheaded. I knew what it was. The adrenaline that had built up inside me during the fight was beginning to fade out. I staggered over to a tree and propped myself up on it using my sword arm.

"James? What's wrong?" Rarity asked as my friends gathered around me.

"I told you... I'm not a soldier... I'm not cut out for fighting... My body isn't used to it." I replied, the changes in my body's adrenaline levels leaving me slightly fatigued. Imagine playing a hardcore FPS game or a fighting game for an hour with intense focus on what you are doing before stopping and walking away. That is similar to what I was feeling at the time.

"We know you're not, James. You never once came off as the aggressive type to us. Rest all you want. We'll continue on once you're feeling better." Twilight retorted.

"Nah... I can manage. Walking should help speed it up anyway." I spoke as I pushed myself off from the tree and began to walk again. It did help. In a matter of minutes, I was feeling fine.

We continued on for a while before coming to what seemed to be a wide flowing river. "Hmm... How did we cross last time?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy replied, "I think that friendly sea serpent helped us cross. Is he still here?" I looked around, seeing no signs life anywhere nearby.

Rainbow Dash asked, "Fluttershy, James, and I can fly across, but what about you girls?"

Twilight turned to face our friends, me standing at the water's edge right behind her. "I guess we'll either have to swim or find some shallows to cross."

The idea of swimming did not sound like a good idea. The river could potentially carry my friends downstream, separating us. Not only that, but with how cool the air was at the time, getting soaked would certainly run the risk of catching a cold. But as I watched Twilight, I smirked. I could easily get my friends to the other side.

"So, who's up for trying to swim acro... Wha... What's going on?!" Twilight shrieked as she began to rise into the air. Her body was coated in a golden yellow aura.

"What the... James, what're ya doin'?" Applejack asked, my right gauntlet coated by the same aura.

"What does it look like?" I asked, Twilight starting to float out above the river.

"James, I don't like this! Put me down! This doesn't feel natural!" Twilight shrieked as she began to flail about in the air.

"Give it a minute, Twi! You're almost there!" I shouted. In a moment, I set her down on the opposite side of the river.

"Whoa... Um...thanks?!" Twilight called out.

"Ooh, ooh, I wanna be next!" Pinkie Pie shrieked.

"Me too. Ya don't mind waitin' a bit, do ya, Rarity?" Applejack asked.

Our elegant unicorn friend smiled, "Go right ahead."

As Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy began to fly across the river, Applejack became coated in a cobalt blue aura while Pinkie Pie was covered in a golden yellow aura. The two of them slowly drifted over the river.

"Weeeehee! Can we go again after this?!" Pinkie Pie asked halfway across the river.

"Maybe on our way back!" I replied.

Once our five friends were on the opposite side of the river, I turned to Rarity. "Ready, m'lady?"

Rarity smiled warmly, "Yes. But instead of carrying me with magic, would you be so kind as to carry me in your arms?"

I raised an eyebrow at her, "Are you still going on about that?"

"Pretty please, dear James? I want to know what it's like to fly in the arms of an angel at least once in my life." Rarity replied, batting her eyelashes at me with a pleading gaze.

I could not for the life of me resist Rarity's wiles. "OK, I'll do it." I then sheathed the Celestial Sword, the area becoming darker from the lack of its light. Fortunately, there were no trees covering the riverbank, so plenty of moonlight was illuminating the area.

I levitated Rarity into the air and set her down in my arms, the back of her head resting against the top of my shield. "Ready when you are, darling."

I nodded, "OK, hang on." I spread my wings and took a running start. When I neared the water's edge, I jumped into the air, my wings carrying me across the river in a type of glide before gently landing on the opposite side. "There we go."

When I set Rarity down on the ground, Applejack asked, "So, how was the ride?"

Rarity giggled, "Simply sublime."

I then asked, "So, Twilight. You never thought of levitating people with magic?"

Twilight blushed, "Um... I have no idea why I didn't think about it. But we're on the other side now, so let's keep moving."

"Fair enough." I retorted before leading the way after drawing the Celestial Sword from its scabbard.

"You think we should stop by Zecora's place while we're out here?" I asked after a few minutes.

Rainbow Dash replied, "I'm pretty sure we passed it a while back. Besides, I don't think we have time to stop."

Twilight nodded, "True. This night has been going on longer than the last time. We need to end it as soon as possible. We mustn't sidetrack."

After some time, I paused. "Hm?"

"What's wrong, James?" Fluttershy asked.

"There's someone up ahead..." I replied, a small clearing just ahead of us.

Rarity stepped forward, her eyes scanning the distance. "Oh my... Is that another human?!"

My eyes went wide. There is another human in Equestria? Impossible. Only the royal family knows how to bring beings from other worlds to Equestria. "Let's be careful until we know who it is." I spoke, inching ahead while staying close to the ground.

When we entered the clearing, we found the entity that I had detected standing near the opposite side. It certainly looked human. Only it was not. "Um... Is this a joke?"

The creature standing before us was not a living being at all. It was just an empty suit of iron plate armor. The design was much more basic than my armor, leading me to suspect it had no special qualities about it. What was more; the entire thing was encrusted with rust. It must have been centuries old with constant exposure to the elements. Standing up next to it in its right gauntlet was a large battleaxe that seemed equally rusty. The head of the axe was over half the size of the Lunar Shield.

"Um... An old forest decoration?" I asked, wondering why it was just standing there. However, another thought passed through my head. That armor was obviously designed for human use. And that axe looked like a powerful weapon. Was it a remnant of Equestria's past? And that armor was clearly designed for combat. Why would humans in Equestria, which is virtually a paradise, need to develop armor and weapons of war?

"Looks pretty dang old, if ya ask me." Applejack spoke up.

"Yes, and certainly outdated. James' armor puts that pile of scrap to shame." Rarity added. I could not agree more, but it seemed irrelevant with the mission.

Pinkie Pie giggled, "Well, if it's not dangerous, let's get going!" She began to trot ahead through the clearing, humming merrily.

As I watched, I noticed the armor beginning to move as Pinkie Pie was about to pass it. I felt a sense of dread as it raised its axe into the air. "Heads up!" I shouted, holding out my left hand as I used the levitation spell on Pinkie Pie, pulling her back a second before the armor could smash the axe into the ground with a thunderous crash.

"Eek! Is that thing alive?!" Pinkie Pie shrieked before I released my magic grip on her. The armor slowly pulled the axe back up and returned to its previous stance as if nothing had happened. A deep groove had been left in the ground where the axe had struck. "Woo... You saved me, James." Pinkie Pie said as she looked up at me with a relieved expression.

I nodded, but then looked back at the armor. Rainbow Dash smirked, "Well, looks like we've got another punk to rough up!"

Twilight nodded, "It seems to be a sentinel, just preventing us from passing. It might pursue us if we don't do something about it first. James, do you think you can handle it?"

I gulped, "I'm not sure if I wanna get anywhere near this one..."

Pinkie Pie asked, "Why?! You handled the Shadowbolts no problem!"

I looked at her before speaking, "That thing is just a suit of armor! How do you take down something that isn't even alive?!"

Fluttershy nodded, "Oh... Good point. Then... Should we turn back?"

Twilight shook her head, "That's not an option, Fluttershy. If we don't get by this thing, the night will never end."

I looked back at the armor, scanning it carefully. If the Celestial Sword is as sharp as Celestia claimed, it might be able to cleave right through the armor. But maybe not. It might take a few swings to do it, since I had no actual grasp of the blade's sharpness when used on metal. And there were no metal objects to test it on nearby aside from the armor itself.

"Any ideas, girls?" Applejack asked.

"Um..." I muttered while studying the motionless suit of armor. Just who was controlling it? Nightmare Moon? Was she doing it directly over long range, or is it a basic animation spell with some type of simple programming, making the armor try to block anything that may pass it? Regardless, I eyed the rust that was all over the armor. As anyone can tell you, rust weakens a metal's integrity. Perhaps a powerful blunt strike... "I think I have an idea..."

"Sweet! Let's hear it!" Rainbow Dash replied as she hovered next to me.

I pointed at the armor, "Rainbow, swoop towards it and pull away as you get close. I need to test how quickly it can swing that axe around."

"You got it!" Rainbow replied before flying directly at the armor at high speed. When she was around halfway across the clearing, the armor began to move. Rainbow Dash seemed to notice this since she veered away and flew back towards me. Strangely, even though Rainbow had pulled away, the armor continued to move, swinging the axe down into the ground in the direction Rainbow Dash had been approaching from before returning to its primary stance. The process of swinging the axe was very slow, taking around three seconds to pull off.

"I think this thing was placed here more for intimidation than attack purposes." I spoke.

"It is rather sluggish, isn't it? I'm hardly afraid of it at all by this point." Rarity added.

"It'll still be a threat if it gets anywhere near us, though. Any idea on how to take it down?" Twilight asked.

I nodded, "Leave it to me." I began to casually approach the armor, knowing it was too slow to actually hit me. I walked up to it, waiting for it to move. I knew it would not stop the attack process, even if I backed away.

Sure enough, once I had come within striking distance, it began to raise its axe. I jumped to the side and waited. It then slammed the axe's head down into the ground, embedding it in the soft ground. But before it could pull the axe back up, I put my foot down on the head's back, keeping the axe stuck in the ground. The armor seemed to strain, not releasing its grip on the axe's long handle. "You've got no meat in those arms, you know that?"

I looked over at my friends and called out, "OK, AJ! Your turn! Time for some applebucking!"

The country pony grinned, "Ooh, I getcha! All righty then, James. Hold 'im steady fer me!" She then began to run towards the armor, her head tilted down with a determined smirk on her face.

I raised my shield to face the armor just to be on the safe side. With the armor bent over, Applejack's legs could easily reach the center of the torso. As she came closer, she turned around while still on the move, her hooves sliding over the grass.

"Yeeeeeeehaaa!" She shouted as she lashed out with her hind legs. A thunderous clang filled the air the instant her hind hooves struck the animated armor in the chest. The sheer force of the impact shattered the entire rusty cuirass, fragments flying everywhere with only its gauntlets and greaves still intact. The remaining unharmed armor fell to the ground, the centerpiece no longer holding it together. "And that's how it's done!" Applejack said with a smug smile as she turned to face our friends, her right hooves crossing the left ones in a casual stance.

While our friends cheered, I stood utterly unnerved by Applejack's show of strength. No horse from Earth could possibly do that to a suit of even the rustiest armor. Earth ponies really are built like tanks. "Um... AJ?"

She turned to face me. "What's up, James?"

I looked back at the shattered remains of the armor before glancing at her, "Remind me to stay a good ten feet away from your hindquarters from now on." Applejack could only laugh at my fear of her strength.

"Well, another one bites the dust! Let's get moving." Rainbow Dash spoke as she and the other girls began to walk past the shattered remains of the armor. However, she then glanced at the discarded axe and asked, "Hey, James! Why don't you take the axe with ya? You're bound to do lots of damage with it!"

I replied, "No can do. I have no experience with that thing, it's way too big and heavy, and I need to cast away my shield since it requires both hands." I then added, "Besides, it's inferior to the Celestial Sword! I'm better off with what I have right now."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Oooh, I gotcha. Never mind then!" However, Twilight stopped and examined the armor closely.

"Twilight, we should be going now." Rarity spoke upon looking back at the purple unicorn.

Twilight looked at us, "This makes no sense..." She then added, "Humans only appear in myth in Equestria. Why is there a suit of armor here that is meant to be worn by them?"

I felt a sense of anxiety come over me. Where did Nightmare Moon even find that armor? Buried in the ground somewhere? I know part of the reason why humans had disappeared from Equestria, but was certain I should not speak of it.

"Where did this armor come from? It's very old... Ancient, even." Twilight went on.

I spoke, "Twi, it's not important. We have something else to tend to right now." I was hoping to get her mind off the armor so as to not inquire about the truth behind humanity's past in Equestria when we returned to Canterlot. Whatever happened, I have a strong feeling in my gut that I do not want to know what it was.

"Right, we can't wait. Let's hurry." Twilight replied with a nod. We continued onward, no mention of the armor being brought up again.

Some time passed before I felt the need to ask. "Is your Pinkie Sense detecting anything, Pinkie Pie?"

She replied, "Nope! Everything's fine over... Woohooohho!" She suddenly began to vibrate as if suddenly hit by a seismic tremor.

"Uh oh... What's that for?" Rarity asked.

Twilight spoke, "I remember this one... It means something's about to happen that we will never expect."

Fluttershy gasped, "Oh no... What could possibly happen out here that we won't expect? Is Nightmare Moon coming for us directly?"

Rainbow Dash asked, "Pinkie, do you know where it's gonna happen?"

Pinkie Pie shuddered again before replying, "Um... It's gonna happen right here. And...it's something dark...scary...and smells bad."

Applejack chuckled, "Really? Sounds more like a skunk ta me."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, please. A skunk? I know it's darkly colored, but it doesn't smell bad all the...time... And isn't...scary..."

I felt a chill of impending doom fill my soul. Dark. Smells bad. Scary. In the Everfree Forest. At night. No... Not them!

"James? Something wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked, clearly noticing the fear in my eyes.

I stepped towards the direction we had been heading a moment earlier and took a defensive stance with my shield raised. "Girls, get behind me."

Twilight asked, "James, what do you think..."

I spoke louder, "Now! They're close!"

My friends huddled behind me while peeking past my shield. They said nothing, seemingly placing a lot of faith in my actions.

"James, what did you even find out here last time?!" Rainbow Dash asked.

I replied while my eyes slowly scanned ahead of me, being very mindful of the gaps between the trees. "If my guess is correct, you're about to find..." I froze. There they were. Peeking between two trees in the darkness in the distance were two glowing red beacons, glowing with an unholy crimson light. "They're here!"

Fluttershy peeked out from behind the shield before immediately ducking back behind it in terror. "Those eyes... James, what are they?!"

I replied, "The Blanks."

Applejack gasped, "Blanks... Hang on... Apple Bloom told me 'bout them once... How they almost..."

I nodded, "The same... And they only look like this at night... But what're they doing so far from Sunny Town? I'm pretty sure we're nowhere near it!"

Twilight replied, "Oh, come on, everypony. There's no such thing as zombies... Right?"

We did not wait long. More and more of the zombified ponies began to appear in the darkness. Four red beacons appeared. Then eight. Then ten. The number kept rising, a mass of them steadily drawing near. "Right? Zombies aren't real... They can't be real, right?" Twilight kept muttering, clearly in denial.

Just before the zombies of Sunny Town could come close enough for us to make out, I finally decided to scold Twilight. "Twi, come off it! These guys are the real deal! I saw them before eight months ago! They're monsters!"

At last, they came into the gentle glow that was being given off by the Celestial Sword. Their forms in the light were arguably more hideous than in the dark since now I could make out every single detail on their grotesque rotting bodies. The majority of them were barely more than skeletons with bits of rotting flesh hanging off of their bodies. However, five of them seemed vaguely familiar. Their bodies had much more flesh on them than the others, but were still hideous to behold. Each looked slightly different from each other, two being mares with the other three being stallions.

Finally, Twilight shrieked, "They're real! They're actually real! James, do something!"

The male zombie at the front of the swarm of zombies spoke in a familiar raspy tone. "James...? Hey..." He then took a few steps toward me, "James? Is that really you? Where've you been for the last eight months? Or has it been nine? Maybe seven?"

Rarity asked, "They know you?"

I nodded in silence, being careful to watch myself. I was certain they could not get through my armor, but I had to be mindful of them in case they went after my friends. Even so, I was still uncertain of just whether or not they were a threat to us. The last time I escaped Sunny Town, they pursued me while spouting words of friendship. Even so, why are they cursed?

The zombie at the front of the pack spoke, "Yeah! It's you! Long time no see! Remember me? Gray Hoof? Celebration planner extraordinaire?"

The name clicked with me almost immediately. I tried to smile, but kept my shield up anyway. "Oh, yeah. Hey there, Gray Hoof. What brings you out here?"

One of the other two stallions stepped forward, the eye hanging by its optic nerve bringing to mind the name Gladstone. "The night. It's never lasted this long, so we went outside to look around. Then we found you."

Gray Hoof seemed to smile, the minimal amount of flesh around his mouth leaving his teeth constantly exposed. "Since we've found you, how about a little party between friends? And who're your new friends.... Oh no..."

Rainbow Dash waved nervously, "Uh...heheh... We're from Ponyville. The name's Rainbow Dash..."

However, Gray Hoof did not seem to pay any mind to her words. "This is bad... They have the mark..."

Mark? What mark... Wait! Every last pony I had seen in Sunny Town was missing..... "The cutie marks!" I spoke as I realized what they meant.

"Huh?! Our cutie marks?!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she and our other five friends looked at their own cutie marks.

"What about their cutie marks?" I asked, starting to sense some hostility from the zombies.

"The mark... They are cursed... We can't let them ruin the party... They have to go..." Gray Hoof spoke as his glowing red eye sockets seemed to glow brighter.

The zombies started to moan and chant together as they began to slowly stagger towards us. "They have the mark... They have to go... Don't let them get away..."

"No... Go away! Please! We didn't do anything wrong!" Fluttershy shrieked as she and the rest of my friends began to back away.

"Stay back! Don't you dare lay your grimy filthy undead hooves on us! .....Please?" Rarity shouted, clearly trying to stay brave.

Their words did not seem to faze the zombies. They continued to chant, clearly hell-bent on getting to my friends. A horrid thought spread through my mind. What were they going to do to my friends? And the curse... Wait. During Nightmare Night, Apple Bloom told me that the curse is contagious. So...if they even so much as touch my friends...

"Please! Leave us alone! We didn't do anything!" Fluttershy pleaded, cowering at the feet of my friends as they huddled around each other.

Hearing Fluttershy's pleas filled me with a sense of desperation I had never felt before. I was not going to allow these monsters to harm the woman I love or the friends who have come to mean the world to me. I was the only one there who could face the zombies without fear of being harmed. I had to act!

I swung my sword suddenly at Gray Hoof, trying to make him back away. "Not another step." I growled, standing between them and my friends.

Applejack called out, "James, yer nuts! Ya can't take 'em all by yerself!"

Gray Hoof spoke in his creepy raspy tone, "James, you're making a mistake... They have to go. They have the mark..."

Gladstone then began to approach me, "Come on, James. Just stand aside so we can..."

I did not give him the chance to finish. When Gladstone came too close, I lashed out with my sword. It cleaved him in two right down the middle, his head and neck hanging open and spilling...lord knows what out onto the ground before collapsing in a heap.

The zombies stopped cold in their tracks, their hellish red eyes gazing at Gladstone's motionless corpse as his own eye sockets dimmed. "Go away..." I spoke with a stern tone.

"James... You didn't..." Gray Hoof spoke as his hideous face gazed at me.

"They're my friends. Get any closer and I can't be held responsible for what happens next." I warned, holding the Celestial Sword out at my side.

"You just don't understand, James... Somepony hold him down..." Gray Hoof replied, the mass of undead ponies slowly shambling towards me and my friends.

"James, you can't!" I heard Fluttershy shriek.

Twilight pleaded, "Let's retreat! We'll deal with Nightmare Moon another time!"

I looked back at them, "You don't understand! They'll chase us! If we're gonna get to Nightmare Moon, we have to get rid of them first! Besides..." I then looked back at the approaching zombies, "What's more satisfying than mowing down zombies?"

No video gamer can say that they have never played a game that never involved destroying zombies and I am no different. The chance to actually experience a survival horror scenario made real was an interesting opportunity. Besides, I was covered with armor from neck to toe, the zombies are not tall enough to reach my exposed face, and they are totally sluggish. And without hands to grab me with, they were nearly harmless to me.

Rainbow Dash shouted, "James, I know you've been having a lot of fun tonight, but you must have a death wish if you're serious about taking on those zombies!"

I looked back at my friends and smirked, "Hey. Unless they have a tank or boomer, I'll be fine. Just stay back, OK?"

Rarity replied, "Uh... Very well... Just...don't get too reckless."

I nodded and faced the undead army before me. "OK, deadheads. Let's dance."

Holding my shield up, I charged into the hoard of undead ponies. I bulldozed my way through them, several getting struck on my shield as I shoved them along. When I found myself slowing down from too many obstacles being pushed, I shoved my shield away with magic. The zombies were sent sprawling as my shield went flying before I called it back to my arm. "OK... Just a bunch of zombies... I can do this..." I muttered to myself.

My sudden offense had shifted their attention away from my friends and towards me. The zombies all faced me, their glowing eye sockets and the Celestial Sword being the only sources of light in this particularly dark area of the Everfree Forest. I glanced back and forth before slashing my sword through the head of the nearest zombie.

I felt very little resistance as my blade cleaved through the bone and flesh like a hot knife on butter. The top half of the head fell off while the rest of the body collapsed in a heap. "Peh, that's it?"

No longer feeling any fear at all, I began to chop and hack my way through the zombies that were staggering towards me from all directions. A lateral slice here, a vertical chop there, and even a kick to a head that swiftly decapitated the creature at times. I did not even need much of a strategy to deal with this threat. They were far too slow and inept to provide much of a threat.

Something that did surprise me was just how many of them there were. At first, I only counted 28 pairs of glowing red eyes in the darkness. But as the zombies collapsed, more would begin to rise out of the ground to take their place. I groaned as I watched another ten crawl out of the ground, "Oh, come on! Just go home already!"

The sheer numbers of these zombies puzzled me greatly. Sunny Town is far too small a settlement to house all of these zombies, even during the day when they look like normal ponies. Where were all of these replacements coming from?!

After taking down what I suspect was twenty zombies, I flapped my wings to go airborne to get my bearings. All of the zombies gazed up at me, clambering over each other to reach me even though I was out of range. I tried counting them. In all, there seemed to be 29 left.

The fact that there were an odd number of zombies remaining left me feeling uneasy. I glanced around, wondering if I had miscounted. My gaze fell upon my friends as they kept their distance from the melee. Fluttershy seemed to have backed away further, clearly out of fear of the swarm of zombies. However, a short distance behind her was...

I felt a chill and a sense of panic fill me as I saw a pair of glowing red beacons steadily approaching Fluttershy from behind. "They wouldn't..." I then hurled my sword at it, using the levitation spell to guide its course. "Fluttershy, get down!"

Fluttershy shrieked as she ducked, covering her eyes with her forelegs. Just before the zombie could reach her, the Celestial Sword was skewered through its head directly between the eyes. Fluttershy looked behind herself a second later and quickly stepped backwards at the sight of the zombie standing before her. A second later, the red glow in its eye sockets vanished before the corpse collapsed to the ground.

"You guys are sick!" I shouted at the zombies below me, the Celestial Sword returning to my right hand a second later. I then dropped down, crushing one of the bonier zombies beneath my armored greaves in a clattering of bone.

I began to count the number of zombies I began to hack through. I had cut down a total of twenty a little earlier, so I was nearing fifty kills. "45...46...47... C'mere, you! 48... 49..." I then began to glance around for the last one. "Where's... Hey!" I staggered back as the last remaining zombie rammed my shield.

"Right... You're the only one left, Gray Hoof." I spoke as I caught myself. I was standing between him and my six companions. With how many zombies I had dropped in the last few minutes, I was feeling very confident that I could take him down too.

"James... You hurt your friends. What kind of jerk hurts his friends?" Gray Hoof asked, seemingly bewildered by my actions.

"What kind of friend tries to hurt the friends of his other friends?" I retorted.

He seemed to smile, "Yeah, that's right. We're friends, aren't we? Before the party starts, how about one little game between friends?"

"What game?" I asked, wondering if this was a sign of goodwill or a form of deception.

Gray Hoof began to turn away, "Catch me if you can!" He then suddenly burst into a sprint, taking off into the trees.

"What the...?" I spoke, amazed by how quickly he was moving. What kind of zombie is able to run as fast as the swiftest earth pony?

I looked back at my friends and shouted, "Stay here! And don't turn your backs on anything!" I then turned and ran after Gray Hoof, my greaves clanking with every step.

The trees passed me rapidly as I ran, my speed probably reaching nearly forty miles per hour. I was still amazed at how fast I could run while wearing this armor. Of course, I had to be careful to not run into anything while moving at that speed. Without a helmet, I was all but guaranteed to have my skull fractured if I collided with something.

After only a brief moment, I saw him. Gray Hoof galloping through the trees just ahead of me. I tried to catch up to him by moving in from his right; his decayed form being vaguely illuminated by the glow coming from my sword with trees passing between us frequently. I noticed him look in my direction before speaking, "That's it. Just try to keep up!" He then increased his speed slightly, lowering his head while he charged through the dark forest.

I did my best to close the gap between us, but his speed was too great. We were running at the exact same speed. "How the hell is he this fast?!" I groaned to myself, utterly amazed by his speed.

A minute passed before we suddenly made a very wide turn. Gray Hoof suddenly ran to his right, crossing my path before running in another direction. "What the?!" I shouted as I slid across the ground before running after him again. "What're you trying to pull?!"

I continued to chase him for a minute, the distance between us still no less than before. However, after a moment, I began to notice something. "Wait a minute... Didn't we just do a 180 degree turn?"

I gasped as I realized what direction we were heading in. "That means... We're heading right back towards... No!"

Gray Hoof... He had pulled a fast one on me. He knew he could not take me down with my current gear, so he tricked me to get me out of the way so he could reach my friends! There was nothing standing between them now!

I heard Gray Hoof shout, "It's time to start the party!" Somewhere up ahead, I could see my friends in the distance. I had to act now! Using the levitation spell, I sent my shield flying while keeping it low to the ground. I then sent it sideways while lying flat once it had caught up to Gray Hoof, tripping him. He rolled and tumbled along the ground while I flapped my wings to fly into the canopy to catch up before he could regain his footing.

As it turned out, he came to a stop just a few feet away from my six friends while stuck on his back. I heard him speak while looking at them, "Um... Not the way I was expecting to start the party."

I was right above him when I took the Celestial Sword into both of my hands in a reverse grip and dropped down through the air. I was not going to miss, so there was no risk of overswinging this time. As everyone looked up at me descending rapidly, I shouted, "Party's over!"

My aim was true. I drove the Celestial Sword squarely through Gray Hoof's chest, pinning him to the ground. Strangely, he did not scream in pain despite clearly wretching upon being impaled. I suppose zombies are no longer capable of feeling pain, considering how rotted their bodies are.

"Is it over?" I heard Fluttershy ask meekly.

I nodded, "I think so... Wait a sec. Is something burning?" I noticed an unpleasant stench fill the air, a thin trail of smoke starting to rise from.....Gray Hoof?

I jumped off him just in time, noticing the trail of smoke rising from the impalement wound in his chest where the Celestial Sword was lodged. A second later, the zombified pony burst into flames.

"Whoa! What do ya suppose that's 'bout?!" Applejack shouted in surprise.

Gray Hoof groaned, "It can't be over yet! We were just about to start the par..." He was cut off, the flames dying out in seconds. There was nothing left of Gray Hoof. Not even bones. Only ashes remained.

I pulled the Celestial Sword out of the ash pile and looked it over. The brilliant white blade still glowed warmly, almost feeling like the rays of the sun. "This sword... Prolonged exposure to the blade's warmth is toxic to creatures of the dark..."

Twilight nodded, "They can't stand the light..."

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash flew forward and got up in my face. "Man, James! The way you sent those zombies packing! And when that last one came barreling at us, and the way you went diving through the treetops and BAM! That was totally hardcore!"

I think I may have blushed at that compliment. "Whoa... That's a pretty intense compliment, Rainbow."

Rarity nodded, "You were very valiant, James. The way you rose up to defend us was truly how a knight would've reacted to them."

Fluttershy then stepped forward, "And...the way you stopped that zombie that was sneaking up on me..." She then blushed with a smile, "You really are my knight in shining armor."

I chuckled, "Oh, honey..."

Twilight smiled, "Well, I would say those zombies were the last thing I ever would've expected to see out here. I guess your Pinkie Sense got it right again, Pinkie Pie."

However, Pinkie Pie then shook again. "Uh oh! Those weren't it! I'm STILL getting the shudders!"

Twilight stared for a moment. "Still getting... Wait... WHAT?! Are you serious?!" She then pointed at the motionless dismembered corpses behind me, "We just ran into a doozy of an ambush! What could be doozier than a pack of zombies?!"

Pinkie Pie replied, "Maybe... Maybe there's still one more!"

Applejack pointed, "I see it! Right over there!"

I turned to face the threat, sword ready. Sure enough, there was one last pair of glowing red eyes in the darkness. "OK. I'll handle this too."

We waited, the owner of the eyes drawing closer. But when it stepped out into the light that was being given off by the Celestial Sword, I felt my heart leap. "Wait a minute... It's you!"

I stabbed my sword into the ground and walked toward the last remaining zombie, her dull crimson mane and mangy dark coat still as filthy as the last time I saw her. "Mitta... It's been a while."

She spoke with a solemn tone, "You remember me?"

Twilight called out, "James, hurry up! Kill it!"

I looked back at my friends as I got down on one knee. "It's OK, girls." I then gently embraced Mitta, "She's not like the others."

Mitta muttered, "I missed you..." I felt her stand on her hind legs, her forelegs gently wrapping around my torso.

I smiled, "It's been months. I was hoping I could see you again."

My friends cautiously began to approach us. "So... This creature isn't going to harm us?" Rarity asked.

Mitta replied, "I don't want to hurt anypony... Are you all OK? Did they hurt you?"

Rainbow Dash grinned, "Nah. James here mopped the floor with them. A bunch of pushovers."

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie seemed to.....inflate? It happened in an instant. She suddenly inflated like a balloon before reverting to normal in less than a second. She then smiled, "Hey! That's it! The last thing I was expecting was to meet a zombie who is NICE!"

Twilight facepalmed... Or should I say facehoof? Regardless, she groaned, "Of course..." She then faced Mitta, "Don't mind her. She's just being Pinkie Pie. But really, it's OK. We know you're not like the others now."

Mitta sighed, "I'm sorry... I kept trying to convince them to stay in Sunny Town, but they went to explore anyway. This night has been lasting too long. The curse has been in effect for much longer than it usually is."

Twilight spoke, "We're going to fix that. We heard that Nightmare Moon has returned and is hiding in the castle ruins a little further ahead.

Pinkie Pie began to hop toward Mitta. "Ooh, you look just like I did during Nightmare Night! You in costume too?"

Twilight smiled, "That actually would be a good way to get by the zombies! Maybe we should've dressed up before we went into the Everfree Forest."

I noticed Mitta crack a smile. "Just maybe..."

Applejack then patted Mitta on the shoulder, "Well, it's nice ta meetcha, Mitta. I'm Applejack."

My cursed friend gazed at Applejack, "You're not afraid of me?"

Fluttershy smiled, "Not anymore. You don't act like the others did."

Rarity gagged, "Although... You could use a bath. And your coat and mane could certainly do with some sprucing up. You should stop by the spa next time you come to Ponyville!"

I smiled, "I'll handle the massaging."

Twilight then stepped forward, "I think we should all introduce ourselves. My name is Twilight Sparkle."

Rainbow Dash then flashed Mitta a grin, "The name's Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in Equestria!"

Rarity bowed, "I am Rarity. It is a pleasure, Miss Mitta."

Pinkie Pie then hopped, "I'm Pinkie Pie! And I'm friends with absolutely everypony in Ponyville!"

Lastly, Fluttershy stepped forward. "I'm Fluttershy. And I live just at the edge of the Everfree Forest, if you ever want to visit." She then asked, "Um... Are you a friend of James?"

Mitta nodded solemnly, "Yes... Even though I shouldn't be..."

Rainbow Dash grinned, "Well, any friend of James is a friend of ours. Right, girls?"

Rarity smiled, "Of course! So sorry if we seemed hostile at first glance. You have the same eyes as those monsters that tried to...do whatever it was they had planned for us."

Mitta seemed troubled as she bowed her head, "You're too kind..."

I placed my hand on Mitta's shoulder, "It's OK, Mitta. If there's one thing I've learned about the ponies that live in Ponyville, their hospitality is without equal."

Mitta seemed to survey the lifeless fallen corpses that littered the area. I noticed and spoke, "I'm sorry if I hurt any of your friends. They were coming for mine, so..."

Mitta shook her head, "It's OK... They'll be back by morning."

Fluttershy asked, "They'll be...back? Even that one that was burned to ashes?"

Mitta replied, "Nothing can destroy them entirely. They are doomed to walk the Everfree Forest until they have learned from their sins. By morning, they will return to Sunny Town as if nothing had happened to them."

This revelation bothered me. Even if someone were to completely destroy each of the Sunny Town zombies, they would return from the grave without fail. But only when morning arrived, which meant... "Well, at least we don't have to worry about them until morning gets here. Which won't happen until we do something about it."

Twilight nodded, "Oh, right! And our destination isn't that much further! Excuse me, Mitta. We really need to be going."

Mitta nodded, "I see. I guess I'll go home too. Maybe I can spend some time with Ruby now that there's no one there to bother us." However, she then turned to me and embraced me tightly. "Thank you for coming back, James..."

I hugged her back, "I'm glad I got to see you again. Take care, Mitta."

As she began to walk away, my friends waved goodbye. "Come by Sugarcube Corner next time you're in town! I'll throw a party just for you!" Pinkie Pie spoke with a bright grin.

Mitta replied, "You're... You're all wonderful ponies..." She then turned and walked away, the darkness of the night engulfing her once she had gone out of range of the Celestial Sword's glow.

"She seems very sweet, James." Twilight spoke with a smile.

I nodded, "She's one of the few friends I have out here."

Applejack smiled, "Well, let's hope we get ta see 'er again."

Twilight spoke, "I don't think we have anything else to worry about now. Let's hurry on." She led on, the rest of us right behind her.

Minutes later, we emerged from the trees to find a familiar sight. A deep ravine filled with fog while a rope bridge spanned it. And on the other side of the ravine, there it stood. The remains of the castle I had found before. "We made it." Fluttershy spoke while standing at my side.

"Well... Shall we go?" I asked, starting to walk towards the bridge.

"James. Wait." I heard Twilight speak behind me. When I turned to face her, I found my other five friends facing me with her.

"Hm?" I retorted, wondering what she wanted.

Twilight smiled, "I just want to thank you for being here for us."

Pinkie Pie grinned, "Yeah! I don't think we would've gotten this far without you!"

"Huh? Really? You wouldn't have?" I replied, surprised that my presence may have made a difference.

Rarity nodded, "Of course! We may have found a way to get by the Shadowbolts, cross the river, and shatter that walking suit of armor, but there was no possible way for us to get by those zombies without you."

I asked, "Um... Are you sure? I thought I was just here for support."

Rainbow Dash smirked, "Maybe, but face it! We would've been zombie chow if you weren't there to mow them all down for us!"

Applejack nodded, "We owe ya one, James."

Fluttershy flew up to me and embraced me by my side. "We're glad you decided to come with us."

"Make some room!" I heard Applejack speak just before the rest of my friends embraced me in a group hug.

I chuckled, my face becoming flushed with a blush. "Easy there, girls. The mission isn't over yet."

Twilight nodded, "Right. Nightmare Moon's right over there. Let's go." One by one, my friends crossed the bridge. However, Rainbow Dash and I decided to just fly across.

As we stood before the wooden doors that led into the chamber where the Elements of Harmony used to be kept, I became filled with anxiety. Is Nightmare Moon really the same monster she used to be? Is she really a changed person? Or was she simply playing with my emotions when I first met her? Or... Is HE responsible for this eternal night? Whoever HE is. I really wish Celestia and Luna had spoken his name while I was listening.

"I'll go first." I spoke, gently nudging the door open. The chamber looked exactly the way I remembered it. I already described the appearance in an earlier entry, so it is unnecessary that I describe it again. However, I did not see any signs of life.

"No one's here." I spoke, the rest of my friends following me in. My greaves clanked against the cold stone floor with every step I took while the clopping of hooves rang out from my companions.

"Well, then she must be..." Twilight then looked to her left out of one of the chamber's ruined windows. "Over there."

Right outside the chamber was the same stone tower where I had last seen Nightmare Moon. "Yeah... That's the spot." Rainbow Dash said with a nod.

Fluttershy then asked, "Um... Can we rest here for a bit?"

Twilight nodded, "Sounds good. We want to make sure we're ready for this."

I am writing this while watching my friends chat, play a few games of tic-tac-toe with pebbles, and enjoying snacks. This whole journey through the Everfree Forest has been tiring. But at the same time, I really feel like I have accomplished something. Like I really have become someone my friends can depend on.

However, fear still gnaws at the back of my mind. With Nightmare Moon being so close, a confrontation is imminent. I have never enjoyed such confrontations, and I am fearful of what will become of Nightmare Moon if the Elements of Harmony are used on her again.

I have a plan that may save Nightmare Moon. I will talk it over with my friends soon. I can only pray they listen.

They are starting to gather up their belongings. Time to head out. Rarity has volunteered to carry my journal entry. I have agreed so long as she does not read it until we return home.

This is it. Do or die. I feel heat building up in me. I am stressed. But I need to have faith that my friends will listen.

Wish me luck. I am going to need it.