Chapters The SwordMage. Lost in Equestria.
"The future has a way of arriving unannounced."
- George Will
I, am Ona T'kel Deathscales, Crimson Dragon of the Mind . . . And King, of the Plane of Burning Ice. And I am about to have an experience I will not soon forget.
Let us say 'tis another story for another time, why this is happening to me, and nobody else. Perhaps 'tis the fact that I am the single true king and an heir to the Dragon Throne has yet to arrive.... Or perhaps that I have not been fulfilling my duties in keeping evil at bay in my existence ... But whatever the cause.... Matters not now. I roll to the side as a fireball passes me by, and I stand, returning one to the sender, a man, well . . . dragon, my age, wearing ebony colored armor, imbedded with the symbol of the soul.
"Thal'Tek," I say, "We hath already managed to turn each other into forms of humanity, must our battle not end?" I ask, growing tired of this conflict. The man opposite me only laughs.
"Ona, you do not understand. The everlasting goal of the Ebony Dragons of the Soul is to erase you, so we may simply rule the Plane of Burning Ice, our battle will end, for none of thine friends is aware of your situation." Says he. Soon enough four of the large Ebony Dragons land near Thal'Tek. I stagger backwards.
"No, you cannot do this, I am your king!" I utter aloud, shocking one with a lightning spell, it falls limp a moment before shaking the pain, and roaring,
"You forget, Ona, I am a king as well... And I shall be King of the entire Plane!" He yells out, laughing. I notice the portal to the Plane of Many Lands open behind me, the home existence of humanity. I have a plan to get out of this mess... I extend my mind, calling upon my second in command, my mate, my seer, anyone who can come quickly. And I get a resounding response, which lifts my spirits. But something goes awry as Thal'Tek shouts a word in ancient elvish that I do not catch, and the portal swirls, turning a menacing purple, and he launches a fireball upon me.
"No, no, no no no no, noooooooo!" I exclaim as I attempt to dodge the fireball, and fly backwards from the blast, the sword which had appeared when I had become human spinning near, unbeknownst to me, i fall to the Plane of Equestria, a different existence entirely. The flames follow me in as the portal slowly begins to close, and I slowly fall unconscious as I see a swirling cloud dissipating above me.... I was shot through a sky portal? Oh..... No....
...Meanwhile, in the Equine side of the portal...
Twilight Sparkle wanders down the stairs of Golden Oaks Library, only to see her assistant, Spike, up early dusting off the shelves.
"Good morning, Spike" she says happily, trotting towards the door.
"Hey Twilight, where are you going?" He responds without taking his eyes off of his work.
"Rainbow Dash is going to show us an aerial routine she has been working on with Fluttershy this morning." She says, leaving without another word. As Twilight trots along to the meeting place at the edge of town, Applejack joins her.
"Howdy Twilight" she says, tipping her hat as they continue at identical speeds.
"Hello, Applejack" Twilight responds with a smile. Upon reaching the meeting place, the two ponies catch up upon what had happen upon the yester-night, and sit quietly the rest of the time, waiting upon the others. Soon, Rarity arrives, coming up with a high and mighty air as usual,
"Good morning you two!" She greets, to which Applejack and Twilight respond in the like. Pinky Pie hops up soon afterward, a small plate of cupcakes upon her head, and another stuffed in her mouth.
"Mmmph-mmmm!" She says, setting the tray down. The others smile, thanking her and taking one each. After another minute of waiting, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy appear over the rooftops. Fluttershy spins around with her wings extended in the air as Rainbow Dash loops and weaves gracefully around her, leaving a rainbow trail in her path. That, however, was only to begin their performance. Although the joy within the display is short lived, as Applejack points out,
"Does anypony else find sumthin' mighty strange with those clouds up there?" As she indicates the clouds in question with a point of her hoof. Rainbow Dash ceases her tricks and looks up.
"Huh, there wasn't a storm scheduled for today, and those don't look like normal Pegasus made clouds...." She says, questioningly. Suddenly, thunder crashes and lightning flashes as the cloud begins to spin faster, and faster, creating what seems to be a portal in the epicenter, through the portal blows a cold wind and snow, but that is not the worst of it...
"What in the name of Celestia!!!!" Utters Twilight. Suddenly the sky around the center of the swirling mass of cloud erupts in flames, and a dark figure is cast down from the swirling mass. rapidly descending towards the ground, a shiny metallic object flailing helplessly alongside it.
"What in tarnation?" Exclaims Applejack, speaking for the group. Without a moment to lose, Rainbow Dash zips into the sky, faster than you might think, and she attempts to catch the falling figure, but the velocity of my body is too great, and it begins to force her towards the ground as well... Fluttershy also flies up, attempting to air-brake my figure... They do not succeed and end up letting go. And I fall, with less force than what had accumulated, and I hit the ground, making an impact crater where I land, my armor protecting me from the majority of damage, and a second later, the sword whistles in, sticking into the ground only inches from me... Creating a resounding twang followed by a wobbly wave sound.
The dust clears, and the six approach my unconscious body.
"A human?" Gasps Twilight, in complete shock.
The SwordMage. Lost in Equestria.
"Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
-Anais Nin
My eyes do not open yet, but I am fully aware of my consciousness, my body is simply too sore to allow movement, even the simple opening of eyes. I do, however, feel lighter and less burdened, and I manage to move my arm, letting out a slight groan as I do. And that's when I realize.... I am not wearing my armor, just the simple clothing and crimson cloak. I continue on a blind self check when I realize something.... I am on something soft, not hard ground as I expected. I wouldn't of opened my eyes at all for a while had I not heard a quiet conversation between a female and male voice... And I open my eyes. At first, ceiling. I see nothing but simple, wood ceiling. Wood walls, wood floor... Window.... I.... I'm in a tree? I try to sit up but ultimately fail. And manage to turn my head..... I spot the two voices. A purple pony . . . And a purple... Lizard... Thing... Which I am going to take the safe bet and assume that it is no Dragon. I am not quite sure what they are saying, for my head throbs too much. In fact, I am in so much pain, that even talking animals don't bother me at the moment.
I manage to struggle to an upright position, and move my legs off the bed... My numb legs hold bare feet at the end. I clear my throat, catching the attention of the two.....folk, near the stairs. They look over at me, and the pony approaches.
"How are you feeling?" She asks. I shake my head a bit. For my vision is just a little blurred. I let myself adjust while letting her calming tone sink into my head.
"Just..... Wonderful" I say, extending my arms out backwards, where they make many a pop and crackle. I wince at each one.
"Who are you. Where am I?" I ask her, maybe slightly demandingly. She only smiles.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, and you are in Equestria," she says, opening the curtains of the nearby window, letting a flood of sol into the room. I squint at the sudden brightness, and try to stand. It is a fierce struggle, attempting to resume control over my body, but it is nevertheless a success.
"Might I ask who you are and where you're from?" She asks me, positioning herself to brace me should i fall. I take a few shaky steps, using anything stable to keep myself upright.
"I am Ona T'kel Deathscales, Crimson Dragon of the Mind. King, of the Plane of Burning Ice" I say, it was difficult to word everything with such a stiff jaw, and not to mention the thick, sloppy human tongue. Twilight looks upon me questioningly.
"Plane of Burning Ice, where's that?" She asks me, glancing at a map.
"Not within this existence, I would explain it to you, but there is no time for that . . . Where dost mine armor rest?" I ask. Twilight points to a set of stairs with her hoof, and I shamble over to it... I look in disgust, why must it always be stairs. As I take each step carefully, wincing with every movement, I ask,
"Clearly I did not come out of the portal onto a nice bed such as what I woke upon . . . Where did I land?" I ask.
"I'll show you soon" she says, following me slowly down the stairs as I continue. The purple Dragon whispers to her from her back, although I can partially make out,
"He doesn't look like a Dragon" to where Twilight whispers back,
"He's certainly a human, I think he's just confused." This angers me as I turn on my toes on that step.
"Confused?" I sputter, forcing the second part of the word harder than the first. They both seem to shrink slightly in shame for insulting their house guest. I just mumble and walk downstairs, finally completing my trek, where I proceed to observe the rotunda that is this... Library? I dismiss the fact and spot my Crimson and Gold armor where it rests In a sloppy heap on the floor... I scoff as I pick it up and set it neatly, checking it over...
"How did you get this armor off of me, it's bent badly out of shape." I say
"Magic" The pony responds. I take another look at her, only now realizing she is an unicorn, and not just some pony.
I frown while setting the armor down, I will have to find someone to repair it. I then see my sword, lying nearby. I pick it up and look it around. Not even a chip, nor a stain of dirt upon the blade. That's what comes from magically armored weaponry.
"Show me where I arrived, post haste." I say, slinging the sword's sheath over my shoulders, and sheathing it behind my back. I head towards the door.
"Wait," says Twilight, "Everypony may not exactly -" she is cut off by my closing the door. I look around. This town has a medieval air to it, much as would Humanities existence now, I'd imagine. I do immediately notice one thing above all others. Ponies, ponies everywhere. They would all make a wonderful meal, if not for the fact that I am not in my natural form. Twilight comes outside as well, the lizard no longer upon her back, she beckons to me with a hoof and trots down a street. I walk after her.
Soon, we reach the edge of town where the trail from my landing still is. I inspect it , and conclude my research by sighing and looking up towards the sky.
"It appears as though I am going to be stuck here a while." I say, sitting down. Everypony that passes me gives me an odd look, yet continuing about their business.
"Well for the time being you can stay in the library, I'm sure somepony could lend you a cot . . . You should meet the others." Says Twilight, before turning to go, "Have a look around, I'll tell my friends to meet you as well" she says. I watch her as she leaves, but say,
"Lady Twilight",
"Yea?" She says over her shoulder.
"Thank you" I say, and she smiles before trotting off. I smile as well, might as well attempt to make some friends. I head down a street past a few market stalls, I stay to the side as to not draw attention, and soon turn down an alley... I walk all the way through, and when I reach the other side, I hear an ecstatic "hey, it's you!" And I turn around to see a pink pony with a curly mane bouncing towards me from where I had been. I roll my eyes and turn around, only to see her face, right there, nearly touching mine with am ear to ear grin.
"HI!!" She says, taking me aback,
"Salutations, " I say, looking behind me, wondering how the heck she got in front of me.
"My name's Pinky Pie! What's yours!?" She says, bouncing around me.
"Ona T'kel Deathscales." I say as I manage to walk past the over excited pony, who still continues around me.
"Want a cherry?" She asks, trying to force one into my face.
"No thank you, I do not eat fruits" I say, thinking how nice a fresh deer meat would taste right now.
"Well you should! They're good for you!" She says, continuing to bounce around me. I cannot help but smile.
"Alright alright.." I say, holding out a hand, but she stuffs it directly in my mouth instead. I had no original intent on eating it, but I do, chewing it once and swallowing it whole... Holy moly.. Why did I not eat fruit before!
"Well, thank you." I say.
"YOU SHOULD MEET THE OTHERS!!!!" She says bounding off down the street. I sigh... I'm haven't seen the last of that one I'm sure. I continue on, crossing a bridge and walking along some trees, where I see two others, and the one called Pinky Pie, she points at me and the other two look over, one is white with a purple mane, and the other one a soft yellow with a long, pink mane.
"Why hello, darling" says the one with the purple mane as I approach, the yellow one hiding behind her. "I am Rarity!" She says, I look her up and down,
"....And fittingly so" I say with a smile. Her face flushes a soft pink as she smiles. Pinky Pie pulls the other one from behind Rarity,
"This is Fluttershy!" She says, which in response, Fluttershy emits a squeak and hides back behind Rarity. I chuckle.
"I'm not going to bite you.." I say. Pinkie Pie hops up and laughs.
"He's right, he doesn't bite, he swallows you whole!" She says.
"PINKIE PIE!" Scorns Rarity. Pinkie giggles and sits down.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ona" says Rarity, hinting to the fact that Pinkie Pie had already flapped her gums about me. I smile and walk back in the direction of the library. And I spot Twilight coming up to me followed by a pony with a hat upon her blonde mane.
"Hey, Ona" says she, then turning her head.
"This is Applejack" she says. Not noticing that Applejack and I had already gotten lost in each other's eyes, if only briefly... I smile.
"Nice to meet you" I say with a warm smile, and she tips her hat.
"Likewise" she says, before turning. "Now I really have some work to get back to sugarcube so, see you two later" she says, galloping off.
"Have you met any of the others yet, Ona?" Twilight asks, I nod.
"I have, let me see.... Pinky Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity." I say
"Then that leaves Rainbow Dash" Twilight says, then sighing...
"It would probably take a while to find her, lets just get you back to the library so we can talk about getting you back where you can from." She says, and I nod.
We walk off back to the library.
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The SwordMage. Lost in Equestria.
Chapter III: Getting to know you. (Medium Gore)
" Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up."
-Jesse Jackson
I arrive with Twilight back in the library, she directs me to a chair seated next to a table, and I sit in it, fitting comfortably. She sits down across the table in another chair, looking at me.
"I never believed in humans." She thought out loud.
"Well, talking ponies weren't exactly on my list of beliefs either." I say, then adding, "Any pony I know of back in my existence
or the human's existence were feral, unintelligent creatures." I say. Twilight appears to take personal offense at this as she scoffs, but then looks at me,
"How old are you anyway, Ona?"
"Six thousand, three hundred and twenty nine, in my natural form." I say. She blinks, confused, and I do not give her time to respond, before I also say, "But I'm guessing this human form is around twenty, by my knowledge of humans . . . Oh, my apologies, did I neglect to mention I'm a Dragon?" I ask her. Twilight's pupils slowly shrank back to their normal size as she blinked herself back into focus.
"No, no you told me . . . I just didn't think.... You don't sound very old." She says
"My mind is much older than this body, as well as it's way of speaking.., and if you are referring to my lack of Archaic English, 'tis because I am not yet used to the sloppy human tongue." I say....
We sit silently for a time. I did not realize how much we were both leaning over the table until my hand came in contact with her hoof, instantly it flashed through my mind that it was much softer than a normal ponies..and it was warm... That thought barely lasted a second, before we both make nervous sounds and draw our appendages apart. I cough..
"Sorry," I say, tapping the table nervously.
"No it's fine........ Tell me more about yourself," Twilight says, leaning on her forelegs over the table. I shrug.
"Well..... I rule a Kingdom of Crimson Dragons of the Mind in another existence..... I have a mate, named Jade'yel (jade yell), I
have a seer by the name of Ac'fel (ack fell) .... Hmmm... I'm mainly carnivorous,.. There's really not much to know.
"What kind of music do you like?" She asks..
"music?" I ask, baffled slightly at the question.... "I don't normally.... Music is the noisy stuff with a purpose, right?" I ask. She nods, giving me a questioning look.
"Well, the closest we have to music is our prayers to the Great Sky Dragon... But it is nothing too impressive.... I believe I heard human bards some time ago.... But.. I guess I really don't know..." I say.
"Favorite color?"
"Crimson."
"Father? Mother?"
"My father, Har'gett Deathscales III, never met my mother.... I think my Grandfather, Har'gett Deathscales II is still alive somewhere... I don't really have any other family..." I say. She nods.
"Do you have a king?" I ask. She shakes her head.
"Only a princess.... We keep in contact as I am her student." I seem to brighten up, and smile as I hear this.
"Can you take me to see her?" I ask.
"Not anytime soon, she is off on business far away...." She says. I slunk back down into my seat, and lean forward facing the wall... And suddenly grow frustrated.
"Gah... I need to get home." I say, restlessly, while standing and heading to the door.
"I wouldn't recommend just walking around, it can be pretty easy to get lost outside of town." She says. I look over my shoulder to the unicorn.
"Better lost out there than being trapped here" I say accusingly, not realizing she'd take offense to it. And I leave the room, heading out down what appears to be the main road towards a forest. I notice a sign, which said: 'Everfree Forest' on it. I sigh, at least something is natural around here. I strut off into the darkness of the woodlands, hoping to find some way to get home. I pass a small house as I go, standing in front of it is a small yellow filly with a big red bow atop her head standing near a .... Whatever pony thing with stripes... They give me odd looks as I walk past, paying them no otherwise heed. I continue down the path and eventually come upon a small stream, and take a few drinks, "Thank the Sky Dragon, I haven't had a thing to eat or drink all day since I ate the cherry of that Pinky Pie" I think to myself. I then stop a moment, shivering as I realized how disgustingly wrong that thought would have sounded if said aloud. I sigh, finishing my drink and attempting to dispel the nasty thought. I sigh as I stand again and hear a noise, and see the one called Fluttershy once more. She rather . . . Ungracefully . . . Stumbles out of a bush whimpering and backing up. Following her, a rather large Manticore. I sigh. Fluttershy wouldn't have made hardly a mouthful for a Dragon, but I suppose a nice meal for the manticore. Fluttershy screams as the manticore breaks her wing to prevent her from flying away. I smirk, this should be a wonderfully bloody mess.
But then I realize something. These aren't just ponies. They're sentient, like humans and dragons... Not normal ponies. This is just the same as me watching some bear maul a human woman apart. Something I would never do. I draw my sword, and yell,
"HEY, LION HEADED ATROCITY!" I call out, certainly gaining its attention. It glares upon me and growls, releasing the small pony, who whimperingly slinks to the side. I form a small ball of fire in my hand, and wait. With a might roar the manticore charges me, head first, as I suspected. I wave my magic wielding hand, creating a small ball of fire in the fore of myself. The manticore seems unwavered by the smàll burning ball. I smirk, shoving both hands forward, nearly dropping my sword, as the fireball blasted towards it, growing rapidly, and dissipating on the other side of it. The now burned up creature still weakly lunges at me, and I crouch down, holding out my sword with both hands. The manticore leaps, ending up impaled, and deceased. His smoldering flesh smelt of death and his hot blood streaming down my sword from the gash I had open upon his chest. I roll it off of me, it's body falling to the side as my sword slides out. The manticores heart impaled on my sword, still connected to the insides by arteries.
I rip the heart off with a might heave of my sword, leaving the artieries hanging on the outside, spilling a little blood around the black, stinking abomination that was once its body, it's lifeless eyes the only unburnt feature of the creatures face, his fur still smoking.
I stick the sword in the ground, the heart was about midway up... I approach the cowering pony and offer her my hand. She whimpers as she places her hoof in my hand and I help her up.
"Th-thank you..." She mumbles, trying not to look at me or the body, or anything in particular. She looks into the woods and whimpers, sitting down,
"Do you need some help getting home, Fluttershy?" I ask, she looks up a little little hearing her name,
"N-no th-thank you... I-I n...no.." she stutters. I point to the road. She nods, she obviously knew where she was headed when running from the beast. She stands once more and I walk her a little way back, at least to that house, and I turn back the way I was going,
"Th-thank you..., Ona" Fluttershy mumbles nervously as I nod and walk away. I return to where the sword rests in the ground and unstick it. I gaze upon the heart and smirk.
"Finally," I whisper to myself, taking a large bite out of the heart... Leftover blood dribbling down my chin. Real food.
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After returning to the stream to wash off, I head down the path again, recollecting me thoughts. Further down the old, worn, dirt path I see a small clearing, within it, a strange mysterious light. I draw near, and see, not to my surprise, another pony. This one was bigger, he appeared to be a full grown stallion with armor... He had a mane black as the night and a horn as crimson as my own scales.... I approach him quietly.