When we start our journey many wise men say that there are always two paths to take, one being the path we actually take, and the other we always question since it's filled with so many other outcomes. But what if that path never existed, the second path, and there was only one path for you to take that was decided by fate or some higher being like god. What would that say about life, what would it mean for us humans and creatures of the world. It would mean nothing for we would not know. But hey, were only human. - nekobueno

My eye twitched “For your information it's a pocket watch and it’s not for sal-” were the last words I had said before I felt a sharp pain coming from my chest, I didn't know what was happening, at first time had all but slowed down for me, I tried to think but couldn't as pain overwhelmed me and I had fallen to my knees, It took a second to register but I had figured it out when I looked down to my chest to where the source of the pain was.

I had been shot.....

The man had shot me point blank in the back of my body...

I remember only little from what happened next. I had fallen down and was laying on my back telling from the stars as I looked up towards the night sky. My vision started to fade and saw that two blurs had begun to hover over my body speaking in another language that I didn't understand. I couldn't tell what was going on probably from the amount of blood my body was losing. What happened next was confusing as hell, my body felt like it was floating for a split second then had lost a few pounds as my body felt lighter all of a sudden. Is this Heaven? I thought before I slowly faded into darkness...

...

......

.........

Cold, Ed felt very cold at the moment as he stirred in his sleep. Not wanting to wake up he just laid there taking the cold without complaint as he heard a buzzing noise around his ear. He couldn't quite place it but the cold felt like water a little bit. And the sound of waves that filled his hears sounded like actual waves from an ocean beach. Ed still didn't feel like getting up as he just rested his head on the cool sandy floor that felt like actual sand. It was until the buzzing noise he heard stopped and he felt a little feeling touch his face that he finally decided to wake up. He moved his head a little as he shook off the fly on his face sending it flying away with a small buzz.

As he shook his head he felt the water now that was touching his face as he lifted himself from whatever puddle he slept in. He raised his head first feeling a little dizzy as he brought a hand up to rub his face. As he did he felt the sand on his face as well as he wiped it off as well running a hand down his whole face. With that done he slowly opened his eyes seeing only a little darkness as his eyes tried to focus on the dark world in front of him. He looked around still prone'd on the ground as he saw a tree here and there followed by some bushes and other things that made a forest as the world came into focus. As it did he kept on scanning the perimeter till he saw something of importance.

With one small reach with his right hand he picked up the watch from the sand and slowly moved it to his pants, quickly finding that he still had some on and shoved the watch into his pocket for safe keeping. Next, was the gun.

Ed recalled the last memory he had and remembered the thugs trying to mug him and the gunshot that went off. But it was just the gunshot that he remembered, not where it went or who shot, but just that one of the thugs had the gun and now it was laying there in front of Ed. It was a little farther from his watch as Ed crawled a bit to reach it before finally coming into reach and grabbing it. He pulled it close to him as he pushed of the ground and went into a knelling position as he performed a brass check on the gun. It was a Beretta Cougar from the looks of it, and it had a bullet in the chamber as he saw the brass through the ejection port and let the slide go. He rose from the water and sand as he ejected the clip from the pistol looking down to check if it was in good condition as he shook the gun to get any water out before quickly sliding the clip back in as he now fully stood.

He looked around quickly noticing the skeleton cages placed by the beach and about as they hung from tall post letting the cages wave back and forth creaking as they did. Ed just sighed as he already knew where he was. As he took a look back at the ocean he saw nothing behind him but only his imprint in the sand as he was already being washed away by the sea. Ed looked forward before walking a few steps into the forest. He stopped as he took one last look around before cocking the gun and chuckling.

"Thing never change... huh teacher" Ed said as he began walking into the forest.

???

"Is it wise to do this sister?" Luna asked.

"This was the only way, I'm sorry but it must be done for the safety of my little ponies" Celestia responded.

"You'll see, Edward Isn't dangerous, I mean he just barely started using magic, it's not likes he's a killer or anything" Twilight said still uneasy.

"But do you know that my student" Celestia asked her pupil as Twilight just stopped to think about it before somepony else answered.

"We may know Ed, but there are things he has done that he won't admit, things he ain't proud of"

Twilight looked and saw Lyra standing with Pinkie Pie and Octavia as Granny Smith sat in chair in front of them. They all had on a serious face as Granny Smith talked.

"But let me tell you something, whats he's done he's done without choice, for the better of others and to protect those he holds dear" Granny Smith said as she closed her eyes as she finished.

Twilight didn't understand what the old mare was saying before she felt a pat on her shoulder. She turned to look and saw her brother standing behind her. She also spotted the rest of the mane six, Ed's roommates and neighbors, and her own family. The only ponies that weren't here were Big Mac and the kids. Big Mac being the one chosen to watch the kids.

She looked back to her brother and saw him smiling. "Don't worry, this is nothing but a simulator, the guards sometimes take these to make sure their prepped for anything"

Twilight looked back to one of the images above the training mat of Ed's room and saw him walking through the forest with that strange device in his hand as he had a calm expression on his face she stared at the image.

"For his sake, I hope this test goes his way" Twilight said as she took a seat and watched as Ed would be challenged to his very limits.

Author's Note

First off, I had to get this out to ruffle your jimmies as I have been furiously planning the next few chapters.

If anything I wanted to use a scene from a certain thing to start of the chapter and I think I pulled it off very well :3

If anything leave your feedback and try to guess whats going on :333 Betcha ya can't get it.