The Fabled

After the strange yet fulfilling dinner, Astintosh lies in a bed that was given to him along with the guest room. The bed is about queen size, and comes with very comfortable pillows. A million times better than than the bed in the barracks he slept in back home. And not to mention it's quiet, no snoring soldiers.

So much has happened. I'm a...pony now?! What could possibly happen next? It's just so strange, for all of this to be happening. I have to be dreaming, but it feels so real. I miss home. My home away from home, and my real home. My family, they all probably think I'm dead. But what if I am? No I can't be. This is far off from any heaven, maybe it's hell? No, I have to keep optimistic. Maybe I'm in a coma. I'll just wake up and I'll be back home.

Astintosh slowly falls asleep in the cloud like bed. Night terrors commence right after...

"MOVE ASTINTOSH! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING! MOVE! STOP JOGGING AND RUN."

Boot camp. What a terrible fun place. Nothing like running ten miles with an eighty pound ruck on your back.

"Congratulations Corporal."

"Thank you sir."

Graduation day. Too bad my parents weren't there to see it. They barely had enough money as it is. Two parents with dead end jobs, plus they had to take care of me and my brother. Good thing there weren't drug junkies.

"Foxtrot to TOC."

"Send."

"We have spotted multiple armed soldiers armed with small arms and RPG's. On grid Eight, Seven, Five, Niner, Zero, Three, Five, Six, break. They have not spotted us and we will not engage until fired upon, over."

"Negative Foxtrot, fire at will. Engage the enemy until we say otherwise."

...

"Foxtrot report. Foxtrot can you hear us?"

....

TWANG    BOOM

"RADIOMAN IS DOWN. MEDIC!"

Astintosh violently wakes up with a cold sweat. A tear rolls down his eye.

I'm still...not human...I have to talk to Celestia.

Astintosh gets up, wobbling over to the door still trying to figure out this walking thing.

"Excuse me, guards. I must talk to Celestia. It's very urgent."

"Right this way."

After travelling through numerous hallways and going up and down multiple staircases, they finally get out of the labyrinth of a building and reach Celestia's throne. Celestia sits proudly upon the big chair, showing her true omnipotent self.

"Your highness, Astintosh has wished to speak with you." Says one of the guards.

"Ah good morning Astintosh. Luna told me about your, fits during the night. Are feeling alright? You still look very tired." Celestia politely asks.

"I have a lot of questions that I must know. First of all, where am I?"

"Well, you are on Earth, in the land of Equestria. Where Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies live united."

Earth? This place looks a lot different from the Earth I know. And this is starting to sound like Greek lore. Hehe, maybe I'll start seeing manticores and hydras.

"Second question, seeing as that I am now a pony. How do I really work this, 'horn'?"

"Every unicorn has magic stored in them. A very special power. Your horn focuses this energy into any spell that you have learned. But please, I wish to know, what happened in your nightmare?"

"I'd...rather not talk about it..."

"As you wish. Also I must mention it is very ironic, because I needed to talk to you to. Guards, leave us in privacy."

"Yes your highness." The guards mutter.

"Astintosh you must listen to me. What I'm about to tell you will be hard on you, and you will not take it lightly."

"Well, I have nothing to lose." Astintosh said.

"Because you are a human, you cannot show your face in public, due to some past occurrences I cannot talk about. But you now look the part, and you can go into to public. And there is another reason for this, not just so you can eat our food and talk with anypony outside the castle, but this was supposed to happen."

"W-what do you mean?"

"I mean you are a part of a legend, the so called 'Fabled'. The Fabled's purpose is defeat an evil, not known to mankind. A certain evil only you can defeat."

"So you're saying I'm some sort of legend? Oh no, that can't be correct, I'm just a soldier. Not the best either. You want the Navy Seals."

"Astintosh, listen to me. you only have some time to prepare for this, five years to be exact. This dark force tears through time and space, and upon his defeat, could bring you back home."

"What about the solar eclipse in thirty years?"

"Believe it or not, this was a recent development. My former student Twilight Sparkle has unknowingly asked me about this legend after her recent visit to the Royal Archives, she does not know you exist. No pony in Ponyville does."

"But I saw her in the library, and she saw me! So did the lizard!"

"I had to wipe out the entire towns memory. But, as part of your journey, you must advance your skills in magic, and you must gain contact with Twilight. She can teach you everything she knows. If I feel your skills are advanced enough, you will fight the enemy in human form, but we will get to that later, I have a summit to get to. There is a train ticket to Ponyville in your room. Top right drawer in the dresser along with some bits. Once in public you must speak the way every'pony' else does. Do not say the word 'hands' or 'feet'. Now I must be on my way Astintosh, till we meet again."

Astintosh sits back, jaw to the floor. In shock of what he has to now do.