Chapters 001
"I just wanted to get away from it all...There was no way of knowing what would happen. Even if somebody had told me outright, even with my past experience with the paranormal, I wouldn't have believed them. I had given up hope that anything would truly change on Earth."
The plan was simple. Pack my bags and start walking. I didn't need any further plan than that. I didn't have time to go further than that. If I didn't leave my chaotic home life behind, the last of my mental stability would go and I'd do something irreversible. With a metaphorical doom clock ticking in my head, I left my home town on July 9th. It was a week before my birthday and over a month until my next college semester. Plenty of time to get my head back together and enjoy the disconnect from my old lifestyle.
With a full duffel bag and a large aluminum case sharing space on my back, I departed my hometown at a leisurely pace. Two hours of walking brought me to the city limits and only a short walk further put me in unclaimed wilderness. From there, I simply wandered, taking in nature in its normal state. I had enough basic survival knowledge to keep myself in one piece, so I wasn't all that worried about making it back to civilization before night fell.
When night did fall, I had a large smile on my face. It was to be a full moon and I'd found a nice cliff that overlooked the forest to watch it rise from. With a small fire pit between me and the edge of the cliff, I leaned back on my hands and closed my eyes for a brief moment to just listen. My eyes snapped open a split second later when I noted that the area was too quiet. No animal cries, no insect calls... nothing but the wind. A soft warning growl escaped my throat automatically, my hands reaching under my shirt to grab the silver chain around my neck. On that chain were two keys, which went to the asymmetrical locks on the hefty case I'd lugged around all day.
Without wasting any time, I inserted both keys into their respective slots... then let out a grumble of annoyance when I realized that I'd mixed up which key went in which lock. After a little more wasted time correcting my mistake, I finally popped the latches and opened the case, revealing the pair of swords inside. I had worked my arse off to earn the money for them and the case to actually take them anywhere in public without being arrested. My hand found the hilt of my first sword, a replica Italian Schiavona. It was really a shame my town didn't have a fencing club of any kind.
With no further ado, I undid the velcro strap holding the Schiavona in its padded prison and quickly situated its belt around my waist. I was tempted to grab my second sword... but no, the hilt was too long to wield one-handed, let alone attempt dual-wielding.
"Ahem. "
It shames me to admit that I let out a rather unmanly yelp at the unexpected noise. I turned to face the source, a feminine figure sharing my campfire. Just looking at her, I could tell she wasn't natural. It wasn't just the fact that her face was hidden by an unnaturally dark shadow under her hood, but the gray robe she wore seemed to shift a million shades with the slightest movement. I'm so utterly boned , I thought, looking at the impossible woman, who just continued to sit at the campfire, sipping at a cup of tea that she most certainly didn't have a moment ago. Silently, I debated the merits of jumping off the cliff versus staying and talking to that being.
"Now now, that's quite enough of that ," She spoke in a musical voice, pulling my attention back to reality. A pair of glowing green lights flashed in the shadow of her hood and my vision blurred. When it refocused, I'd completely lost my train of thought. That didn't stop the feeling that something important had happened and I missed it. Level of screwed increased by infinity divided by zero. If I make it out of this in one piece, it'll be a miracle . The woman let out a long sigh and snapped her gloved fingers. All of the supernatural effects; the shifting robe, glowing eyes, and general aura of paranormal faded quickly after. The only thing left was the shadow in her hood, which I could assume was to protect her identity.
"Since you can finally look in my general direction, I'm going to tell you what's going to happen ," The woman said, rising from her seat. I absently noted that she no longer had her tea cup. "In less than a minute, a rift in the fabric of this Earth will open behind you. I am going to throw you into it if you don't go through on your own. On the other side of that rift will be a very different world from this one. You are to stay there and learn from its inhabitants. When I feel you have learned enough, I will seek you out once more ."
During her little speech, the woman had moved closer and closer to me, until she was less than arm's length away.
"As incentive, I will fix your medical issues. Both physical... and mental ."
"Bull," I snapped, pushing her away roughly and drawing my basket-hilted sword. As powerful as she was, I wasn't going to just submit to her whims without a fight. "There's always a catch to situations like these. Offers that are just too good to be true."
The woman was still for a moment. I had a feeling that she wasn't taking my refusal all that well. When she spoke again, her voice was filled with power, her tone icy.
"Time's up
Those two words were the last things I heard before an unseen force slammed into my chest. There was no way to dodge or defend. My last sight was Her standing at the cliff's edge, staring down at my falling form.
Then, there was nothingness. An infinite empty space of endless possibility. Unfortunately, endless possibility seemed to translate to pain on a level that couldn't be expressed in mere words. Just experiencing it made something fundamental to my existence snap. I felt weaker and weaker, my eyelids growing heavy. At last, I gave up the fight and slipped into blissful unconsciousness.
I'm alive.
My eyes opened wide and for a long time I just stared up at a blue sky. After a moment, my composure broke and I began to laugh. I'd survived encountering a god-tier being, getting thrown off a cliff, and falling into the empty space between sections of the multiverse. If that didn't deserve a bit of joy at simply being alive, I don't know what does.
Still smiling, I sat up and took a quick look at my surroundings. Lush green fields met my gaze, with tall mountains off in the distance and a forest not too far off. Looking over my shoulder provided a view of thatched-roof houses, with a few more unique examples of architecture mixed about.
As I slowly rose to my feet, I began to notice differences. My body was behaving differently than I remembered and the fact that I could take a full breath without feeling pain in my chest was just the start. Being born with a deformed heart and lungs had cost me a lot of opportunities in life and had steered me towards a more sedentary lifestyle. None of the physical effects of that lifestyle remained, leaving me in better shape than I could ever remember being. After further examination, I noticed that my scars were missing as well. Those were physical reminders of past experiences and to see them go was saddening.
I shook my head to help bring my focus back on the situation at hand. My sword case and backpack had made the trip with me and both were lying neatly less than a meter away. The Schiavona was returned to its resting place after a quick inspection of its blade for any damage. Wearing a sword into town was not a good way to make a first impression, laws aside. When both my case and duffel bag were settled across my back, I crossed the field to town.
The closer I came to the houses and hard-packed dirt roads, the more I began to feel uneasy. I'd long learned to trust my instincts and they were telling me that going any further was a bad idea. On my next step, I pivoted and froze like a deer in headlights.
Standing at roughly four feet tall was a quadrupedal creature colored painfully pink, with a big poofy hairstyle and a tail in a darker shade to match. The creature was giving me a big grin that split her short, rounded muzzle, but it didn't quite reach her gigantic baby blue eyes. For the longest time neither of us moved and the inside of my head was filled with screams of 'Abort mission!' The pink quadruped took a deep, gasping breath. My eyes went wide with terror. It was going to call for backup!
In a surge of motion, I vaulted over its back and ran at a full sprint away from the town.
Exactly ten seconds later, something slammed into my back like a wrecking ball, propelling me face-first into the grass. Stunned and confused, I couldn't put up so much as a token resistance when something began dragging me by my pants leg. By the time I'd recovered, I knew escape was no longer possible. More of the creatures, in every color combination of the rainbow and then some, were scattered about, watching my captor with wide eyes and whispering amongst themselves. I noticed a few variations among the species as well. Some had a spiraling horn coming out of their forehead and others sported a pair of wings that were much too small to support natural flight. I wondered just how their evolution worked out if these strange variants were the end result.
"Pinkie Pie, what is that thing you're dragging into town?" The feminine voice that spoke sounded rather annoyed, as though she was used to such antics. Wait, a voice! Possible salvation! I lifted my head and looked around, but there was only a beige creature with aged gray hair standing in front of my pink captor. Huh? Is it wearing glasses?
"He's my new bestestestest friend, Mayor Mare! We just met and it already wanted to play tag with me!" A bubbly girlish voice responded and I was oriented just right to see it was the Pink Menace moving its mouth. If it was moving its mouth, that meant it'd let go of my pants! Whatever crazy world I'd been dropped into, I wanted no part of it. At the very least, I could make a plea for help and hopefully get someone a little more sane to talk with.
"Help me!" I mouthed to the beige creature. It blinked, then its eyes widened and she spoke with more authority.
"Pinkie Pie, I know you enjoy greeting new visitors to Ponyville, but this is crossing the line."
The town is named Ponyville? That's just... wow . Things were starting to click together in my head. Especially the bright colors and cutesy names. Had I been dropped into a five-year-old's deepest fantasies? It was quite possible, but the jury was still out on it. It painted 'Pinkie Pie's' actions in a gentler light at least, but that grin she'd given me would likely haunt my nightmares for the rest of my life.
"What do you mean, Mayor Mare?" Pinkie asked, tilting her head and scratching her head with one of the blunt stumps that ended her limbs.
"You dragged this poor being all the way through town with its face in the dirt!" The Mayor fixed Pinkie with a no-nonsense glare. "How do you think that makes the rest of us look? What if we were the first ponies it's met?"
They're actually calling themselves Ponies too. Okay. This really is a little girl's fantasy come to life . I struggled up to a sitting position, wincing at the state my clothes were in. Pinkie Pie was just staring at me with wide, tearful eyes, her mane and tail having gone completely straight somehow.
"He was too tired to walk and I was just trying to help!" Pinkie began crying and I felt like a bit of an arse for sicking the Mayor on her. Yeah, those tears were most definitely stacking on the guilt.
"Oi," I interrupted, bringing both of their attention to me. "I think we have a big misunderstanding here. Let's just calm down and start fresh."
"I think that would be for the best," Mayor Mare said, giving a nod of approval and a small smile. Pinkie Pie took a few sniffles more and wiped away her tears before she was good to go. I noticed that we'd grown quite the audience by this time, watching our interactions with rapt attention.
"Very well then, I am the Mayor of Ponyville, Mayor Mare if you prefer."
I opened my mouth to give my own name, but I quickly realized the name that my brain provided was not the one I was given at birth. Frowning, I quickly pieced back over my memories of home, but found only tattered fragments of information and experiences. I didn't know how these Ponies would react to the truth of my arrival, so I refocused and introduced myself with the false name.
"Call me Rain."
"Ooh, it fits because your eyes are all grey like a big gloomy storm cloud!" Pinkie cut in, her hair and tail poofed back to their original appearance. I got another sense of dread as she opened her mouth once more. That sense proved true as she unleashed a torrent of words at me which I could only make out vague concepts from. Something about parties and baking. If I needed more information on her, I'd go to someone who knew how to regulate the speed of their speech.
"Well, Mr. Rain, what brings you to Ponyville?" Mayor Mare asked. I fumbled for a proper backstory,and finally just settled on something basic.
"Just wandering the country. This was a convenient stop along the way," I replied, hoping my excuse would work.
"I see. If you plan on staying for a bit, the Summer Sun Celebration is in two days' time. I suppose that's all I need from you for now. Enjoy your stay!"
Mayor Mare trotted away and I just watched her go. Apparently so long as I didn't cause trouble, I was good to stick around. I fully planned to take advantage of that time and get as much information on the world I'd entered, without raising too many red flags at my ignorance. With that in mind, I turned to Pinkie. I was dreading the pain that would come with this plan, but it was all I really had to work with off the top of my head.
"So, Pinkie, how about giving me a tour of Ponyville?"
If I thought her previous grin was nightmare fuel, the one she produced at my request nearly made me wish for death.
One thing I learned very quickly about Pinkie Pie was that she never shut up so long as someone was around to hear her. If the opportunity to avoid her in the future became available I'd take it in a heartbeat. There was only so much randomness a person could withstand.
On a more positive note I was learning plenty by tailing her through Ponyville, but we didn't stop at any of the numerous unique businesses long enough for me to meet the owners. The country Ponyville was in, Equestria, was a monarchy ruled by one 'Princess Celestia', an 'Alicorn'. I couldn't get an explanation on what an Alicorn actually was, but the ponies spoke of Celestia as more a god than a ruler. That raised a few warning flags for me, but I wasn't going to start a social reform movement where one didn't seem wanted or needed.
One of the places we did stop was the town hall, which was located right in Ponyville's town square. While there I picked up a map of Ponyville and its surrounding areas, as well as an Immigrant's Guide to Equestrian law and culture. The latter was actually printed in the capital and mandatory for all districts of Equestria to provide. It certainly made my task a fair bit easier.
"You haven't said much, Rainy," Pinkie Pie interjected suddenly, cutting into my thoughts and cursory reading of the guide. "Whatcha' thinking about? Is it cupcakes? Or maybe donuts. Mmmm. Donuts. With all that delicious frosting..."
Pinkie Pie began drooling at the thought, prompting me to step away from the puddle that was forming with shocking speed.
"No, not about cupcakes... though I could go for a glazed donut while we're on the topic. I was just-"
Pinkie Pie put a pink 'hoof' over my lips and shifted her voice to a sultry Spanish accent .
"Shh shh shh. Do not speak. I know what it is that you desire."
I just blinked at the crazy pony and took another long step away from her. She advanced on me, adjusting the sombrero atop her head while smirking and wiggling her brows. Pinkie took a good grip of my shirt in her teeth and pronked away at high speed. When physics decided to kick in, I was once again dragged bodily across Ponyville, accumulating even more dirt on my clothes. It was nearly impossible to see the original colors anymore.
"Tuck and roll, amigo!" Pinkie exclaimed, twisting her head forward and releasing her grip. I was flung in a high arc towards the doorway of a business themed as a giant gingerbread house, remembering Pinkie's advice just in time to impact with a hard wood floor. Unfortunately, with my sword case and backpack throwing off my center of balance, I ended up botching the execution and lying flat on my back. All of the ponies scattered about the various tables just froze, staring at me like a wolf among sheep. I patiently waited for Pinkie to enter and approach me before moving so much as an inch.
"Hm... is the floor really that comfortable?" Pinkie asked, then promptly flopped down on her back next to me. Her face turned serious for a brief moment, but that was ruined when Pinkie started having a giggle fit. Just like that, all tension in the room was erased and the other ponies resumed their business. I blinked and Pinkie was gone. The next thing I knew something soft was being pressed against my lips and trying to gain entrance. I pulled my head back and found Pinkie Pie trying to insert a glazed donut into my mouth. We matched stares for a long time, with Pinkie just pulling back her hoof, which was breaking the laws of physics by somehow keeping the donut attached to it, and pushing it forward once more to bump against my unopened mouth.
"Rainy, eat it." Pinkie stage-whispered, "Rainy. Rainy. Rainy. You need to... Rainy. Rain. Eat the donut."
Pinkie's force with each attempt to feed me inceased until she was very nearly punching me in the face.
"Pinkie, dear, maybe it doesn't want you to feed it?" Another pony asked, walking up to us. Her hair, or 'mane' according to Pony terminology, was a faded pink done up in a swirling pattern like it came out of an ice cream machine and her coat was a light blue that was almost a few shades away from making her painful to look at. Like many other ponies she had a marking on both flanks, in this case a trio of cherry-topped cupcakes. The guide had explained them as something to do with the pony's destiny, but I didn't put much stock in that.
"That's silly, Mrs. Cake! Rainy said he wanted a glazed donut. Even though they're really boring and plain compared to other types of donuts. Like ones with frosting! Or Sprinkles! Or frosting-flavored sprinkles!"
"You couldn't have waited for me to actually get off the floor ?" I deadpanned at Pinkie, then took the donut in my teeth. Pinkie just beamed at me and let out an odd squeaking noise.
"Oh, oh my. You can actually talk? I'm so sorry, I thought Pinkie had brought home some strange animal!"
"Contrary to my current, somewhat uncivilized appearance, I am not an animal," I rolled my eyes and took another bite of the treat Pinkie had tried to force-feed me. It was actually pretty good. Sweet, but not too sweet.
"Oh, um, sorry for that. I'm Cup Cake, co-owner of Sugarcube Corner with my Husband, Carrot Cake."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Rain, currently unemployed."
We shared a small chuckle at that while Pinkie just looked between us, deep in thought.
"I apologize if this seems rude, but what are you? Some sub-breed of Minotaur?" Cup Cake questioned, quickly waving us towards a spare table so we could talk more comfortably. Minotaurs were apparently around Equestria as well. It was a good thing to be aware of, especially with the mythology surrounding them.
"No, I'm a human -"
That statement was cut off by the sound of a shattering plate and my head whipped around to the source. A minty green horned pony, or unicorn as they'd named themselves, had dropped a milkshake glass and was staring at me in utter awe. Her golden pupils had narrowed to pinpricks and her muzzle was rapidly growing into a wide grin.
"Lyra-" The cream-coated 'Earth Pony' at her table nearly begged. This was cut off as the unicorn charged at me with all haste, her head and horn lowered in determination. Or in an attempt to impale me. I wasn't quite sure which. Either way, I did what any intelligent male would do when faced with a stampeding female: Run in the opposite direction.
"NicemeetingyouMrs.Cakegottagobye!" I fumbled out, grabbing my sword case and sprinting for the door. I would have taken my backpack as well if time allowed, but Lyra very nearly gutted me with the time I already took.
"Come back, Mr. Human!" The crazy unicorn called after me. I heard several loud thuds and crashes from behind me, then 'Lyra' came stampeding out of Sugaracube Corner with a shredded table cloth dangling from her horn. There was a brief pause as our eyes met. Lyra skidded to a halt in the street and began scuffing at the dirt with a hoof like a bull preparing to charge.
"Would you just leave me alone?" I grumbled as my annoyance rose higher and higher.
"No ! They all called me crazy, said I was a fool for my studies of anthropology! Now you, an actual living breathing human, are right within my grasp! I can't let you escape!"
"Lyra! That's enough!"
I relaxed my stance when Lyra took a full-body tackle from the Earth Pony she'd been sitting with. It seemed a little violent for their general nature, but if Lyra hadn't stopped on her own free will, I'd planned to put her in a headlock myself.
"I'm truly sorry about Lyra. She's had an obsession with humans ever since she found that old storybook. I'm afraid it's gotten worse and worse over the years," The Earth Pony started dragging Lyra away from me by the tail. Lyra put up the kind of fight only an insane person could, but was soon out of sight. The last sound I heard was a broken-hearted wail.
It seemed that for every sane pony, there was another who pushed insanity to new levels. I'd have to be on my guard for any more like Lyra. With Pinkie no longer giving me a tour, I was free to have a little time to myself. There were a few things I needed to take care of first, however.
Ponyville General Hospital stood two stories tall and was perhaps the most modern and familiarly-designed building in the entire town. I'd washed up as best I could in the small river that ran through the southern end of the district, but my clothes weren't really salvageable. I'd have to risk Sugarcube Corner to retrieve my backpack, which was something I wasn't willing to do so soon after breaking free of Pinkie Pie and Lyra. I had a good number of cuts and scrapes from those encounters. I wasn't in the mood to get any more.
My reasons for going to the hospital were twofold. First, I wanted to get an idea of their standards for medical treatment. Second, I wanted them to have a baseline for my vitals in case of emergency. I didn't plan on getting into trouble or anything, but it was better to be safe than misdiagnosed.
When I opened the front door, the Earth Pony at the front desk looked up with a smile, which turned to confusion rather quickly.
"H-hello?" She greeted, seeming more than a little unsure.
"Greetings. My name is Rain," I returned with a small smile that would hopefully keep her calm. "I'd like to schedule an appointment for a regular checkup. I'm going to be in the area for a bit and I'd like there to be a baseline for me on file in case of emergency."
The pony visibly relaxed and pulled out a notepad and pencil. She quickly flipped through the pages before looking back up to me. I noted idly that she had a red cross for the mark on her rear.
"Well, Doctor Horse is booked on appointments for today and tomorrow thanks to everypony who's in town for the Celebration. Then after that is the actual holiday. Does three days from now at three in the afternoon work for you?"
"Aye. I'll be here," I replied, "Is there any paperwork that I can fill out in advance? Just to speed everything up?"
"Thinking ahead, I see," The pony smiled at me, "I wish more ponies would take such an interest in streamlining the process. Give me a moment to get it all rounded up."
After spotting the chairs along the walls to either side of the front door I took a seat and found them oddly similar to human-made furniture. From what I'd seen ponies sat much like Earth's horses. Why would they use an inefficient design for their physiology?
"Tenderheart, are we still going out to lunch?"
A white Earth Pony with a pale pink mane entered the lobby, sweeping off the nurse's hat placed between her ears and setting it on the desk.
"Of course, Redheart. Let me just finish finding the paperwork for Mr. Rain and I'll be ready."
"Rain? Who's-" Redheart cut off when she finally saw me, and she just smirked. "Oh, that weird thing that Pinkie dragged into town earlier."
"Yeah, pretty much," I chuckled, "I'm a human, by the way."
Both nurses winced at that declaration.
"Well, I owe Snowheart ten bits now," Redheart grumbled. "Watch out for a unicorn by the name of Lyra Heartstrings. She's... err..."
"Utterly obsessed with my species for some reason? Yeah. We've met," I replied, shuddering at the memory. "Out of wild curiosity, do all of the nurses have 'heart' in their names?"
Tenderheart and Redheart quickly looked at each other, then turned their giant eyes on me.
"No ," They answered in unison. I felt an odd chill go down my spine and decided to drop the topic. Soon after that Tenderheart found all of the forms I needed to fill out and provided a clipboard to make things easier. Then she and Redheart left the hospital while another Earth Pony, this one a light beige with a dark purple mane, took her place. She was clearly a bit younger than the other nurses judging by her smaller stature. She took her spot at the front desk and gave me a friendly wave, then set about cleaning up Tenderheart's mess.
The forms were rather straightforward, asking for my name, age, and other similar information. Other sections were a bit more confusing, such as the one about 'Cutie Marks'. As far as I knew that was the official name for the marks on all of the ponies' flanks. It was also an unbearably cutesy designation that I would avoid using unless absolutely necessary.
If I had one, I know what it would be , I thought, looking at the blue lion head that I'd hand-painted onto the top of my sword case a long time ago. With my memories scrambled, I couldn't remember when I'd originally started using it or why, but that symbol held great importance from what bits I could see.
All in all it took roughly twenty minutes to finish the paperwork, and I approached the young pony at the desk.
"I'll get this filed away for you," She said, taking the bottom edge of the clipboard in her mouth. The young pony quickly looked over the information, likely making sure everything important was filled out. Her expression turned sad as she looked at the section about Cutie Marks.
"Everything checks out," The young pony declared, her smile seeming a bit forced now. "Enjoy the rest of your day, alright?"
I nodded and returned to my sword case, settling the ten pounds of weight across my back.
"Wait, isn't that your cutie mark?" The little pony asked. I turned and saw that she was gesturing at the lion head.
"Closest I've got to one," I admitted, "See you around."
Without further ado, I exited the hospital, wincing at the bright sunlight. My stomach growled and I quickly checked my watch, which had already been synchronised to local time during my tour with Pinkie. Just a bit after noon. If I had any money I'd grab something local for lunch , I thought as I walked down the road. If push came to shove I'd rather go hungry than deal with Pinkie Pie again, so I settled on a bench at the small but well-kept local park and continued reading the Immigrant's Guide.
I quickly learned that being the only human in a town full of colorful Equines made me a bit of an attraction. Over the two hours that I read, I frequently noticed groups of young ponies gathering to gawk at me. They always scattered when I looked up from the book, screaming and squealing as though I planned to eat them. Some of the adults were no better on that aspect. I was getting better about general pony terminology, but I wasn't about to give up my basic pride and start using 'anypony' or 'somepony' like they did. The laws were rather lax since pony society didn't generally need them. I suppose the old philosophy that 'good men don't need rules' applies. Any special cases were handed directly to the Princess and I really didn't want to know what she would do.
"...Rainy..."
I froze at Pinkie's irritating nickname for me and quickly looked around for the hyperactive pony I was trying to avoid. There she was at a vendor's stand, the owner of which was an orange Earth Pony wearing a stetson of all things, and chattering at a hundred miles a minute. The orange mare was deathly still, her eyes narrowing further and further in annoyance. At last she just started slowly banging her head on the cart in front of her, knocking loose a few apples. Wait, if Pinkie's here, then... I grabbed my sword case and made a beeline for Sugarcube Corner, intent on getting my supplies back while the opportunity presented itself.
A bright yellow Earth Pony with a more squarish muzzle was manning the counter when I entered and his lack of surprise at my appearance made me assume that his wife had filled him in on our earlier encounter. Whatever damage Lyra had caused to the store was already cleaned up. There did seem to be a few tables and chairs missing though.
"Why hello there! I'm Carrot Cake. Sorry we didn't get to meet earlier. I was in the back baking up a fresh batch of brownies."
I paused for a second at Carrot's voice. Despite the guide's insistence that there were actually male ponies, stallions, he was the first one I'd met so far. I almost hadn't believed that Mrs. Cake's 'husband' actually fit the bill in the traditional sense.
"No problem. I understand work comes first," I replied, glancing around to make sure Pinkie didn't pop out on me. "Sorry to bother you about this, but I left my backpack here earlier when Lyra tried to pounce on me. Do you know where it is?"
"It's no trouble at all. The missus had me keep it right here for you in case you came back."
Carrot dipped his head behind the counter and soon pulled it back up with my pack's strap in his teeth. I let out a sigh of relief and took what was effectively my lifeline from him, offering a polite nod as thanks.
"Don't be a stranger!" Mr. Cake called after me as I left Sugarcube Corner. Unfortunately Pinkie was waiting for me with her typical nightmare fuel grin at the bottom of the steps. And...boned .
"There you are, Rainy! I've been looking all over for you!" Pinkie giggled and bounced up to me. I turned and shot Mr. Cake a pleading look. The baker clearly didn't get the message and instead chose to give me a big grin.
"In the words of a great military leader whose name I can't remember," I paused and took a deep breath. "I should go."
It only took Pinkie five seconds to catch up with me, this time choosing to just pop out of thin air right in the middle of the road.
"You're not going anywhere , Mister!" She growled, doing her best to look intimidating.
"Pinkie, you're a pink pony," I sighed.
"Since the last time I checked!" Pinkie confirmed, beginning to bounce in place.
"Pink is not an frightening color. In fact, it may be one of the least frightening colors. That growl was pretty weak as well."
Pinkie calmly put on a pair of sunglasses that looked suspiciously futuristic and made her face go utterly blank. When she spoke, a man's voice came out instead.
"I never asked for this. "
My jaw dropped and for a long while I just stared at the impossible creature before me. Pinkie's composure lasted all of two seconds before she whipped off the sunglasses and broke into another huge giggling fit. Now's my chance . I took a long step away from her, then another. Pinkie didn't notice I was getting farther away, so I kept going. At last, I ducked into the alley and broke into a sprint. With any luck, Pinkie wouldn't find me until I returned to Ponyville tomorrow.
Once the residential and business districts of Ponyville were far behind me I paused and pulled out my map. Once I'd mentally retraced my steps and worked out just where I was, I began heading towards the 'Everfree Forest'. It sounded like a decent enough place to set up a camp for the eventual nightfall. I'd finally have some privacy there, which meant I could bathe and change my clothes without a pony potentially peeking. Their society didn't develop the nudity taboo that most of Earth's had, which had forced me to be very careful about where I was looking.
A long dirt path lead me to my destination, passing by a small cottage where a yellow pegasus pony with a flowing pink mane was tending to a small horde of animals. It reminded me of something out of an old children's movie, bringing a small smile to my face. There was no need to interrupt her work, so I moved on into the forest.
Why, oh why , did I go into the forest?
002
"The Everfree Forest. Don't even get me started on that place. I'm amazed nobody's just burnt it to the ground yet. It would be a public service."
I very quickly found out that the Everfree Forest was not a happy place. The dark and twisted trees were unsettling enough on their own, but it was the silence that really got to me. There were no signs of life anywhere I looked.
Oh, and it looked like I'd already lost the path, which meant I was stuck in the forest until I regained my bearings... or something found me. My paranoia was betting on the latter. The solution to my problem was to keep moving. If I stopped for even a moment to retrieve one of my swords I'd be left wide open to a surprise attack.
I'm just running down the clock at this point , I thought as I continued wandering through the Everfree. Damn it all, was avoiding Pinkie really worth putting myself in a life-threatening situation?
No. No it wasn't. If I planned on staying in Ponyville for any period of time, or even revisiting it further into the future, Pinkie was just one of the ponies I'd have to learn to deal with. Besides, she wasn't all that different from -
My thought was cut off as a searing pain tore through my mind, causing me to stumble and fall to my knees. I gritted my teeth as the pain intensified and my vision began to blur in and out. Just what had I been trying to remember that would cause such a violent reaction?
Once the pain faded, I picked myself back up and kept walking. Getting distracted by my own thoughts wasn't a good idea in hostile territory. Who knew how much that little episode had already cost me?
An ear-piercing wolf's howl tore through the air nearby and was soon accompanied by the sound of many running paws. I froze, hands on the straps of my pack and sword case, ready to drop both and defend myself if they were after me. When no threat came, I decided that enough was enough and pulled the keys to my sword case from under my shirt. Within a minute I had my Schiavona settled around my waist, the familiar feel of the basket-hilted broadsword offering me comfort and confidence. In that span of time, the wolves had found whatever their prey was... but something seemed off about it. I kept hearing wood hitting wood amidst the barks, growls, and whimpers.
Putting myself in the line of fire wasn't my best idea. I'll be the first to admit that. At the same time, leaving someone to face off against a pack of wolves alone was just cowardly.
I burst into the battleground a few moments later and quickly assessed the situation. A pony in a tattered brown cloak was facing off against what looked like wooden wolf puppets, wielding a bamboo staff with expert skill. A few piles of loose scrap wood were lying about, lending evidence to the idea that the wooden wolves were just animated constructs. Just what was moving them was beyond me, but it didn't change the fact that I had my targets.
In one swift motion I discarded my excess weights and stepped forward, drawing my Schiavona in a fencer's grip and spinning it a few times. That extra flourish may have seemed unneccessary, but I actually used it as a method to make sure my wrist had its full range of movement.
The battle paused as both sides tried to figure out if I was friend or foe, but continued when the pony cracked its staff down on the head of another wolf and turned to sweep the legs out from a second. There were five wolves still active, all prowling and trying to find an opening in the pony's defenses. The number was swiftly reduced when I darted up to one that had its back to me and drove my sword through its skull in a burst of sap-like fluid. Yeah, definitely going to have to sharpen this later . I jumped a little when the wolf dissolved into a small cluster of sticks and leaves, but didn't dwell on it. I quickly flicked the odd amber liquid off of my blade, then turned into a wide slash that removed my would-be assailant's jaw. That wasn't enough to stop it and I winced as its claws left a nasty scratch on my left leg, tearing through the fabric of my pants with ease. I pulled back, re-angled my sword, and thrust through the space where a normal wolf's brain would be. That time it chose to dissolve.
My pony partner had matched my kill count in the same time, leaving only a single wolf that cowered away from our combined stare.
"Stand fast, my strange friend. This battle is not yet at its end," The pony's accent reminded me of a Kenyan couple I knew back on Earth, but I wondered if the rhyming was intentional. That no longer became important as the final wolf decided to just suicide, breaking into scrap wood like its brothers.
That assessment quickly proved to be incorrect when all of the loose wood in the area began to vibrate and shift on an unknown power.
"You have got to be kidding me," I grumbled when the wood began to glow with a ghastly green light and draw towards each other. It only took one leg forming for me to know that the wooden wolves were recombining into a single, larger wolf. An Alpha. I had a feeling that my Schiavona wasn't going to hit the mark on this larger target. That meant I'd need enough time to get back to my case and switch swords.
"Buy me some time," I said to the cloaked Equine at my side.
"Timber Wolves are nothing new, but what is it you plan to do?"
I ignored the question and unlocked the case, fumbling with the Schiavona's belt in my haste to take it off. My leg was aching from the injury, adding to the problems and making me wonder if there hadn't been some sort of contact poison on the wolf's claws. The Schiavona was quickly tossed into its slot in the case and I glanced at the Alpha wolf to check its progress. Three legs and most of the body were fully formed. I didn't have much time! My second sword was a katana, for those times when I needed a two-handed blade or some extra cutting power. Both the Schiavona and katana were versatile in their own rights, but they also leaned towards different styles of fighting. I tied the sturdy sash around my waist and wedged the katana's scabbard into it edge-up, just in time to nearly have my ears blasted out by the Alpha's howl .
Compared to the parts that made it the Alpha Wolf was collossal. It was at least as big as the average house in Ponyville, if not larger. I certainly hadn't picked an easy battle, that much was certain.
"You might want to get out of range," I commented to the pony beside me, lowering my stance and settling my dominant left hand on the white cord-wrapped hilt of the katana. "I'm not used to fighting with anyone else and I don't want to risk hurting you."
Any further conversation was put on hold as the Alpha pounced raising is forepaw high to try crushing me. As it descended, I fell into instinct taking a step back and drawing my katana in an arcing slash that cut through the wood as if it were straw. I took the katana in a two-handed grip, but wasn't fast enough to block or evade the counter attack properly. The wolf's other forepaw slammed into my chest like a sledgehammer, packing enough kinetic force to lift me off my feet and launch me through the forest. It was a miracle that I didn't imapale myself on any low tree branches. When I finally hit the ground, only a backwards roll saved me from a serious injury.
I got reckless. This body may be leagues beyond my old one, but it still isn't capable of matching up to a monster that size easily.
The Alpha Wolf snarled at me, hunkering down and preparing for another attack. I closed the distance between us, planning to capitalize on the injury I'd already inflicted on it. Once I was close enough, it snapped its head forward in an attempt to bite me. All I could think to do was a baseball slide that put me right underneath its belly. An attack of opportunity there would deal severe damage, but I didn't like the idea of getting crushed under it. I rose and put my full weight behind a high cut to the wolf's left rear leg. Unfortunately I'd misjudged the actual force needed to slice through the limb, but a quick roll covered my blunder and got me out of harm's way.
Now with only two legs left, the Alpha was incredibly off-balance. It tried to turn and bat at me, but only succeeded in crashing to the ground. My attempt at removing its other hind leg was met with a desperate kick that caught the wolf's claws on my chest and shredded my shirt. I was rapidly getting tired of becoming a living projectile. Without wasting any more time on plans , I charged the downed wolf, feeling a feral roar rise in my throat.
Once I was close enough the roar was unleashed, my katana biting deeply into the wooden monstrosity. I dragged it along the wolf's side, taking vengeful pleasure in its whines of pain. Once I reached the neck, I tore the blade out and whirled it into an overhead strike. That would have completely taken the Alpha's head off if it hadn't chosen to finally die and burst into firewood.
Letting out a long sigh of relief, I sheathed my katana and started looking for the cloaked pony.
Or I would have, if I hadn't passed out from blood loss.
"Um... you need to wake up. If you don't want to that's fine..."
The timid and unfamiliar voice peirced through the veil of sleep, slowly pulling me back to the waking world. I opened my eyes and sleepily stared at the butter-yellow Pegasus Pony I'd seen before entering the Everfree. Glancing down, I saw that my chest was covered with bandages. I could feel a similar treatment on my legs under the soft green blanket. I was about to go back to sleep, but the Pegasus set a small tray in my lap.
"You can rest after you eat," The pegasus said, suddenly a little more assertive. "You're hurt and you need to get your strength back."
"Mrrr..." I groaned incoherently, wishing to do nothing more than curl up and nap until I was feeling better.
"Eat."
The sudden change in tone and volume certainly woke me up. I straightened in the unfamiliar bed and picked up the provided spoon, quickly dipping it into the boal of oatmeal. I took a bite and was actually surprised. She'd flavored it with cinammon, butter, and brown sugar, which was the way... my thoughts came to a screeching halt as a surge of pain tore through my mind. The spoon fell nervelessly out of my fingers as I clutched at my head.
"Oh, oh my. Where does it hurt?" The pegasus asked, fussing over me like she was my mother. The pain stopped after a short eternity, and I let myself collapse onto the pillow. The last sound I heard was the clip-clop of hooves running on wood.
"Magic levels dangerously low..."
"-high level dark magic."
"Prep him for a transfusion, we don't have much time!"
"Mr. Rain?"
I opened my eyes and stared blankly at the forest green wall for a moment before noticing a shape in the corner of my vision. With herculean effort I turned my head and saw Redheart standing there with a comforting smile on her face.
"Where am I?" I mumbled, shifting for a more comfortable position on the bed.
"You're in Ponyville Hospital. Miss Fluttershy brought you in early this morning saying you had some sort of episode. Once Doctor Horse arrived we ran a standard magical scan on you. The results are... worrying to say the least."
"Magic?" I asked, confused that a medical professional would be using the word.
"Your magical energy levels were at rock bottom. Low double-digit Thaums at their highest. Doctor Horse ran a more in-depth scan and discovered that somepony had cast some very dark magic that fed off of your magical reserves. We managed to clear it out of your system, but your body refused to begin naturally absorbing ambient magic. The only way we could jumpstart it was with an energy transfusion."
I didn't understand half of that with my tired brain, so I just nodded in the hopes that she'd get to something a little closer to my level.
"There was a... strange side-effect to the transfusion. I'm not sure if it's unique to human physiology or just random chance."
Redheart produced a small hand-mirror and I just blinked at my reflection. Someone had apparently decided to dye my hair, changing it from the original brown to an icy blue-white. My hair looked like it had grown outa little as well, reaching down to my shoulders at its longest. I couldn't lie, I actually liked how it made me look. If I tied it back into a short ponytail it would look even better. Maybe add a small moustache to that for a full combo.
"On a more positive note, your blood levels should be back to an acceptable level and your injuries should be healed by tomorrow. Just... try to take it easy and not get any more, alright?"
"I'll do my best, Redheart," I reassured her, only to recieve a small glare in return.
"That's Nurse Redheart to you, mister."
She left the room quickly after that, and for a moment I was worried I'd offended her.
A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and Tenderheart walked in, looking a little worse for wear but still seeming happy over all. She settled into the chair by my bed and covered up a small yawn with her hoof.
"Sorry if I woke you up," I chuckled weakly.
"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have gone to bed so late last night. Something always seems to happen on my days off," Tenderheart smiled ruefully. "How are you feeling?"
"I could probably sleep for another year. Side note, someone should really update the Ponyville maps and add a 'Do Not Enter' to the Everfree Forest."
Tenderheart's eyes narrowed to pinpricks, and her voice was unsteady when she spoke again.
"You... w-were in the Everfree?"
"Yeah. I had no idea it was as dangerous as it is. The Immigrant's guide didn't mention it. The map didn't add any label to give me an idea of what to expect. Apparently some other pony didn't get the idea either because I had to help them fight off a pack of wooden wolves."
"I-is that how you got those cuts?" Tenderheart was trembling in fright now, and let out a small 'eep!' when I nodded.
"One on the leg was from one of the normal sized ones, but I took two hits to the chest when all the pieces recombined into a giant wolf."
There was a loud thump, prompting me to look over at Tenderheart. I could only facepalm when I saw that she'd fainted. They hadn't hooked me up to any sort of heart monitor or IV, so I slowly and carefully swung my legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand. I was a bit wobbly, but so long as I steadied myself with the wall I'd be fine. With that in mind I maneuvered my way to the small bathroom. It was there that I recieved a small surprise.
Ponies didn't use the western toilet style, instead opting for a long trench-like bowl set into the floor. It did make sense for Pony physiology, but it made certain things really awkward for me.
When I returned to the main room after washing my hands Tenderheart hadn't woken up yet. I reached down and tried to shake her awake, but she refused to even move. At last my tiredness overrode all further thought. I gently picked up Tenderheart and set her on the bed, then slipped in next to her. My arms wrapped around the dusky blue Earth Pony like a big, warm stuffed animal and I buried my face in her pale green mane. It didn't take long before I'd fallen asleep again.
"So, um... I guess I'll see you Monday at three?" Tenderheart was still blushing from the awkwardness that took place when we both woke up from our respective naps. I gave her a quick nod and a guilty grin, still trying to find a comfortable place on my back for my sword case and pack that wouldn't pull at my bandages. I don't know what the ponies used on me, but my healing rate was much faster than normal and I'd already been cleared to leave the hospital. After assuring Tenderheart that I'd be at my appointment, I quickly left the hospital with Redheart's snickering still on the edge of my hearing.
My return to Ponyville was met with some sympathetic smiles and friendly waves. Others chose to simply ignore me or stare, but I didn't mind. I was just glad to be back on my feet and in some clean clothes.
As much as I just wanted to wander the town all day, I knew there were some important things that needed to be taken care of. Apologizing to Pinkie for being such an arse topped my list. Finding a place to stay the night was at a close second, since I really didn't want to go back into the Everfree and I didn't have any money to rent a hotel room. Oh wait, Ponyville didn't even have a hotel. It made me wonder where all of the Ponies who had come for the Summer Sun Celebration were staying.
The sudden impact of something soft on my lips made me pause. I pulled my head back and tried to look at what it was, making me go cross-eyed in the process. Familiar giggling reached my ears, bringing a smile to my face.
"Pinkie," I said, maneuvering around the plain sugar donut to hug her. The Earth Pony leapt into my arms, unshed tears brimming at the corners of her eyes.
"I'm so so super duper sorry !" She wailed into my chest, her mane losing a bit of its color and volume. "You got hurt because of me..."
"That's not true," I said forcefully, shifting her so I could make eye contact. "It was my own fault. In fact I owe you an apology Pinkie. Ever since we met I've been doing my damnedest to avoid you, and that was wrong of me. I'm sorry. I don't even know where to begin making it up to you."
Any further words were cut off as Pinkie's hug tightened to painful levels. When she released me I was somewhat concerned about permanent damage to my ribs. Pinkie quickly wiped the tears out of her eyes and gave me her big beaming smile, which no longer seemed so creepy.
"Silly-billy, you already have! If you really want to do something for me, meet me at the Golden Oaks Library at sundown! Right now I've gotta go help the Cakes back some more snacks. Seeya, Rainy!"
Pinkie zoomed away at inhuman speeds, leaving me with a donut and a smile. Our interaction had clearly touched a few of the ponies nearby as well, proving that a genuine smile was a truly infectuous thing.
With Pinkie taken care of, I decided to check up on the pony that had initially patched me up. Most of what Redheart had explained was mostly a blur, with mentions of magic mixed in that really had me worried for the overall quality of Equestria's medical services.
It only took nearly ten minutes to reach the yellow pegasus' cottage from the center of Ponyville. Since she was an animal caretaker, she probably needed the privacy so the animals wouldn't get spooked by outsiders. I approached quietly when I saw the pegasus with a choir of birds gathered in front of her.
"Now, let's take it from the top." I stood and watched quietly as the quiet pegasus began conducting her bird friends with professional skill, leading them through a simple song. When they began a second verse I joined in with my own whistling and was surprisingly able to stay in tune with the birds. Once the second verse ended, the birds all took off from their tree branch and the pegasus feebly tried to call them back.
"Looks like they're taking five," I said softly. Apparently not softly enough. The yellow pony let out a small 'eep!' and hid her face behind her long rosey mane. Maybe the ponies were just getting to me, but I had the oddest urge to give her a big hug. Or it might have been something that they did to me in the hospital. I'm not sure I can entirely trust the treatment when the staff starts talking about things that don't exist.
"Oh, It's you!" The pegasus' demeanor did a 180 when she finally saw who I was. "Um... why are you here? If you don't mind me asking, that is?"
"I came to thank you for fixing me up," I admitted, running a hand through my hair awkwardly.
"It was no trouble at all, but... um... going into the Everfree Forest is really dangerous. There are so many scary creatures that live there," The Pegasus began shivering at the very thought of those 'scary creatures'.
"I did learn that pretty quickly," I sighed, "It was most certainly not one of my finest moments. My name's Rain, by the way. What's yours?"
"I'm... fluttershy ..."
I could barely hear her name, but it fit her timid nature like a glove.
"Well Fluttershy, I guess I'll let you get back to work. Sorry for bothering you," I gave her a gentle smile and turned to leave.
"Um... it was really no bother at all. Maybe you'd like to... um... well, talk again some time ?"
I gave Fluttershy a quick nod and one final wave before heading back down the dirt path to Ponyville. Along the way, I passed a lavender unicorn with a darker violet mane who was chatting with a small purple lizard on her back. It was pretty clear they were headed to Fluttershy's home, and the small clipboard the lizard was carrying made me wonder if they were some sort of official inspectors for the celebration. Why a national holiday would use a choir of birds in its ceremonies was well beyond my understanding, but I was still just getting introduced to Equestrian society.
"Whoa, Twilight, did you see that guy?" A young boy's voice asked as I got further and further away.
"Kind of hard to miss, Spike. I don't think I've seen any creature like it before. Oh, just think of all the scientific discoveries that we could make by talking with it!"
Oh Hell no !
I was rapidly coming to the conclusion that all unicorns were crazy and needed to be avoided for my continued well-being. With that in mind, I increased my pace.
"I brought you a letter! "
A gray pegasus with a pale blonde mane descended from the heavens with a white envelope lightly clutched in her teeth.
"Um... Okay," I blinked, taking the offered envelope and quickly making sure it was addressed to me. When I looked back up at the mail carrier I noticed that her golden eyes were looking in two different directions and she had a big derpy smile on her face.
"You're my last delivery of the day, so if you want to reply, I can fly it back as soon as you're ready!" She giggled, plopping down on her haunches in the middle of the street and digging around in the brown saddlebags she wore. She finally retrieved a muffin that was only slightly squished, and began snacking on it. I tuned her out and popped the official-looking wax seal on the back.
Dear Mr. Rain,
It has come to the attention of our office that you do not currently have any residence for your stay in Ponyville. If you intend to remain in the town for long, there are a small number of homes available for purchase at a reasonable cost.
If you are short on bits, we can come to an arrangement that will be mutually beneficial. Please come to the Ponyville Town Hall after the Summer Sun Celebration to sort this matter out.
Sincerely,
Mayor Mare.
I could only assume that the hospital had shared my personal information with the Mayor's office. I was pretty sure disclosing medical records like that was illegal back home, but I doubted it was in Equestria. Besides, I wasn't an Equestrian citizen so I doubted half of those laws properly applied to me.
"Right. I'll take care of this in person on Monday. Thank you for delivering the letter, Miss-?"
"I'm Derpy Hooves, no 'miss' needed! Oh, and don't you mean 'in pony'?" The pegasus asked, slowly rising into the air with long strokes from her wings. I had to suppress a wince at her name. Apparently the giant wheel of nouns and adjectives the ponies used for their nomenclature contained a few unfortunate entries as well.
"Blame cultural differences," I shrugged, "Guess I'll see you if there's any more mail?"
Derpy gave an enthusiastic nod and began flying away... backwards. I watched her until she was out of sight to make sure she didn't get into any accidents, then noticed it was approaching dusk and pulled out my map to figure out where the library was. It wouldn't do to disappoint Pinkie so soon after I'd patched things up with her.
When I arrived at the Golden Oaks Library, I could only deadpan at the giant tree it was carved into. Whoever thought it was a good design choice was clearly going for a bit of irony. The lights were off from what I could see in the windows and an almost unnatural shadow blocked any attempts to look in through the windows.
"Well, up until today. Do you want to hear about today?" A small boy's voice rang out.
I turned around, seeing that Fluttershy approach with the lavender unicorn and purple lizard from earlier.
"Oh, yes please," Fluttershy said, coming out of her shell easily for the little reptile.
"I'm so sorry," The unicorn declared, turning on Fluttershy, "How did we get here so fast? This is where I'm staying while in Ponyville and my poor baby dragon needs his sleep."
Wait, baby dragon ?! I had a sudden tingling in my doom senses. The little dragon tried to protest, but was dropped off of the mare's back with a light buck.
"Aww, wook at that. He's so sweepy he can't even keep his widdle balance!"
Okay, that was the point I had to draw the line. It was demeaning to the dragon, who was clearly older than he actually looked.
"Laying it on a little thick there, aren't you?" I asked, crossing my arms and fixing the unicorn with a disapproving stare.
"I don't remember asking for your-" The unicorn cut off, finally seeming to notice just who I was. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks, and she quickly scooped the baby dragon onto her back once more. I could almost see a small after-image as the lavender unicorn darted into the library and slammed the door behind her.
"Okay, that was a bit of a jerk move... but well worth it," I chuckled. Fluttershy gave me a timid smile and entered the dark library. I wondered whether it was trespassing or not, then remembered that the main floor of the Golden Oaks Library was treated as public property.
"-can't get the thaumic lights working for some reason," The unicorn's voice came from a little ahead of me. I took a few steps toward her and jumped as the whole building lit up to reveal most of Ponyville's population surrounding us.
"SURPRISE! "
Any irrational fears I had about angry mobs were quickly put to rest when I took in the numerous decorations around the library. They looked more at home at a small child's birthday party, but that type of party also seemed to fall right in line with Pinkie's more... innocent outlook on life.
It was hard to suppress a grin as the pink pony herself spronked up to the library's new resident and began chattering away. The unicorn tried to get away from her by going over to a small table of snacks and pouring herself a drink, but Pinkie would not be so easily removed. I spotted what the unicorn had poured just as she raised it to her lips and braced myself for what would follow.
"-and now you have lots and lots of friends!" Pinkie finished as a group of mares clustered around her not entirely of their own free will. I counted down from three in my head as I saw the unicorn's face turn more and more red. At 'zero' she just charged up to the library's second floor with tears of agony in her eyes and smoke pouring out of her ears. Pinkie giggled and spronked up to me next, wrapping me in a bone-crushing hug.
"Rainy!"
"Hey there, Pinkie," I chuckled, giving the hyperactive pony a quick squeeze that caused her to release a squeaking sound . When we separated, the orange stetson-wearing mare I'd seen the day before walked up, offering her hoof for a shake.
"Howdy there. I reckon you must be the 'Rain' feller Pinkie's been talking about to anyone who'll listen. Name's Applejack."
"Nice to meet you," I replied easily, taking her hoof. What followed was perhaps the most jarring handshake I've ever experienced. Five minutes later my arm was still regaining feeling.
The party picked up its pace soon after that, but I noticed very few ponies that I hadn't already met were making an effort to greet me. I let out a small sigh in the corner I'd settled into, wishing to do nothing more than close my eyes for a quick nap. Parties had never really been my thing, mostly because-. There my brain went, drawing a blank halfway through a thought again. At least this time I didn't get a crippling headache. After about two hours of watching the other ponies have fun with loud music and childish party games, I slipped outside and soon settled on a park bench.
For a long while I just stared up at the full moon high in the sky, only getting faint memories of my odd connection to Earth's moon. It would always seem to tug at my heart when I looked at it. Just one more oddity of my old life that I'd never recieve a proper explanation for, I suppose.
Equestria's moon was larger than Earth's and had a unicorn mare's face carved on the surface out of craters. Just how that happened, I had no idea. The laws of probability were both terrifying and awesome at times. As I watched, four stars began to slowly spiral towards the moon. That can't be good...
My thought was quickly proven correct as the stars made contact and the moon began to shake in the sky, the craters that made up the mare's face dissolving one by one. When they were all gone, a stream of violet mist shot through the sky towards the Everfree Forest.
After a short pause I felt a wave of power slam into me, fueled by wrath and sorrow.
I didn't know what had unleashed that power, but it didn't bode well for Equestria.
003
"Equestria by its very nature is a strange place. The supernatural is common to its residents, and I had to either adapt or die."
"This is not good," I muttered to myself, still staring in the direction I'd felt that wave of emotion from. Snippets of my past encounters with the supernatural came to mind, but those were all child's play in comparison to something coming out of the moon . None of the ponies started panicking in the streets, so I could only assume that they hadn't felt what I had. My first instinct at that realization was that I should probably tell somebody.
No, they'd never believe me. Why would they accept the word of an outsider, especially on something that was so far out of the norm? I barely believed myself, and I'd just witnessed it. Going and investigating on my own wasn't a good idea either. The Everfree's nocturnal predators had a serious edge on my lack of night vision and I didn't want to become some random critter's snack. The only thing that could be done was to wait until day and investigate then, provided all hell hadn't broken loose.
Without anything better to do, I settled down on a convenient park bench and began sorting through my backpack for the maintenance kit I'd brought along. My katana needed some work after the heavy use against that Alpha Timber Wolf, and it wouldn't hurt to check over the Schiavona as well. It was during my search that I discovered another piece of equipment I'd completely forgotten about during my arrival to Equestria.
"I was wondering where this went," I muttered, clipping the ten inch survival knife to the back of my belt without a second thought. It had been hiding under an old green hoodie, which I quickly put on to help conceal the blade. I was loathe to risk breaking the law, but I couldn't deny that having some form of weaponry on-hand made me feel that much more safe. If the party was still going on later, I'd take advantage of its location and check on the local carry laws.
Using my sword case as a makeshift table, I set a small block down to hold the katana level and pulled out a metal file. The work was slow and honestly boring, but it was necessary if I wanted my weapons to last.
While I took long, even strokes to each side of the blade, I began to analyze my short stay in Equestria. One glaring issue that I noticed early on was that I had automatically assumed Equestria functioned exactly like Earth did. For the most part it was true, but there were simply some things that I couldn't compare to Earth's rules, such as the Timber Wolves. For the most part I'd also been treating Ponies as I would any human, excluding a few embarrassing moments while I wasn't entirely in my right mind. Once again, that worked most of the time, but it also put a small measure of distrust into every interaction.
Pony culture was different than most human cultures, built upon different values. If I wanted to stay among them, I'd have to adapt or risk alienating the few ponies who actually accepted my presence.
I heard the creak of wood and light breathing, but paid it no mind and continued my work. With the edge of my katana properly resharpened, I needed to polish it back to a uniform appearance. Thankfully I had no shortage of oil and my whetstone was right where I'd left it.
I needed to figure out what my plans for the future were. Sure she had told me to learn from the native population, but that was a very broad topic. It would likely take years to learn all that she wanted me to. My first goal was to get a home. Mayor Mare had already given me an opportunity to arrange a deal with her, but I needed some form of employment if I wanted to keep the home after that. Unfortunately, I didn't have too many applicable skills. When I left Earth I'd been between semesters for an Information Technology degree and from what I'd seen Equestria was all over the place with its tech level. Plus, even if they did have computers, I'd be stuck learning a whole new operating system designed to be used by beings with big clunky hooves instead of fingers.
A small sigh escaped me again as I stood with my sharpened and re-polished katana in hand. Everything was looking fine, so I sheathed the weapon and returned it to its place in my sword case, then began packing up the maintenance kit. When I cast a quick glance over my shoulder, Fluttershy let out a small 'eep!' of surprise from her position on the park bench.
"I figured it was you. Pinkie can't keep quiet for that long and nobody else would bother to come out here when there's a party going on," I chuckled lightly, zipping up my backpack and slinging it over my shoulder.
"Why... why do you have those weapons?" Fluttershy asked, seeming both fearful and determined. I paused to think about how I wanted to answer her. Fluttershy was already timid enough, so I had to choose my words carefully.
"Not every place is as safe as Equestria," I finally said, settling my sword case into its proper place on my back. "There are some places in this world where it's a good idea to have a blade handy. The Everfree Forest certainly fits in that list."
"But-" Fluttershy automatically opened her mouth to protest, but shut it again and cringed away from me.
"The only time I bring out these swords are for an emergency or if they need some regular maintenance," I reassured her. "I've only had to use them once since coming to Equestria and that was to help a pony fend off some Timber Wolves."
"And that was how you got hurt," Fluttershy whispered at nearly inaudible volume.
"Is that what this is really about?" I asked, crossing my arms. Fluttershy shrank a little, then fixed me with a more steady gaze and nodded firmly. With a small smile, I sat on the bench next to Fluttershy, noting that the yellow pegasus almost subconsciously scooted closer to my side. Once again, the cultural differences between most of Humanity and Equestria were smacking me in the face. I could only speculate on why the value of a life was so much higher to the Ponies, but if they were anything like Earth's horses, I could guess that it had something to do with herd instincts.
"So, why are you out here anyways?" I questioned, stifling a small yawn.
"Oh, um... Pinkie sent me to find you," Fluttershy admitted, then gave me an absolutely adorable smile. "I don't do too well with big parties either."
"Geez... I'll have to apologize to her for bailing later."
"A lot of ponies left to get some rest before the celebration. If you want to go back... um... I mean..." Fluttershy trailed off with a small squeak, but I understood what she was asking.
"That depends, are you staying up or heading back to your cottage?"
"Oh! Um... I have to be up early to make sure the bird choir is ready," Fluttershy shuffled awkwardly and gave me a weak smile, "But... if you want... we can go back to the party..."
I just shook my head and grinned at the sheer levels of adorable that the pegasus radiated with every action.
"Don't worry about me, alright? Just go get some sleep, Fluttershy. I'll be sure to catch up to you some time tomorrow."
Fluttershy gave me a quick nod, wrapped me in a surprise hug didn't last nearly long enough, then began trotting down the road. Once she was out of sight my lingering good mood faded and I set out to find somewhere to rest my head for the precious few hours before the Summer Sun Celebration.
The full moon cast its light down on a tall hill and the single sakura tree planted at its crest. I wasn't sure how I got there, since I couldn't remember going through the endless maple forest surrounding the hill on all sides. In an action that felt almost painfully familiar, I walked forward and took a seat against the sakura tree's trunk, content to watch a near-infinite stream of blossoms float away on a gentle breeze.
The wind began to pick up, followed quickly by the soft clink of metal landing on the grass behind me.
"Over here," I replied, not bothering to move from my rather comfortable position. A dusky blue pony soon walked into view, larger and slimmer than those I'd seen so far in Ponyville and possessed of both horn and wings. The cobalt crown and slippers she wore marked the newcomer as some sort of royalty, but I didn't peg her as a 'Celestia', especially not with the crescent moon adorning her dappled flanks.
"A human? Verily, we have not seen one of thy kind in ages," She seemed a bit baffled by my presence, but took a seat at my side without hesitation. I chuckled and returned my gaze to the stream of petals. My new companion fell into silence, seeming content to just watch the pink blossoms float by as well. After a moment, she spoke up once more.
"There's something odd about you. A feeling we cannot place..."
"Not sure what to tell you, Princess," I replied with a shrug, taking a guess at her title. Still, now that she mentioned it, I could feel the same odd tug in my heart that I felt when looking at a full moon.
The pony at my side suddenly tensed, her eyes widening in fear. My mouth opened to ask her what was wrong, but I didn't get the chance to speak.
A single musical tone sounded, setting off my sense of dread. I scrambled to my feet as the world began to shake around us. A pulse of darkness clouded my vision and when it cleared, the peaceful landscape had been replaced with a dead wasteland, the moon above turning a bloody red.
"It's her," The pony whimpered, clutching at my leg like I was her only lifeline. "She's found me again..."
"Really, Luna. Did you think you could hide from me? You should know by now that I'll find you wherever you try to hide," The voice that spoke was like a dark symphony, both beautiful and terrifying, only serving to reinforce the feelings of dread and danger running through my mind.
Another winged unicorn descended from the heavens like a dark angel, her coat as black as night and her hair a nebulous purple mist. The cobalt armor covering her form looked made for war and her meter-long horn was as sharp as any lance.
"Just stay behind me. I'll keep you safe ," I said, glancing down at the quivering pony. I looked back up and flinched when I saw the dark horse only an inch away. Her draconic blue eyes seemed to pierce into my soul, and her sharp teeth were bared in an evil grin.
"Such a noble sentiment, but you're less than a bug to me."
Her horn was engulfed in dark energy, but that was quickly dispelled as I slammed my fist into her muzzle with all the force I could muster. A satisfied smirk came to my lips when the black pony reeled back in pain and I pressed the attack with a chain of vicious kicks. I couldn't let her recover or I'd most likely be utterly boned.
"Enough!" The black pony slammed her forehooves into the ground, unleashing a dark shockwave that sent me tumbling away. I wasn't sure where Luna had vanished to, but I was glad that she was out of harm's way. All I could do was to keep the invader occupied for as long as I could. With new determination, I rose once more and quickly leapt out of the way of a black laser shot by the pony's glowing horn. At last the mystery of what that meant had been solved. Too bad the results were less than friendly.
"Of course the magical pony can shoot lasers," I grumbled, narrowly avoiding three more blasts and closing the distance between us. The black pony reared to try and kick me, which was exactly what I was hoping she'd do. I sidestepped her kick and quickly positioned myself behind the horse, then wrapped my arms around her barrel. It was then that I noticed that she was incredibly soft and snuggly... but unfortunately the evil aspect kind of ruined it for me. With a herculean effort I lifted the pony, bent my spine backwards and slammed her head-first into the ground.
Unfortunately, that position left me vulnerable and the black pony took advantage of it. She rolled onto all four hooves and thrust her head forward, piercing through my heart with minimal effort.
"Silly little foal," She scoffed, "Did you truly believe you could defeat the Princess of the Night so easily?"
The most I could do in response was stare blankly as the color slowly faded from my sight. The black pony ripped out her horn and I collapsed onto the dirt, unable to move.
"Such a pity. You put up more of a fight than I expected." She bent her head down and whispered in my ear, "I am Nightmare Moon, soon to be the sole princess of Equestria. If you hope to survive the coming days, then you'd best not defy me again."
I snapped awake and sat up in my sleeping bag, then immediately felt a surge of pain dead center in my chest. Memories of the dream I'd just experienced came flooding back and I knew without a doubt that it wasn't just a trick of my subconscious. Things began to click together in my head, between the unicorn's head vanishing from Equestria's moon, the mist disappearing into the Everfree Forest and the dream I'd just had. On further mental examination, I realized that the mist I'd seen matched up with the color and consistency of Nightmare Moon's mane and tail.
If Nightmare Moon had the magical abilities she'd shown in the dream realm, then Equestria was well and truly boned. Despite that... I couldn't sit still and just let her take over. For once in my life I had a clear-cut villain in my path and was in a position to do something about it. So long as I didn't try anything stupid like suplexing her, I'd probably be able to hold my own at least long enough for someone more qualified to show up and deal with Nightmare. So long as I was smart about it, I would have access to my swords for this second round as well. Thanks to an oversight in my sword case's lock design, they could be left open with only the keyhole turned as an external indicator. In other words, I could leave my case unlocked but latched shut and nobody would be the wiser.
If Nightmare Moon decided to make a move at the Summer Sun Celebration, I was going to be ready with everything at my disposal.
"Rainy!" Pinkie called out without warning, flying at me like a pink missile. It was probably a good thing my injuries had healed up, or I'd be in a lot worse pain than her tackle to hug combo caused. I opened my mouth to protest her rough treatment, only to have a donut promptly shoved in it. With my mouth full of the sugary treat, all I could do was deadpan at the pink pony.
"Pinkie Pie, darling, I know you want to play with your... friend , but we're going to be late to the celebration," A voice I could only describe as 'snobbish' spoke up. Its owner was a snow white unicorn with a carefully curled indigo mane. Between her appearance and obvious distaste for me, I knew I wasn't going to like being around her any more than she'd like being close to me.
"Good morning, Rain," Fluttershy smiled at me, ignoring the white unicorn's comment, "Did you sleep well?"
"You can ask him pointless questions later. Right now we're going to be... late
"So, you're the guy Fluttershy's been talking about," She said, hovering up to me and examining me from all angles before finally raising her hoof. "Names Rainbow Dash, fastest flyer in Equestria. Maybe you've heard of me?"
"Call me Rain," I replied in turn, bumping a fist against her hoof and carefully avoiding her attempt at an ego boost. This just prompted a small snort from the white unicorn and a barely suppressed groan from the purple one.
"Mornin' all," Applejack added, trotting up to join our group with a yellow Earth Pony filly on her back and a gigantic red stallion at her side. The filly just stared at me wide-eyed, while the stallion just looked on stoically. From their similar color schemes and cutie marks, I could only assume that they were either related or married, but I wasn't going to speak either option for the risk of offending them.
"Applejack, did you even try to clean up this morning?" The white unicorn let out a noise of disgust and turned her head away.
"Hey! I washed up just as well as anypony else here!" Applejack protested, "Not all of us have to spend two hours in the mornin' getting gussied up, Rarity ."
Growling like a rabid beast, the purple unicorn stomped ahead of us, putting a stall on all conversation.
"Yeesh, she is not a morning pony," Rainbow Dash muttered.
"Add a late night on top of that and you've got a dangerous combination," I added as we entered the Town Hall. A number of sun and moon themed banners had been hung, but other than that it wasn't much different from the visit during Pinkie's tour. A few members of the group split off once we were inside, namely Fluttershy and Rarity. The red stallion scooped the filly off of Applejack's back and wandered off without a word.
Suddenly, Fluttershy's bird choir let loose their song and Mayor Mare stepped out from behind the violet curtain to address the crowd.
"Fillies and Gentlecolts! As mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!" The ponies cheered at this declaration, but I couldn't relax. Some part of me knew that Nightmare Moon was going to make an appearance, and I needed to be ready to spring into action at any second. To this end, I set down both my sword case and backpack, praying that nobody would notice my odd behavior.
"In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise and celebrate this, the longest day of the year. Now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very same pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day. The good, the wise, the bringer of Harmony to all of Equestria... Princess Celestia!"
The choir picked up again and Rarity pulled open the curtains, a spotlight falling on the balcony where she stood. Only... there was nobody there. While the mayor tried to calm the crowd, I flipped the latches on my sword case and quickly buckled the Schiavona around my waist, knowing without a doubt that Nightmare Moon would appear at any second. Right on cue a stream of purple mist flooded the upper balcony and Rarity made a mad dash to the main floor. I passed her on the way up, drawing my sword as I climbed the staircase.
"Oh my beloved subjects, it's been so long since I've seen your precious little sun-loving faces," The black pony's familiar voice filled my ears.
"What did you do with our princess?" A pony demanded. Nightmare Moon chuckled, sending shivers down my spine as I took the final few steps.
"Why? Am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?"
Without risking the element of surprise on announcing my presence, I put as much force as I could into a single slash aimed at Nightmare Moon's neck. Much to my displeasure, she turned entirely into mist and arced away from me, reforming on the balcony where Fluttershy's bird choir had been. Without the buffer of the dream world, her grin was all that much more terrifying and the danger of fighting her was that much more real.
"Ah, I was wondering if you'd show up for round two ," Nightmare Moon laughed, her horn igniting with dark energy once more.
"Funny,I was wondering the same thing." I growled. leaping off of the balcony seconds before a blast from her horn broke the supports and sent it crashing to the ground. I landed in a roll, thankful that most of the ponies had already panicked and fled the building. The impact had been a little painful, but nothing was broken or injured. "I hope you've brought your A-game this time, Nightmare, because I've brought mine."
"That hubris will be your undoing, foal!" Nightmare Moon cackled, taking to the air and shooting a hail of energy blasts at me. My body and sword moved almost of their own accord, dodging some of the blasts and batting away others in a fluid dance. I didn't know how the simple steel was holding up against her magic and I didn't care so long as it continued to hold. Finally a single shot hit me with enough force to throw me out of the Town Hall and onto Ponyville's streets, but I rolled back to my feet before Nightmare could press her advantage.
"Apparently being imprisoned for a thousand years really reduced your power. I barely even felt that hit," I taunted, hoping to goad Nightmare Moon into doing something stupid or risky. "Or maybe you just weren't all that strong to begin with. Dreams have a way of blowing things out of proportion, after all."
"Insolent brat! I've had enough of your meddling!" Nightmare Moon declared, the aura around her horn increasing in intensity. Time slowed to a crawl as a massive beam of energy issued forth from her horn, easily as tall as I was and twice as wide. At that range there was no way to dodge it in time, and my Schiavona wouldn't last against a force of that magnitude.
All I could do was stare what would likely be my death in the face and smile.
004
"Once they were sure Nightmare had left Ponyville, the citizens did their best to start piecing things back together. Living so close to the Everfree had made them used to dealing with weirdness. A god-tier being crashing their party and bringing about eternal night was just another day at the office to them."
My eyes snapped open, a cold glare twisting my features as I stared up at the full moon still present in the sky. Several facts made themselves clear to me in that moment, only serving to fuel the burning wrath that surged through me.
First and foremost, nobody -or nopony - had managed to defeat Nightmare Moon in the time it took for me to recover from what was supposed to be a mortal wound. I was rather annoyed that Nightmare hadn't bothered to kill me either. It was as if she didn't see me as enough of a threat to her attempts at ruling Equestria. Oh well, I'd sort that out soon enough. After all, it seemed that I was the only one with any drive or motivation to fix the problem. Injuries or not, I had to get up and fix the problem before the world fell apart around me. On that note, I still needed to see the full extent of the damage. Even without looking I could tell that I'd need to replace my clothes. A shirt does not simply survive a magical laser blast.
I forced myself to sit up, gritting my teeth at the hot wave of pain that erupted from my chest in protest. I stared down at my chest, and wished I hadn't. The front of my shirt, along with the bandages underneath, were completely destroyed, the edges charred from the heat. Similarly, the skin underneath was covered in angry red burns. I frowned as I considered my surroundings, but soon pieced together a much clearer picture of what had happened. Nightmare's beam had been mostly kinetic in nature, launching me through a small house or two judging by the wreckage visible ahead and around me. The force had been enough to blast me to the edge of the Everfree, but thankfully not into the Everfree. I probably wouldn't have survived if my landing site had been beyond the dark treeline.
Against the constant protest of my injuries, I rose to my feet and slowly limped my way back toward town. I was dead-set on finding my Schiavona and retrieving my katana from Ponyville's town hall... or what was left of it anyways. I saw ponies scrambling around the streets, with volunteer crews already sorting through the wreckage and piecing their lives back together. I passed through, keenly aware of the wide-eyed stares directed my way and the number of parents pulling their foals closer. Trust is shattered so easily , I thought, my hand brushing down the black leather that covered the hilt of my Schiavona. The weapon had landed point-first in the road and buried at least three inches of its blade in the dirt. I saw a few thin streaks of blood on the blade, and almost smirked. Looks like I'd managed to get in at least one lucky shot during my round with Nightmare. Without ceremony, I pulled my sword from the dirt, wiped its blade off on the sleeve of my jacket, and returned the weapon to its rightful place in the sheath on my hip. With that point on my to-do list finished, I approached the wreckage of the town hall, unable to hold back a whistle at the sight of the collapsed building.
Nothing over two meters had survived Nightmare's battle with me, and I didn't even know where to begin looking for my sword case in the mess of wood and stone. I knew that my katana had survived, considering the case it was in had been rated for some very rough conditions, but I wouldn't be able to get it for my next round with Nightmare.
"Rain?" Tenderheart's voice interrupted my thoughts, followed by a sharp gasp when I turned to face the blue Earth Pony. She was flanked on either side by the Royal Guards that had been responsible for providing security during the celebration. Both stallions had their share of injuries as well, if the bandages peeking out from under their golden armor were any indication.
"Was hoping to pick up my other sword before I headed out," I explained, looking at the rubble again, "I don't have flight or magic at my disposal. The best I can count on is another weapon."
"If you try to fight the Nightmare in your condition-" Tenderheart stepped forward, but paused and stared at the burns on my chest again.
"He won't have the chance. Creature, you're under arrest," One of the guards strode forward, fishing a set of heavy iron manacles out from under his armor that looked like they were sized for a much larger being. I couldn't hold back a snort of disdain, and turned back to the rubble, trying to picture it as a completed building to retrace where my sword case was buried. After a moment, I felt something close around my wrist, only to slide off a second later. I deadpanned at the guard that had tried to capture me, the same guard that was now slowly retreating with his ears folded back and tail tucked between his legs.
"Didn't quite plan that one out, did you?" I chuckled dryly, before bending down and putting as much force as I could muster into moving a large piece of the stone dome that used to top the town hall. Once that was out of the way, I shifted a few smaller pieces of debris until I finally came face to face with a stylized blue lion head. A small frenzy of clearing later, and I had my sword case in my hands once again. I heard the trio of ponies behind me squabbling softly, but I paid them no mind as I unlocked the case and pulled the katana from its resting place.
"I'll only say it once, creature! Put down your weapons and surrender!" The second royal guard demanded, holding a pair of manacles the same size as his partner's. By that point I was getting fairly annoyed, and my temper was starting to run a bit hotter than it needed to.
"I'm really not in the mood right now," I replied, letting some of the real emotions I was feeling slip to the surface in place of the calm and friendly facade I'd been presenting. The guard narrowed his eyes and took another step forward, bringing him into range.
"Lieutenant, stand down. I'll take it from here," A young stallion's voice spoke up, quickly dispelling any chance of conflict. A shame too. I wanted to see how a trained guard stacked up against my self-taught swordsmanship.
The newcomer was a white unicorn stallion in a variant of the armor seen on the other soldiers. Rather than being solid gold, his was colored a rather embarassing shade of purple and trimmed with gold, which did help to outline the separate plates and points of flexibility. There was one article of equipment that didn't quite seem to match the others. It was a black belt with a rectangular silver buckle, set with a trio of buttons that were far too small for hooves to operate properly and centered with a large spherical diamond that seemed to glow under its own power. The design was hauntingly familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen it before.
"My name's Shining Armor. I'm the Captain of the Royal Guard," The unicorn introduced himself, offering a blue hoof in greeting. After a firm handshake, he didn't give me a chance to reciprocate. "You're the 'strange creature' who tried to fight Nightmare Moon without any sort of magic. Considering you're still standing with Class Three Thaumic Burns, I can believe it."
"Maybe you can talk some sense into him, Captain Armor," Tenderheart said, "He's going to try and find Nightmare in the Everfree Forest with those injuries!"
"I don't see what the problem is, Miss," Shining Armor answered, "If he wants to help save Equestria... no, all of Equis, then that's his right. I was just about to go do pretty much the same thing."
Finally. Finally one of the ponies was willing to actually do something about the problem instead of panicking or blame shifting.
"What? Captain, you can't do that!" The Lieutenant exclaimed. Shining Armor sighed and closed his eyes, then raised a hoof and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes and mouth, I braced myself for my first pony-based verbal rant.
"As of right now, Princess Celestia is MIA. Since my job as Captain is limited to passing down orders from her, that makes me effectively useless right now. The entire E.U.P. Guard is in motion, providing protection to every city and town in Equestria. My job is done until Princess Celestia is recovered, and that's not going to happen until somepony takes care of the Nightmare. Fortunately, the Princess left a contingency plan for this situation, and that's why I'm wearing this really uncomfortable belt."
"What's so uncomfortable about it?" I wondered, and was fixed with a blank stare from Shining Armor. I took a moment to consider just where the belt was on his body, and what else would be near that location on a quadruped.
"I understand your pain, and applaud the sacrifice you're making for your country."
"It's appreciated," Shining replied, shifting uneasily on his hooves.
"So, this is the Everfree. I've heard horror stories about this place," Shining commented as we stood outside of the dark forest. Nightfall hadn't done the Everfree any favors. The moon's light barely penetrated the canopy, and there was a constant shifting in the shadows that put me on edge. Nearly silent whispers played with the limits of my hearing, making me feel entirely lucky I couldn't make out what they were saying.
"Even fiction is grounded in some shred of truth," I shuddered slightly, stepping forward onto the shadowed path.
"Way to sooth my nerves," Shining Armor chuckled, the clopping of his hooves following a second behind me. "I never did get your name."
"It's Rain," I replied, neatly ducking a low-hanging branch and vaulting over a fallen log in the path.
"No last name?"
"None that I can remember. Apparently I got hit with some form of mind-altering dark magic before I arrived in Ponyville. Fortunately the staff of Ponyville General cleaned it out of my system before anything worse could happen," I finished my short backstory with a small shrug. "Pretty sure 'Rain' wasn't my original name either. Still, it fits in better around here than whatever jumble of human nonsense my old name was."
"Yeah. It's a pretty common Pegasus name. After this is over, do you want me to get an investigation started once this business is taken care of?"
"Keep an ear to the ground for a similar situation, but otherwise it isn't worth the effort," I replied, "Just from what fragments I've seen, the old memories weren't worth saving."
Our conversation lapsed into silence after that. We'd passed far enough into the forest for things to get really dangerous, and talking would draw extra attention to our position. The Timberwolves were bad enough, I didn't even want to know what the full moon had brought out to play.
"So persistent. It's an admirable trait, but one I'm finding more and more annoying the more I have to deal with you, " Nightmare's voice whispered in my ear. Shining Armor flinched at my side and began looking around for the source of the voice, his horn lighting with a pink glow.
"I've got your number, Nightmare Moon," Shining said, glaring into the darkness, "One way or another, you're going down."
"Ah, my sister's loyal lapdog. I was wondering if you'd make an appearance. I'm not surprised to see you've brought the Origin Driver with you. Such a shame that you don't know how to use it properly... I'd actually enjoy testing myself against my old friend's weapon. "
"Did you really bother contacting us just to taunt?" I asked before Shining could open his mouth again. Instead of a reply from Nightmare, a trio of shadows broke away from the darkness and rose to reform into a trio of Pegasus Ponies. All three were clad in black and purple jumpsuits, their eyes obscured by gold-tinted flight goggles.
"Since you're so keen on fighting, let's see how you handle my Shadow- "
Nightmare Moon's voice cut off in a sputtering wreck of incoherent rage as I casually sheathed my katana again. While she'd been introducing her minions, I'd stepped up and executed a wide slash that decapitated all three shadow ponies with minimal effort.
"Y-you... "
There was something different in Nightmare's tone this time, something that raised quite a few red flags in the back of my mind. Shining seemed to pick up on it too, and deadpanned at me.
"Is there any particular reason you decided to make her mad?" He asked. I didn't get a chance to respond before Nightmare spoke again, her voice backed by a much darker, deeper echo.
"I tried to be nice. I tried to dissuade you from interfering with my plans. But you just. Keep. Meddling. This is your last warning, human. Turn back, or I will * end** you.*"
A grim smile twisted my lips, and quickly grew to a predatory grin.
"It's about damn time you got serious. Thanks for giving me a way to track you, too."
Nightmare had unknowingly released another surge of power and emotion, much like when she'd reappeared in Equestria. It was something I could latch onto and follow, rather than stumbling through the Everfree blind like I had been. The promise of a more serious challenge when the time came to fight Nightmare was just an added bonus. So long as Nightmare was lying and Shining actually could use his belt, I didn't foresee any issues with fighting her. Even if he couldn't, the rank of Royal Guard Captain wasn't something just handed out on a whim. I had no doubt that Shining Armor was a powerhouse in his own right.
Nightmare's scream of rage shook the world around us, and the moon above turned a crimson red.
"Well Armor, even if we die against her, at least I can go out saying that I pissed off a Lunar Deity enough that she created a Blood Moon," I commented to my companion as we increased our pace.
"I'm starting to think you're just flat out insane," Shining muttered, shaking his head.
Neither of us had any time to react when Nightmare's Shadows soared out of the underbrush like a triad of fighter jets. All three were aimed solely at me, with Nightmare's energy erupting from their bodies in violent auras. I felt a hoof slam into my wrist and lost my grip on the katana's sheath, I tried to get some sense of balance or reason, but didn't have a chance before another pair of hits slammed into my chest and forehead. My vision blurred as I fell to the ground, and my the my chest flared with more pain from the dirt. Arms quickly wrapped around my neck, cutting off my air supply, and I dimly heard magic blasts being fired.
Instead of fighting the chokehold, I shifted my arm behind my waist and grabbed my knife, then plunged it into the Shadow's neck with as much force as my slowly deoxygenating brain would allow. The Shadow melted away, flowing like liquid back into the darkness of the Everfree. Once I'd managed to catch my breath, I stumbled back to my feet and followed the sound of magical battle.
Shining, as I predicted, was holding his own against the pair of Pegasi. The Captain had barricaded himself in a magical barrier and was launching shots at Nightmare's minions from within. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be having much luck. The Shadows' strafing runs were too fast for Shining Armor to track and intercept. Once I was noticed, one of the Shadows peeled off from his partner and dove at me with the intent to kill. My odd, remnant reflexes from my old life were probably the only thing that saved me from taking another painful hit. I sidestepped at the last second and grabbed the pony by the neck, then turned and gave it some helpful guidance into the ground. One good axe kick was all it took to finish the fight.
"Do you think you've won? I can make however many Shadowbolts I need! " Nightmare screamed.
"Yeah, and then you won't have any power left over for when we actually face off again," I chuckled dryly as the last Shadowbolt tried to choose which target was more important. "An easy kill on you would be so disappointing."
The last of Nightmare's minions dissolved into darkness again, and Shining Armor soon lowered his shield.
"Are you alright?" He asked, likely noticing my new injuries.
"For now. Adrenaline makes for one hell of an anesthetic," I replied, bending down to retrieve my fallen katana. "Let's just keep moving."
"You shouldn't be so reckless, Rain," Shining commented, frowning. "There are ponies who are expecting you back in one piece."
I rolled my eyes at that. To the ponies, I was a passing curiosity at best and a monster at worst. My actions against Nightmare Moon at the celebration already shattered whatever trust the citizens of Ponyville had. Pinkie and Fluttershy would likely turn on me as well. That makes me more depressed than it should , I realized as I thought of the yellow and pink mares. No point thinking about this anymore. I'll probably be leaving Equestria after this is over, assuming I don't die in the fight against Nightmare Moon.
With that final depressing thought, I sheathed my katana and started walking again. After a moment of silence I heard Shining's hoofsteps follow along.
