The Saga of RK Act 1.

I was alone again. Alone with my thoughts. Alone in the hospital that fixed me up a week ago.

'What the bloody hell was that!?'

What? Oh, the glowing thing? I dunno.

'Grr. This body's had more than one experience with being angry before, even enraged, but that has never happened before!'

Well, we're safe now. I say that's the most important part to all that.

'Suppose so.' Nurse Redheart came back in, pushing a wheelchair.

"We're going to take you into the IMT ward, where we'll take a look at your neurological injuries, as there appears to be no physical injuries." She began to pull back the cover on my bed.

"No, I can stand." I swung my legs over to the left side, as to not kick the nurse. I then stood upright.

"Well, the way I see it, you're fine, but the top doctors still say we should look at your brain." Redheart said, watching me stretch.

'I'm perfectly fine, thank you!'

More or less. hehehe.

"Which way to the ward?" I asked the nurse.

"Well, the doctors requested that you arrive in the wheelchair, as to decrease the likeliness of further injury. Just in case." Redheart said, pushing the wheelchair closer. I decided to listen to her and sat in the wheelchair, which was more designed for ponies to lie down in. I was being rolled through the hospital, almost like I was being shown off. Why was she doing this? I saw about four other ways we could have gone, but she seems to be taking the longest route.

'Maybe she's a part of a secret underground cult that wants you dead!'

Yeah, because THAT'S totally likely.

I was finally pushed through the IMT doors.

"Ah, Mr. RK! I was hoping you wouldn't be coming back so soon! Not that I don't enjoy your company, but..." Dr. Red Cross welcomed me into the room. He was wearing a face mask, like the ones you wear during surgery or to keep out harmful diseases. He was accompanied by three other unicorns, all were rather gray or dark colored, and all were wearing face masks. "Please, lie down on the table and take deep breaths." I did as I was told, breathing in and out on the cold operating table. "Now, you're going to feel a tingling sensation as we conduct a quick scan of your body, just to make sure that everything is still in order." I felt a light tingleing as the doctors horns guided over me. "Mhm... All's well so far. We're just going to scan your brain now, just to make sure that everything is fine." Red Cross informed me. As he began his scan, I felt... powerful. Not stronger, but that a kind of adrenaline was coursing along with my blood. "There you go! You've passed the scans! Now, go collect your things and have a nice day." I thanked the doctors as I left. I only walked a little ways to my room before I heard hoof-beats (hoof falls?) coming towards me in the hall.

"RK!" Twilight shouted. "RK! You need to come with me, like, NOW!" I began to panic.

"WHAT, WHY!? WHATS GOING ON!?" I shouted.

"The Sisters, Cadence, Celestia, Luna, follow me!" Twilight shouted, not going into context in her ranting. I decided not to question it and simply follow. I sprinted after her, running to the tree. I followed her around behind the tree to see a golden chariot that was piloted by two stallions wearing gold armor with a weird kind of Ying and Yang symbol on their chests. "Hurry RK! There isn't much time, they've demanded to see you now!" Twilight beckoned me. I ran into the chariot and closed the door. "Okay, I hope you're a fan of flying." Twilight said, lying down on the seat. I looked up, my eyes wide.

"...I hate flying..." I said under my voice. Suddenly, the chariot began to rock and ascend, carrying us up to the air. It took everything I had not to scream.

"Okay, RK. Now, you are about to meet the Two Sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They are the rulers of this land. Celestia is a little over a thousand years old, so she may know much about your kind. When the note was written, it sounded very official, so don't expect to really get to know them." Twilight said in a hurried voice. I couldn't say anything, my lips sealed to keep from freaking out.

'What? Royalty? Oh my, we are not ready! We didn't even get on our Sunday clothes!'

Dude, we are suspended about a thousand feet off the ground and you're freaking out about the clothes we are wearing?

I clenched my fists, gripping the seat with so much force that I almost ripped out the upholstery seat.

"RK, you really don't like flying, do you?" Twilight said, looking at the fear in my face with a comical smile. I slowly shook my head. "Well, don't worry.we're almost there." My heart beat even faster. OH NO! Celestia probably knows that my kind is a horrible race that crushes, kills, and destroys! I was terrified, would she view me the same way? We quickly landed on a kind of strip that led to the castle. And it was one HELL of a castle! It seemed to defy gravity in some spots, as a man with no architectural experience can tell that some of these spots were in serious need of a support beam. I was awe-struck for a few moments, as a large part of the buildings were made of solid gold, but I was quickly snapped out of my simple-minded surprise and followed Twilight into the castle. As I entered, I was immediately feeling uncomfortable, as around a small, round table were three alicorns, like Twilight, but as tall as me! No other pony could go past my waist, but these ponies were a good four feet tall!

"So... Is this RK?" The white alicorn asked with a kind of seething distaste in her voice. The dark blue one looked at me with a mix of uncertainty and wonder, while the pink one simply stared at me with wonder.

"Yes, Princess Celestia. This is RK." Twilight pointed to me. I bowed in respect of the royalty.

"We have heard many good things about you. Good things indeed." Celestia said with the distaste in me still obvious. "Now, why should we keep you here?" She leaned in. I was uncertain as to what she was talking about."Why should we not send you back? To Earth?" My heart began to sink into an abyss. Oh my...

'WHAT?! WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT!? THAT IS A STUPID QUESTION! THATS LIKE ASKING OH, WHY DO WE EXIST?'

You like it here?

'Well, the soul that inhabits this mortal coil really likes it here, so... yeah.'

You mean he likes the blue pony?

'Sure.'

I pondered for a while. A purpose? A point to existing here? I couldn't really think of one.

"Because I like it here? This world seems to have very serious problems, but... I love it here. The sun shines brightly, the days it rains are the days that the rain is warm and happy, and the ponies that live here have shown me so much kindness. More than most people I know on Earth would show to their loved ones." I said with honesty.

"Would you benefit the land?" Celestia asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"How do you know anybody will? I will try my best to help." I said with honesty. Celestia pondered this.

"I think he should stay." The dark blue pony shouted, raising her hoof.

"I second that." The pink one said, raising her hoof as well.

"Well Celestia, what do you think? Should he stay?" Twilight asked the great alicorn. I stood straight and stared at the tall pony with hope. This land was... magnificent and I didn't want to live anywhere else.

"... You must pass a test. A test of honor. Of courage. Of Good or Evil." I was confused. A written test? A course? Celestia wrapped me in her pink glow, making me feel uncertain. Whats going-. I was ripped out of my body, well, to the best that I could describe. I felt free of my physical boundaries, that I could do anything. I looked back and actually saw... myself, floating in the glow.

"RK..." Celestia- I think- called for me. I began floating about, then finally found the ethereal version of her. "You must pass three tests. Each truly proving your worth. The first will be a test of sacrifice. You must choose..." Dash floated next to her- or an ethereal version. "The one you love- wait... You love the element of loyalty?" Celestia asked with a questioning tone. I nodded. She simply nodded. Then, a clone of me floated on the other side of Celestia. "Or yourself."

"Dash." I didn't even think.

"... You don't even want to know what will happen to the one you didn't pick?"

"No. Dash. I want Dash to be safe." I said, my heart beating so fast for her safety and my love for her that it felt to be on fire.

"Okay, two minutes of excruciating pain it is." Celestia said, disappearing. Wait, what? I immediately felt an intense burning pain all over my body. I felt like I was dying. "AAARRRGGGGHHH!!!!! OH MY GOOOODDD!!!!!! WHYYY!!!???" Every single nerve cried out in horrifying pain. I was on FIRE. I was left in a dark void, burning (Or, at least ,feeling like I was.) Two minutes later, I was finally relived from my Hell. I collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. "You have passed the first test. This next question is to test your courage in the face of your greatest fear." I was scared, but I had to be brave. To prove I was going to go the extra mile. I was then, suddenly, plunged into absolute pitch black darkness. I was in a stone hallway, according to the acoustics and sound of my footsteps. Great, darkness and cramped spaces. Beautiful.

"... RK?..." I heard... but it couldn't be. Not here... Dashes voice. Or could it be Katies?

"I'm coming! Just keep talking, okay? Its okay, just keep talking." I shouted as I felt the walls.

"... Where are you?" The voice called.

"Coming, okay? I'm coming... Keep calm." I began to feel the most horrifying feeling I could. Was she hurt? I then heard a creeping sound, like a... I saw a giant spider crawl on the ceiling. I stared at it, fear strangling me.

"Please hurry..." The voice called. I sprinted down the hall, then heard the spider hiss and follow.

"OKAY!! I AM COMING! JUST KEEP TALKING, OKAY!?" I shouted. I ran as fast as I could.

"RK... I'm inside the spider." I turned around, seeing the big, hairy, red eyed, fanged, absolutely HORRIFYING spider. It took a step towards me. My heart felt like it was about to explode, but I stood tall. The spider was inches from me. It hissed at me, touching my face with its hairy fangs, making my skin crawl. I then struck the spider. It simply stood there, uncertain what to do. I then fought the spider. I was bit once or twice, but I was ethereal, my rage unable to fully be used. But, after a struggle, I finally punched it so hard in the eye, that blood began to spurt out. I finally finished the spider, smashing in its exoskeleton head and conquering the beast.

"Well done." Celestia came down, opening up the ethereal plane of existence that she used to test me. "You showed courage when it had to be shown." Celestia told me the obvious. "Now for the final test. One that you must complete in a set time." I was so tired of these tests. "Good, or Evil? You must answer with honesty." I stared at her, detecting thousands of ways that this test would go wrong.

"Good." I stood tall with saying the last words, hammering home the idea that I was good.

"Good. You passed the test when you sacrificed yourself, but I wanted to be sure. Here, you were supposed to choose between money or the safety of the one you love, but you have passed." Celestia said with a smile. I was just so happy and angry and joyous that I didn't even care. I was then physical, my body was so nice and enclosed and not in horrifying pain. I was placed gently back on the ground.

"So... Welcome, RK, to Equestria." Celestia greeted me. I smiled like an idiot and fell over, so exhausted and pleased that I fell asleep. I was an official member of this wonderful place. I somehow felt like this was truly the beginning of a grand adventure.