Steel Thy Hooves!

All he saw was darkness. Miles upon miles, his vision was flooded with nothing but shadows. The cerulean-armored knight tried to gather his bearings, but something odd kept him from standing normally. 'What in the world...where am I? What is this place?'

"The space between spaces, foolish knight."

The knight directed his gaze toward the sound of the voice, which despite lingering in a black abyss, clearly came from his left. What he saw was a face he never expected to see again. "You again! How many times must I put you away, vile sorceress?!"

The Enchantress chuckled darkly. "Ah, but you did not even 'put me away' the first time, Shovel Knight. You failed...and now my magic will take us somewhere new...a new world to conquer, and I am bringing my knights with me! I and my order shall take this world by storm, lay waste to its populace and rule for all eternity!"

"Not if I stop you first!" Shovel Knight struggled to stand, but he was still immobilized. "What have you done to me, witch? Release me at once!"

"I've done nothing, knight. Your body is merely adjusting to its new form. Farewell, Shovel Knight. We will meet again...but you won't last half as long as you did the first time." The Enchantress cackled as she faded into the shadows. Shovel Knight continued to strain and fight, but nothing budged, until finally, he felt something other than the cold darkness...

He was falling.

It was a perfectly normal morning in Equestria...and because of that, Twilight was worried beyond belief. Over the past few months, at least some minor form of disaster had forced the Princess of Friendship out of her bed and springing to action, but today was a completely ordinary day. She strode down the stairs cautiously, looking left and right any chance she had. She hurriedly bolted to the kitchen, checking every drawer immediately before sitting down in a nearby chair and sighing as she slumped down into it.

"Morning, Twilight!"

Twilight jumped, and she was now practically clinging to the chandelier. "Uh...I take it you're not having such a good morning?" She glanced down to the drakeling who had just entered the kitchen as he immediately began making coffee.

"That's the problem, Spike!" Twilight hovered down to the floor. "I'm having a perfectly normal morning! Ponyville plus normal isn't exactly normal!" As Spike finished the coffee and began to pour himself and Twilight a cup, the princess herself began pacing back and forth. "I mean, if Discord isn't turning SOMETHING upside down, there's usually some kind of creature from the Everfree Forest attacking, and if it's not that, some new pony's come to town to challenge me or my friends to SOME kind of game or test. And if it's not THAT-"

"Twi, you really need to relax." Spike held the drink out to her. "Have some coffee, wake yourself up. Trust me, you're a lot less...kooky after you've had your morning coffee."

Twilight grabbed the mug in her magic. "I can't relax! A perfect day like this only spells great disaster and-" Twilight suddenly took a sip of the coffee, stared down the mug for a second and took another sip, sighing contently. "Ahh...perfect coffee as always, Spike..."

"You're lucky we both like it black. All I gotta do is toss some powdered emeralds in for my personal style." Spike wrapped his arm around Twilight's back. "It's not often we get such a nice day like this. Instead of anticipating the end of the world, let's just enjoy it for what it's worth. Sound like a plan?"

Twilight seemed to be attempting to speak, but she sighed in defeat. "You're absolutely right, Spike. I can't just jump on my Doomsday Clock bandwagon every single time something isn't going wrong in my life. In fact, and I may regret this later..." Twilight brought forth one of her scrolls containing her daily list and crumpled it up. Spike audibly gasped and grinned. "No lists today! I'm just going to go on a nice, casual walk through Ponyville, say hi to a few friends and-"

Suddenly, a rainbow streak crossed her vision and landed in front of her. Rainbow Dash, out of breath, took a deep inhale and exclaimed, "TWILIGHT COME QUICK SOMETHING CRASHED ON AJ'S FARM!"

Twilight's eye twitched before she brought her list back before her and slowly started to unfold it. Rainbow blinked twice and looked at Spike. "Uh, she gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, she'll be fine..." Spike walked back over to the coffee maker. "She's just gonna need more coffee."

It was an ordinary day at Sweet Apple Acres. At least, it had been until a wild blue meteor crash-landed in front of one of the orchard's tallest trees. All but Granny Smith had come out to inspect the crater, and Applejack immediately forced her other siblings to head back inside. The apple farmer crept as close as she felt comfortable to the strange object, which had shown no reactions upon landing. All it seemed to be was a cluster of blue metal, almost like armor. "Ah sure hope Twi gets here soon...Ah ain't touchin' this thing, but no way in Tartarus is it stayin' on mah farm."

"Applejack, Rainbow came to get me, is everything al-...whoa." Twilight screeched to a half as she got her first glimpse of the impact crater. "What the...what is this?"

"Ah don't know, and ah rightly don't care. All Ah know is it's on mah property, and Ah can't get ta work without worryin' if it's dangerous or not." Suddenly, a clanking sound came from down within the crater, and all three mares jumped back a few feet. "Whoa, nelly! Ah...ah think it moved, Twilight!"

"T-that's...ridiculous, Applejack, it couldn't possibly have-" The alien metal clanked again, but this time, the trio did in fact see it move. As it rose up, a groaning sound was heard and the blue steel took the shape of an Earth Pony stallion.

Rainbow stared, jaw dropped. "It's...it's a pony...but how could a pony have survived a crash like that?"

"I'd put my bits on that armor. Looks to be high-quality mithril, probably enchanted."

"Ah'll put it on the feller bein' an Earth Pony. At least it looks like one from here."

The stallion soon began climbing out of the crater. Rainbow crouched down, assuming a position to strike if necessary. Applejack seemed to do the same, but Twilight merely stood back and watched. As the mystery pony left the crater completely, it became clear that he was not wearing a helmet to match his armor. His golden mane, light blue fur and hazel eyes were clearly visible. He groaned again as he placed a hoof to his forehead. "Agh, my head...what in all the kingdoms did she mean 'another wo-'..." The armored stallion glanced up at the trio of mares before him, quickly realizing two things. First: He was definitely standing up straight, and these horses were the same size as he was. Second: These horses were not the same size as he was, as he had now become one himself. He stared agape at the hoof now attached to his body. He looked himself over several times before he could truly affirm what had happened...and he then immediately proceeded to pass out.

Shovel Knight awoke before a campfire. He sat down casually at it, staring up at the stars. He recognized this as his usual dream. He knew any moment now, his beloved Shield Knight would come falling from above, and he would catch her as always. But something was different this time. There were no monsters, no trees, and all of a sudden, no campfire. He glanced up and Shield Knight, clad in her crimson red armor, began to fall. He moved to jump up to catch her, but something kept his body from leaving its current spot. As he watched her fall, he could only focus on the pained expression on her face. He saw her lips make out two words.

'Shovel...Knight...'

"Shield Knight, I...I can't reach you! I can't move! I'm trying, but I can't move!"

'Shovel Knight...'

"Please, gods above, let me move! Let me save her! PLEASE!"

'Shovel Knight!'

*CRASH*

"SHIELD KNIGHT!"

The knight suddenly shot up in a panic. He looked around at his current whereabouts and found himself now in an unknown bed. His strange new body, covered in fur, was soaked in sweat. He sat up in the bed as best he could in this unusual form. As he was adjusting himself, one of the mares he had seen earlier, the one with the blonde hair, entered the room. "You all right up here, partner? Ah could hear ya tossin' an' turnin' from all the way downstairs."

He eyed the mare curiously. He still wasn't sure what to make of the situation, but he found himself sheltered by this horse. By his honor, he would have to make it up to her. He immediately stood up from the bed and knelt before her. "I apologize for making you worry, ma'am. As a knight, I am bound by my code to aid you who cared for me in a world quite foreign to me."

Applejack flushed and waved him off with a hoof. "Aw, shucks, y'all don't gotta do nothin'. It's what any good-natured pony would do."

"And you...'ponies' are common here?"

Applejack's confusion toward the question was obvious. "Whadda ya mean 'you ponies'? You're a pony too, feller."

He looked down again, recalling his change of appearance. "Ah, yes, of course...the form I've taken in this world...I still do not know-" He glanced down again, realizing something was missing. "My armor...where is my armor?! A knight is nothing without his armor!"

Applejack placed a hoof on his shoulder, which got him to stop, or at least prolong for a moment, his panicking. "Calm down, sugarcube. Yer fancy getup is right behind ya."

He turned toward the window in the room to see his armor set down on a storage chest close by. Sitting before them was a matching shovel. He sighed in relief. 'Nary a scratch...luckily the spells held. I would be lost without my magic. But...' He glanced down at his hooves again. 'I don't have my relics. The Spectral Orb, the Ichor Goblets...all of that was left behind. And the Enchantress is somewhere in this world...I cannot fight her without those. But until she shows herself...' He walked over and looked out the window. Though it should have been expected based on the vague images he recalled from the first time he'd woken up in this world, this mare who took him in lived on a farm. 'Perhaps living my old peaceful life for a while wouldn't be so bad.'

"Uh...you all right there, pal?"

"Hm?" He turned back to his host. "Oh, yes, of course. Apologies. I was merely reminiscing. Back home, when I set my armor and adventuring aside, I, too, was a farmer."

"Ah figured that much from yer cutie mark."

He blinked. "My...my what now?"

"Yer...cutie mark? That thing on yer flank?"

He glanced back to his posterior to see his blue shovel crossed over a red diamond emblazoned upon it. "I...I am not familiar with the traditions of your race. What...what exactly does this strange insignia mean?"

"What does it...yer jokin', right?" He shook his head. Applejack's eyes remained wide. "Yeah, ah'm gonna take ya to Twilight. Maybe one'a her fancy spells'll be able to figure out where ya came from."

Shovel Knight grinned. "Ah, a local sorceress! Very well! Lead the way, Miss, uh..."

"Applejack."

"Excellent! Lead on, Miss Jacqueline of Apple!"

Applejack stopped in her tracks. "...Ah'm gonna have ta ask ya ta never call me that again."

The cerulean stallion coughed nervously as he followed her out. "Understood, Miss Applejack."

The library in Twilight's palace was extensive. With directions, it took Shovel Knight nearly fifteen minutes to find his way to the princess' location. Twilight had prepared for his arrival, setting up her various note-taking devices. And of course, as a true scientist, she asked a series of precursor questions that the knight could not wrap his head around. Half of them were as simple as name and occupation, while some made absolutely no sense. Of course, he was not going to question a magical talking pony, let alone a princess to boot.

"And you said you were...what now?"

"Um...Human, Your Highness."

"Okay, just because Applejack told you I'm a princess doesn't mean you need to keep up the royal terminology."

"B-but I must! As a knight, I must honor nobility, and as it stands, you are as such, Your Highness!"

Twilight sighed. "One more 'your highness' out of you, and I'll stop trying to figure out how you got here." Shovel Knight suddenly froze up and remained completely still and silent for the next minute. Twilight sighed again. "I didn't mean you had to stop speaking."

"Apologies, Your Hi-I mean...Miss Twilight."

Twilight smiled brightly. "Good! Now hold still while I focus my spell." The knight nodded and stood still once again. Twilight channeled a beam of energy from her horn and it began to wrap around Shovel Knight. To her left was an ink pen and scroll on which she began to write down observation notes. To her right was a white board which began filling with formulas and variables, all while she continued her spell on the cerulean stallion. "Hmm...this is very odd. Your form change seems to have been brought about by a powerful enchantment, but I can't recognize its magic."

"A dark spellcaster from my land simply known as the Enchantress sent me here, and she claimed to have been targeting this world herself. If she was successful, she and her lackeys would be hiding somewhere in your land under a simular guise to which she cast me into."

Twilight listened, but continued her 'research mode' with increasing fervor. She finally completed her notes and ended the channeling, leaving a slight tingling sensation across Shovel Knight's body for a few seconds. "All right, that should do it."

"And...what, pray tell, might 'it' be, Miss Twilight?"

"I'm going to try and make something that could get you back home. And not only would it send you back, it would force that Enchantress and her peons back to your world as well."

Shovel Knight smiled, but it seemed half-hearted. "But if she is merely sent back, she may attempt to return."

"Not if I can craft the relic in such a way that it prevents a two-way rift gate. Teleportation spells are easy for me, but making one with such power behind it, and then making it a one-way ticket, is going to take some time. In the meanwhile, Applejack told me she'd offer you a temporary job on her farm if you wanted to take it. It might be more than a month before I can finish the spell, let alone the relic itself."

Shovel Knight tapped his chin with a hoof. "I...suppose. I do still owe her, and you, for that matter, for healing me and taking me in."

"Oh, it's nothing, It's just-"

"'What any good natured pony would do', correct?" Twilight nodded. "Miss Applejack said the same thing. Is such kindness truly so common in this land?"

Twilight thought for a moment, then waved a hoof side to side. "A bit...mostly in Ponyville and other rural towns like it. In big cities like Canterlot, you're far less likely to find a friendly face. I mean, it's not like everypony there is in it for themselves, but you get what I mean, right?"

Shovel Knight nodded. "There are many of my world like that as well. Some might have even considered me as such, being a 'simple treasure hunter.' I may seek jewels and glory, but as a mere pastime. I protect those who cannot do so for themselves...the weak and innocent who have no choice in the matter whether or not they are as such. Villagers, civilians, men and women and their children who want nothing more than to live a peaceful life." He seemed to be off in his own little world for a split second before he awkwardly cleared his throat. "My apologies, Miss Twilight...sometimes my own memories get the better of me."

"It's all right. I think I understand that feeling fairly well myself." She shook her head. "But enough of our nostalgia for the time being. I'm sure we have plenty of stories to tell, but Applejack will want to know you're sticking around to help for a while."

He nodded, heading towards one of the massive bookshelves before stopping. "Um...pray tell, how might I exit your palace?"

Twilight couldn't help but giggle at the knight's predicament. "I could just teleport you to the foyer, if you want."

He nodded. "That would be most appreciated."

In an instant, Shovel Knight found himself standing back before the large palace doors leading back out to Ponyville. He pushed one open and stepped forth, a sense of sudden confidence filling his mind. "Perhaps...this will not be so difficult. Miss Twilight seems to have the situation under control. I may not even need to worry about the Enchantress' threat upon this land." He walked slowly onward, glancing to his left foreleg where Twilight had placed a sheath of sorts for his shovel. "And perhaps I can figure out how to use my beloved shovel in this quadrupedal form."

"He is unaware of us, milady."

The Enchantress and her knights met in a dark place hidden away from the surface and any ponies who might stumble across it. Far underground, in the twisting caverns of Celestia and Luna's old palace, rested a chamber unseen by all but the Order of No Quarter and their glorious mistress. "Of course he is," spoke the shadow of the Enchantress. "He could not sense us before, nor will he this time."

"Mistress, I grow weary of this infernal waiting!" A gold-armored unicorn slammed his front hooves to the ground. "Was I not born to rule? Did you not say-"

"Be silent, you golden goon!" A rather large snow shovel bopped the golden knight upon his head. Standing behind him was an exceptionally large snow buffalo with a horned helmet. "The Enchantress has plans for us all...be patient, or I shall follow through on my orders and put you down."

The unicorn swallowed hard and went dead silent. The buffalo nodded. "The floor returns to you, milady."

"Thank you, Polar Knight." The eyes visible through the dark veil darted to the unicorn. "As for you, King Knight, I do indeed have my plan for you. I will grant you a special, one-use spell that will put down the Alicorn princesses in the kingdom called Canterlot. This magic should cancel theirs as long as I reside in the realm. Without their precious princesses, these pathetic ponies should fall rather quickly."

"And what of the the impudent Shovel Knight, my dark lady?" inquired a light green Pegasus with a golden mane decorated with a rose. "What if he does not come to face his demise before the other princess can send us back?"

"Fret not, Propeller Knight." A flourish of energy surged as a spotlight sprung forth in the center of the group, revealing an imprisoned female knight in red armor and a shield lying just outside the cage.

"He will come."