Geralt from Equestria

So yeah, the travel through the magical land of Equestria, where ponies are the dominant species and the most powerful magic is friendship and love. You ask how I knew that I was thrown into Equestria? It's really simple. You see when I was still on Earth I was the only child from lonely hard working mother so you can imagine that I had a lot of free time to spend and a lack of resources to use it efficiently. (To say it in other words, I was bored as fuck.) So as such kid that I was, I had fell in love with fantasy and after that I began to get in contact with a wide range of different medias, which in turn led to not long after my meeting with "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic". (I just had finished watching second movie so my knowledge about this world was still fresh and after my travel to the actual place, it just remained in my head.)

Oh but you want to know why I hadn't done a shit about my new situation? After all I had told you myself that I wasn't willing to go anywhere, so how could I be so calm about that then? You see, at first it was just the fact that because of going through the whole process of mutation at once, (as I think about it, it seems to me that the merchant made me go through it out of pure malice.) I was in so much pain that I couldn't even think about how much it hurt, let alone about what had happened, before I had met with the blissful grasp of unconscious.

Later thought I just hadn't felt any need to freak out. No really, I was almost entirely stripped from any feelings. Believe me when I had first time awoken in that cave I was mentally readying myself for an attack of panic, but it had never came, (after talk with Jaskier I was even trying to force myself into any form of emotion that would even slightly resembled that of going crazy, really I was. My best effort had paid with an small shudder when I had imagined seeing some old man under the shower, brr.)

You may wonder how is something like that even possible, but you must understand that the mutation that every witcher had to go through isn't something that can be taken lightly. You see before creation of the first witcher was considered a success, there had to be after all the failure, or rather many failures, (I'm sure that you know that nothing in the world comes without a prize and even if sometimes it was supposed to be too high for anyone to pay, there were always people that were willing to take the risk, or more likely sacrifice others to gain what they wanted,) until finally after many experiments and hideous abominations, (that for a long time were posing a threat for peoples that they were supposed to protect,) thanks to connecting together powerful magic, most advanced science, technology and secrets of mysterious alchemy, there were created special system that was called "The Trials".

The witcher trials are primarily a series of three grueling stages in the witcher training process. First comes The Choice, (It consisted mainly of a voluntary decision to follow the special witcher diet which consists of mushrooms, mosses and herbs and grueling physical training. Many did not survive the trial, succumbing to liver or heart failure and sometimes madness, many with being left with excessively aggressive tendencies.) Young witchers were also taught sword skill, monster lore and herbalism. Next are The Changes and the main trials that are as follows:

The Trial of the Grasses. Which involved consuming various alchemical ingredients, or "the grasses" and affected the nervous system, it also involved mutation of the eyes, bone marrow and hormones, allowed for better night vision, among other benefits. It also resulted in infertility. The trial was performed in the witchers' laboratory at Kaer Morhen. Process of the whole mutation would normally be taking about a week and trust me, it wasn't pleasant. (I know I had felt the whole nurture on a witcher during mere minutes! The fact that I had survived is a fucking miracle.)

The Trial of the Dreams. Only boys who were unlikely to undergo total mutation were administered this test. It was primarily intended to verify whether the candidate remembered anything from the prior of "the grasses".

The Trial of the Mountains. As well as dreams were used only if there wasn't certainty to the full mutation. Young witchers were left on the desert for thirty days without water or food only the ones that were fully transformed were able to survive the trial.

Due to his remarkable resilience to the "normal" trials, Geralt was also subjected to additional, even more experimental trials, hence his superior abilities and also his white hair. (What was also the reason for even more pain for me, yay.)

All the trials would survive only about one from all twenty candidates. After them they would be re-taught all the information that they had forgotten during trials and would gone through even more grueling physical training, that was the final stage of the nurture. Trials connected with training were also responsible for almost complete lack of emotions.

And this is the reason why I couldn't fall into grasp of any emotion for a very long time, or why I couldn't really call myself by my old name. (I later had discovered that the name that I had chosen to use as my new one suited me better than I could had ever imagine, as during my bath in the nearby lake, it occurred that my form hadn't just went through the mutation into a witcher. No it went full transformation into that one of Geralt of Rivia. The only difference were our different histories. When I had realized that, I had almost shivered. Almost.)

But the effects of the finished process was incredible.

Witchers were stronger than the strongest human, faster and more agile than most of the monsters, they were able to move in a way that wasn't making any noises, they were able to see almost any imperfection from far afar and even in almost total darkness (with use of a special potion even in absolute one) and they were also very long-lived (through the whole life of an normal human you wouldn't be able to see a change.)

But as I said they were only almost perfect, because as it happens they also had defects. At the beginning of their existence it quickly came to light that mutation deprives the witcher of possibility to cast even the simplest of spells that even normal human was capable of. For this there quickly was found an remedy in form of magical amulets, that were the gateway to let magic from the inside of witchers to the outside and with proper time and training let them use higher and higher deposits of energy. (It is also known that when magic from the outside get into contact with one that is getting out of the medallions they are reacting in the form of vibration.)

But going back to the story. You see the most important informations that I was able to get out of my traveling companion (besides of course confirmation about being in Equestria,) were: A) our destination and B) information about recent events.

Why in this order and not vice versa? Because at that time I didn't know that I will be going to the nearby, recently established, located on an island, village of Manehattan. You see originally I had came out with the wrong assumption that if I had came to Equestria that would mean a time during, after, or little before the history showed in the series. I wasn't expecting that big of a difference in time frame, just after I had came with the land of Equestria right.

So yeah Manehattan was just a village build about six years ago, in honor of two alicorn sisters, after their famous victory against the very same lord of chaos who's statue is currently standing next to mine. Other cities that were existing during that time were small port city Baltimare on east, (also the closest town to Manehattan), western town of Las Pegasus (on west), recently restored Cloudsdale in center, capitol of Hoovington with castle of two sisters also close to center, slowly growing city of Crystal Empire ruled by freshly crowned King in the north, (yes it is Sombra, shut up! I never liked episodes in the Empire so I have forgotten about him) and finally in the far south there was one city that I wasn't expecting to hear about ever again. Bloody Blaviken! Don't ask how, why or what 'cause I still have trouble to understand it myself, after all in the place of this forsaken city was supposed to be legendary badlands and not the only city that Geralt of Rivia shouldn't ever visit.

What else you should know is that about two years ago died the greatest wizard known to pony-kind, Star Swirl the Bearded was gone and with him dangers of meeting Tirek or three sirens were gone as well, (or rather I was sure that they were not my problem. Now as I am stuck in this stone, I'm not convinced anymore.)

So yeah that would be about all history that I had luck to get to know, as it looks that anything before the Discord (and isn't the info about creation of Equestria) was lost to time and chaos. What do you want, my history tutor was bloody changeling, the fact that she had knew even this about Equestrias history was considered quite much for her species.

So after the lecture we finally began to move forward. And as it happens in such stories, not much time had passed before everything went straight to hell. You see as everyone probably know that, eventually Discord isn't a bad person, he's just an old prankster who's jokes never have been lethal. The only problem was that after he wasn't there anymore, then not every one of his creations wanted to stay that way.

You knew every single monster that isn't Windigo was actually made by him? Yeah I haven't then either, so when in front of us showed a lonely manticore, I would normally be frightened like shit. (Only because of the reasons that I had explained to you earlier, I wasn't.) I'm sure that Jaskier was because when only she had noticed it, she had quickly hid behind the closest tree. I haven't stopped her, after all if someones first reaction to danger is fright rather than fight then they are better out of the conflict.

I had time only to take out my steel sword, before it had made quick jump toward me with a sudden and equally fast attack of it's right paw. I admit that I wasn't exactly expecting from it anything beyond what I had saw in the second episode of the show, so to tell that I had been surprised would be an understatement of the millennium. So don't judge me too severely when I tell you that my reaction was dull, slow, completely instinctual and no so completely successful, as when I had been jumping to the side one of beast's claws had landed a lucky hit cutting me across the cheek.

The actual wound was only skin deep but the stinging pain from the cut that was there, (even if comparing to the shit that I just went through, it was like small bite from a mosquito,) was actually unnerving enough to make me feel something much closer to an actual fear, that I would had liked at that moment. Besides I hadn't even had any time for any reflections on myself, 'cause in a fraction of a second the manticore had realized that it first attack wasn't as deadly as it assumed it would, it apparently decided that maybe attack of the other paw would be more successful, what it immediately performed.

That time I was fully aware of the speed at with the punch was coming, but even then my pirouette to the other side proved to be again too slow providing me a matching cut on my other cheek, (at that moment I looked as if I had fucking feline whiskers. Irony that I was fighting against one hasn't escaped me, thank you very much.)

Of course this parody of a lion wasn't discouraged from another missed attack, on the contrary it looked quite enraged that the supposed easy prey were causing it problems, angry enough to actually went and use it's ultimate weapon against this annoying weakling that dared to oppose it.

It was during the time when the monster was preparing for an finishing move, when I realized that if the manticore even scrape with it's tale then even with witchers natural resistance to any kind of poison or sickness it may give the beast advantage big enough to actually finish the fight in it's favor. I couldn't let that to happen, but how? (Attack of this tail is fast enough to actually hit Rainbow freaking Dash who, when want, is faster that fucking sound. There was no way for me to avoid it with my current speed.) The though about the possibility of incoming doom made me actually nervous enough that I couldn't think straight. I had to somehow calm myself and think about way out.

And as if on a cue it was that moment, that I had chosen to use my empty hand to grab amulet of a wolf that was peacefully hanging around my neck. It dawned on me that I knew an old witcher way of calming nerves. The sign of Igni. I had quickly placed my fingers into the sign and not even a moment had passed before I felt as part of my nervousness had left me, together with some of my strength.

Please note that it was only a very small part, but in the end it was sufficient, because when I had calmed myself this little bit I had remembered what had been taught to Ciri in the stronghold of Kaer Morhen. What was it you ask? Only the simple truth that if your enemy is stronger than you, you must use his strength against him.

And the time of realization couldn't had been any more appropriate, as it looked that the manticore had finished its preparations and was ready to strike at any moment now. It began to circle around me slowly, with each step getting closer and closer and its tail at the ready. I had answered it by getting into circling motion myself and improving grip on the hilt of my sword as to to secure maximum efficiency during my next and possibly last stun during that fight.

How it had chosen the right moment to attack? I don't know, it could be instinct, it could be the bird that had picked that moment to flew over our heads, or it could be something entirely different what was known only to manticore itself. The only thing that I actually can be sure of is that when the deadly sting was coming toward me with the speed of an bullet, I was well focused and ready.

The tail was exactly an inch from piercing me right through the chest when I decided to try my trick, I had made most daring pirouette in my live, using my own momentum, the flat side of my sword to push myself away from the attacking limb at the same time utilizing energy of the attack to escape even faster.

My work had proven to be mostly successful, but I had underestimated the power with which I had again met with the ground and was stumbling a little while trying to retrieve my balance. a second more and I would be beheaded at that moment as the manticore had made another attempt to slash me with its right claw. Fortunately it had ended only with shortening few of my hairs that were sticking out too much.

After that our battle shifted into something that in form had been more resembling some kind of murderous dance rather than actual duel. The brute would continue the output of attacks, while I would continue to carefully avoid every one of them. First it would go right hook of the beast and I would jump to my left, next would be left one, I would jump to my right and finally the tail straight forward on what I would answer with save and bounce to the side. Sometimes the manticore would try an feint but at that point i was too much focused to fall into it's trap. (One time it even tried to bite, but a single right hook to the jaw was enough to stop another attempt.) And with every next attack I would be getting better and better, to the point when I almost began to enjoy the fight. (It was as if I was in the first game all the skills were there hidden inside of my body, I had only to retrieve them.) Unfortunately I had also began to feel the effects of incoming fatigue and looking at the manticore it was in much better shape than me. If I would be stalling this fight for much longer, without a doubt I would finally die and that wasn't going to happen.

As such there was no other option as to actually go and try to kill the beast, before I won't be able to fight anymore. (What, like I should had tamed it? As if, I'm not a fucking Flutershy for god sake, at that time I couldn't had subdued little puppy, let alone hungry and angry beast.) And the killing is exactly what I had decided to do.

So when the manticore had decided to again attack me with a wide coup of it's right claw, (much too wide as I think about it today,) I had made simple feint to the left just under it's arm and at the same time cutting through the armpit, and with an continued momentum, finished by cutting attack toward very base of it's tail. (I'm sure, that I don't have to tell you that it had been severed from the body with an clear cut.)

I was about to continue our dance fully aware of the fact that without it's tail and with wounded leg it wasn't going to pose much threat anymore, but too many times I had heard about how the wounded animal is the most dangerous one to lower my guard just yet. But before I had completely readied myself for another attack, this brute was already bleeding itself to death. (You see under armpit there is an very big artery that when cut can kill an adult during mere seconds and you can't forged that I had also cut out the tail, very important part of manticores biology, that to proper use it requires to be well vascularized. And why am I explaining this to you? Because I know that this end may seem very disappointing for you, even if you won't admit it openly. Hell I was almost disappointed because of it myself, so much hard work and for what? But you just have to understand that to kill someone, or something you don't need any literal bust of the guts, sometimes you just need to have the misfortune of getting a cut with a paper on your finger, or something even less spectacular than that, to actually drop dead.)

Here's how that adventure had ended. It was actually first real fight in my life and as it later occurred it was also the easy one at the same time. 'Cause when compared to just other manticores, this one had proved to be one of the weakest and dumber, beside it was only one rather than it had happened many times later, in a group made of three to four animals. But it was actually enough for Jaskier to never doubt into my abilities. (That at that time were actually one big shit compared to the ones from the time just before my imprisonment.)

Our journey from that point had proved to be a peaceful one, so nothing was stopping us from some small talks during the way, (don't ask about what exactly this talk was, 'cause it was just a normal bullshit that people talk about during their travels and I was unable to remind from it anything after only few minutes of silence, that was actually lasting much longer than any kind of a talk.) And that way we had eventually reached our first target. The village of Manehattan.

During that time the city wasn't even close to the metropolis from the show (it was more in the taste of Ponyville rather than actual Manehattan,) but the look of it was still quite pleasant for eyes, the buildings were neatly arranged according to their purposes, yet it all contained in itself some kind of a charm that made the whole place looking aesthetically enough.

But we hadn't came there for the sightseeing, only to work our asses out, so the further object of things to do on our list was getting into the closest inn. When that was checked it was finally time for Jaskier to make her first performance in the town to get so much needed love from her audience and for me to do exactly the one thing that I was supposed to be paid for, protect her. (Yes protection. Don't even ask how many times I had to punch some drunken dolt into mouth because he thought that it was a great idea to go and make kinky propositions toward Jaskier while she was in the middle of a show.)

And what a show it was. When I had heard the melody of the song that she was about to sing for the first time I couldn't believe my ears. Why you ask? Because no matter how many times she had later explained what were the actual words of this specific song, it wouldn't have change that when she was performing it, I would be only able to hear her voice that was singing this song. (The same would be true for her every other song, no matter what would she sang, I would had heard something from my home.)

After the exhibition was finished it was time for a little relaxation at the bar, (that was the moment that I had met with a real disappointment, namely their beverage. It had tasted like a bad apple juice, was as much strong and as I asked the bartender was also the strongest thing that I would met while between ponies. How the hell were they even able to get drunk with this shit was high beyound me. It would probably had broke me then if not for my emotionless state, after all I had great need in alcohol when making my potions and making it myself was going to be time-consuming.) Later we would call it night and go to sleep inside of the rented room in the tavern. (It was also then that I had discovered that I rather than sleeping I am going into state of some kind conscious meditation and it occurs only then if I had first prepared my hourglass beforehand. It's really help to remain alive in the wild, as despite feeling of an accelerated passage of time, I am still able to react adequately to the situation.)

The next day we would eat some breakfast, go explore the town and after return, we would get back to work.

This process would continue for next few days before she decided that it was time for our departure to the next city.

And so we did. For the next ten years we would travel from town to town looking for love, fame and bits.

During the way we were sometimes encountering various obstacles, (monsters of many forms, bunches of thugs and sometimes just a wrong twist on the road,) but even then we had enough time to get to know each other better, to the point that I was honestly considered her as my friend, enough to tell her whole truth about myself.

While in the town Jaskier would give from one to ten performances during the stay and then we would go to another place, the townsfolk would be actually quite nice, even if they were spending most of the time to stare at me with a reluctance or even fear, it wasn't that discouraging as I would had worry.

Rumor would have fly fast and it wasn't long before I would be known between ponies as an exceptional bodyguard 'Geralt of Rivia' in the service of someone equally incredible. Poet and musician 'Buttercup' also known as 'Jaskier'. And it would probably stay that way for a little longer if not for the fact that after this ten years of the routine traveling together, we had finally visited the only place that I should had never agree to do.

Where you would ask? The closest thing that I can thing about would be hell. Why you ask? Because my dear companion had told herself that she can't be recognized between people as great poet if she wouldn't perform in every town that exist and with that reason on tongue she had spend five years trying to persuade me into coming to that cursed place. She was quite persistent about that and after many insinuations that I just had a paranoia I had finally agreed to go.

Yes that's right. We had came to the fucking Blaviken.