My Little Hero

Chapter Ten

I awoke laying in a bed. For a moment, I couldn't remember what had happened. I pushed myself up and fell out of the bed, planting my face in the floor. This jolted me up as I looked around, remembering what had happened. I looked down at myself, seeing I was still a pony. Was it a dream that I had? I could have sworn I had turned into a human again. I looked at myself and saw my pony body, complete with wings, green mane and tail, and a golden Triforce cutie mark.

I stared at it, realizing that it wasn't a dream. Then what happened after I passed out? I looked around and realized that I was at Applejack's home...only I wasn't in Applebloom's room where I had first stayed in. This room was some other pony's room. I quickly realized that it was Applejack's room. The question was, where was Applejack?

I couldn't find my coat, nor a pile of metal jewelry. Even my bag was gone. I went to the window and saw it was day out, the next day I guessed. I started to leave and find out what had happened when the door opened and I saw Applejack walk in. "Ya awake," she said.

"Ya," I confirmed. "What happened?"

"I was hopin' ya tell me. And the others."

I nodded. "Where are they?"

"At Twilight's place waitin' for ya to wake up and come with me." I nodded as I walked forward, but she didn't move. I looked at her and saw anger in her eyes.

I sighed. "I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to scare or hurt you. Or any of your friends. I guess my inner demons came out. I tried to keep that thing under control, but it had other plans."

"Ya changed. Ya became somethin' that was terrifyin'. And then...yer turned into somethin' else."

"Human," I said. "But I don't know why I became human during that moment or why I'm not human now."

"Maybe Twilight has figured somethin' out." She stared at me and I could tell that she wasn't sure if she should trust me or not. I looked down as she turned to lead me out. I followed her in silent.

I stepped into Twilight's place, expecting it to be a mess. But it looked like nothing had happened. The room that the fight took place in looked like it did before the fight broke out. The other ponies were sitting in their seats when we entered. They all got up and stood in front of me, Applejack joined them.

It remained quiet for a long time. I looked at each of them. I could see the conflict within Dash and Applejack. They weren't sure if they could trust me or not. Pinkie seemed to be happy and excited. I was sure that she was fine with me. Fluttershy was hard to read. She just stared at me. She didn't look away like before, but she didn't look me right in the eyes. Twilight looked at me more in a curious look, as if she was trying to figure out something about me without me saying anything. It was then that I noticed Discord draped over a statue that looked like Chaogent off to one side. I noticed the coin sitting on the floor in front of it. Spike, the dragon was laying in his chair, asleep. In a corner near me was my stuff gathered in a pile.

After a while, I spoke. "What happened after that last attack?" I asked.

"Well, Chaogent turned into a stone statue and that coin fell to the ground," Twilight said. "We didn't dare touch it. Then you passed out. Applejack insisted on taking you back to her place."

"What happened to me?" I asked.

"Well, you saved Applejack," piped up Pinkie. "Then you turned into this weird grey skeleton. Chaogent wanted you, or at least the other you, to join him. Which you did, or the other you did. But you fought back and saved Applejack again from this exploding ceiling. Then you turned all glowie and started to walk on two legs and picked up a glowie sword. And your cutie mark changed. And then you used our powers to turn Chaogent to stone. Then you passed out and you weren't glowie anymore and then you were a pony again." She squeaked as she gave me a grin, proud of herself.

"What she said," Dash said. "What was that skeleton thing you turned into?"

"Something from my world," I said. "It's called a Danarian. It's an evil being that inhabits that coin. There are supposedly thirty of them in total, each unique and each just as dangerous. They inhabit the mind of whoever touches the coin, tempting them to take up the coin and it's full power. I had done so some time ago and I thought I had control over it. But it appeared that I didn't."

"That explains why my brother changed like he did," Discord commented. "He must have taken up the offer the moment he touched the coin. I guess you ponies are lucky you didn't touch the coin instead."

"But you did have power over it," Fluttershy said to me. "You showed it when Applejack was indanger."

"I wouldn't let her get hurt again because of me," I said with a growl. "She took me in and gave me a bed and friendship when I first showed up here. And I betrayed that when I attacked Pinkie Pie over my own stupid beliefs. I wasn't going to let that happen again."

They looked at each other. "We were all your friend," Rarity said.

"Ya, we all wanted to help you," Dash said. "Even Twilight who hadn't even met you until the party." My vision became blurry at that and I looked away.

"Besides, you helped Pinkie after you hurt her and helped us when Chaogent attacked," Twilight said.

"Speaking of," I said, looking at Discord. "What was all that about?"

"My brother was like me," he said, appearing next to me. "Always wanting power and chaos. But he was away when I was first brought down by the princesses. I never heard from him after I was released. And he didn't come to help me when I was turned to stone either. Personally, I think he should stay that way for a while."

"Let's just let Princess Celestia decide on what to do with him," Twilight said to Discord. She looked at me again. "Now the question is, what to do with you?"

"Aww, you girls still upset with him?" Pinkie said. She came over to me and put a hoof around me. "He helped us out."

I looked at Applejack. "I took ya in," she said, walking forward. I flinched. "I gave ya food and a bed to sleep." I looked down. "I introduced ya to my friends and try to help ya get home. Ya repaid me by attackin' my friends." I looked up at her as she stopped right in front of me and looked me in my eyes. "And ya saved all of us. I don't know rather I should hit ya, or hug ya. But I did look into yer soul and I saw the good in ya." She moved close and wrapped her hooves around me, hugging me.

I was surprised that she hugged me, but I gave a soft smile, lifting up and wrapping my hooves around her, hugging her also. Pinkie cheered and hugged us both. The three of us laughed a bit. Dash laughed and zoomed over, hugging us. "I guess you're not that bad," she said. "That skeleton thing did look kind of cool."

"I for one thought it looked dreadful," Rarity said, walking over. "But that other form you took. That, human was it? That looked spectacular." I gave her a grin as she join the group hug.

"You did save us when we were in trouble," Fluttershy said as she fluttered over and hugged us.

Twilight walked over to us and hugged us. "We would be happy to help you," she said. "As long as you can accept help from a princess."

I smiled softly. "I guess I can over look it this one time," I said. They laughed again.

After we finally finished our group hug, we all sat down. I started to explain to them what I was and where I was from. I then told them how I got there and how the rift collapsed around me. I explained how my magic worked differently here and that I couldn't feel the rift anymore, so I needed a new way to get home.

When I was done, they all looked at Twilight. "Well, we do know of this happening before, but it wouldn't take you back to your world. It's similar, but not the same," she said.

"I rather not go through this all over again," I said. I looked up at Discord, who had implanted himself into the chandelier. "Discord could do it." They all looked up him.

"I told you already that even I have my limits," he said.

"Doesn't mean you can't do it," I said. "You're what we call in my world an Outsider."

That got his attention. He gave a smile as he spoke again. "I could, but no one asked me. Just some pony came up to me and demanded me to send him back." His reaction confirmed to me that he was indeed an Outsider.

"Discord," Fluttershy said.

He groaned. "Well, it's true. He just yelled at me and told me to send him back. You know I don't respond well to being bossed around."

I cut off Fluttershy before she said something again. "Discord," I said. "Will you please help me out?"

"Wouldn't that mean trouble for you and the White Counsel?" he asked, appearing next to me.

"I'll worry about them when I get there."

He looked at me and then at Fluttershy. "Oh, alright," he said. "But it'll have to be right away. I wasn't lying about my limits. My powers are limited in your world. And if I don't do it at the right moment, I won't be able to do it for a while."

I nodded and looked at the others. "I guess this is goodbye then," I said. I got up, my metal melted and lifted my bag and coat, bringing them to me. I slipped my coat on, followed by my bag. The metal then retrieved the coin, wrapping it up within a golf ball sized metal ball before dropping it into a pocket. Then the rest of the metal wrapped around me, forming into my jewelry again. I looked at them.

We tried to keep our goodbyes short. I gave them each a hug, though I might have hugged A.J. longer. Even though they weren't crying, I knew she was on the inside. I could see it in her eyes.

I walked over to Discord and nodded once I was ready to go. He gave me a nod and snapped his talons. And then I was gone...