Chapter 3 Sisters

“Uggg. I have got to stop waking up like this. It hurts far too much,” mumbling under my breath, I started to stir from yet another forced sleep. “Hold up…” I mumble as I go rigid for a moment. Slowly moving my face over what felt like a soft pillow. “A-am I… can I-” shifting around, I could feel something soft under me, a bed, and sheets over me. My heart started to race as thoughts flooded into my head. “I am!” I almost shouted as my eyes shot open. I sat upright in the bed to toss the covers off. “Thank the stars I’m back home! It was all a dream!” throwing my hooves into the air with so much joy I could hardly care about the hole in my flank.

Looking around was much more of a shock as reality set in that I was not, in fact, home but in a pale white room.

“Hold on, hooves?” looking up my arms… legs to, what used to be small hands, were hard hooves of the equestrian kind. “No.” I whispered softly as a pain shot through my flank. “Oh no, please, no.” I whispered again as I looked down and slowly ran a hoof over the mass of bandages on my hind end. Shortly after, I heard the clack of hooves on the floor and my ears snapped up as I slowly followed the source of the sound with my eyes. My heart quivered as it felt like someone was ripping it out of my chest while my eyes locked onto the rulers of the land and a student. “I’m still in Equestria.”

Aside from now sucking at my own guessing game, this was a big hit. It felt as if I was home just a moment ago, the bed was just like mine at home. Instead I was now looking at a sad-looking Twilight, who was probably just concerned after what happened. Celestia merely looked concerned, as if I were simply just another one of her subjects. I was not one so I couldn’t see what her deal was. Or if this was just some ploy. Luna was… blushing a bit?

It was difficult to tell with a fur-covered face but she seemed surprised I could see that much. With a sigh I started to slowly run a hoof over my face. I leaned back into the bed taking in the view around and past my visitors. “Lots of white. Am I in the hospital or something?” running my right hoof over the bandages again only brought a sting to my nerves.

I could hear the unicorn clear her throat to respond. “Yes, you are. You were hurt pretty badly during the transformation spell somehow and you began bleeding out. We rushed you here to the hospital in Canterlot.”

Putting both hooves over my face, I sighed “Gunpowder and magic don’t mix, I guess.” I told her, which she responded by tilting her head.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” she asked.

Removing my hooves from my face I looked at her with a slight bit of surprise as I responded “You don’t know what gunpowder is? Do you have guns here?” all three looked at one another then shook their heads.

“We do not have such things, nor do we know about these… guns.” Luna responded quietly.

“Well… I don’t think I want to change that, then. The less you know about it, the better this land, this world, will be without it. All you need to know is that the two will not mix without exploding, it seems. So, don’t mess with my gun.” Even with desert-sand tan fur, my face still went pale as I recalled what I had done with said shotgun. Pupils shrinking to the size of needle heads I slowly look to Celestia. It only took her a moment to realize what I was thinking and her stoic face was scaring me more and more. “Umm…e-he he…” I weakly chuckle. “Okay, umm… in my defense, you changed me without trying to ask.”

“We could not understand a single thing you were saying. We wanted to know.” The elder sister retorted as her look slowly but surely shifted to a glare.

“So you risked my life with a spell that could have failed like the two before?” Twilight and Luna looked away with a slight huff. Leaning forward the solar princess narrowed her eyes.

“How else could we find out how you appear to know so much about this land? Or why you came here?” Pressing back into the bed in an attempt to get away was pointless, but I just wanted some space. My head was reeling.

How do I tell them I watched a show about them? The vast information held up in my mind, the mind of a human? No! I can’t tell them, I’m not going to play into that kind of power grab or hold that over them. “I can’t tell you that. It is for the best that I keep what I know to myself until I think any of you can handle it. And I never meant to hit you with that shot.” Looking away I continued. “I was in a blind rage and I had to vent in that manner so I just made sure to aim super high. I know that is no way to explain doing something so dangerous anywhere near you.” Looking back to the ruler of the sun with a sudden glare. “But hear me Sun-Butt, I will hold true to my word. That and I did not come here of my own accord. The gate pulled me here by force. I did not willingly jump in. Now, if you would kindly change me back, I will not be mad for this whole thing.” I muttered only to see her lean back with some surprise.

“Ex- excuse me? What did you just call me?” she takes a step forward, barely a bit of anger on her face, it was still mostly stoic. “Is that a threat?” she holds up a hoof clad in a shining gold hoof cover and two guards look in from the doorway. My ears lay back and a shiver clearly runs through my being. “I see.” The princes whispers and lowers her hoof, the guards retreat. “To be honest, we cannot change you back. First, this is the only way we have to talk with you. Second, what do we change you back into? Nopony has ever seen anything like you in this land. So, if your kind does not exist here, how can we transform you into something we know nothing about?” And with that she had a point.

How do you turn somepony into something you know nothing about? Now fidgeting in the bed, I was starting to get nervous with three such important figures around me. Even if one of them didn’t know that yet.

Looking at me as I fidgeted, Celestia let a smile slip onto her muzzle. “Very well.” she commented as she glanced over to Twilight.

“What?” I voice as I look back to the three. I knew that tone in her voice; she was planning something. But with her age and knowledge, she gave no clue as to what it was she was thinking. One hell of a poker, face I tell ya.

“So…” looking back to my flank, then back to the three ponies. “When can I leave? I’m not too keen on staying here any longer than I have to.” I ask the princesses only to hear another pony respond.

“When you treat the princesses with more respect, for a start!” Blinking, I quickly looked over to the voice entering the room. In cantered a white coated mare with a pink mane and a red cross with small hearts around it for a cutie mark.

“Nurse Redheart? I could have sworn you worked down in Ponyville. What are you doing in Canterlot?” Tilting my head, I could see the surprise in her eyes. Slowly curling my lips, I realize how I may end up scaring some folks with small info slips like that. I’m going to need to stop doing that.

“Well,” she starts back up, “if you must know, I just finished a class for the nursing school when I was suddenly needed to tend to some stallion who, I was told, had blown up his leg somehow.” She eyed me as I lifted up my hooves defensively and sighed.

“Okay, okay, I get it.” But I was not going to like this. For lack of a better way of putting it, I was pissed as all hell at Celestia. But I needed to get my KSG back and to be in good graces with them or this was going to be one hell of a bumpy ride. After a moment I realized I could lie my way through this. Just enough to make it look ok, and it should work. Looking back to the two princesses, I sighed again as I sat up a bit more and bowed as best as I could in the hospital bed. “Forgive my rudeness, your highnesses, for I am new to this land and its ways. I beg for your understanding for how I have reacted. May we start anew?” That should be about right to make it look funny and over the top right? But in my head, I reminded myself that this was not the end of the matter of changing me. Looking up I could see Celestia holding back a laugh and Luna bowing a bit out of old habits. Okay, that works. I thought to myself, biting back a smile. Now, let’s not make a habit of this. Twilight was smiling and waving her hoof. “Too much… umm. What is your name?”

Name? Oh boy, how do I pull this off? No way am I going to give a human name here in this land. That is a dead giveaway I’m not from here. Not good for fitting in if I want to pass for one of the many. All four ponies looked at me, waiting for a response. With a heavy sigh, I waved one hoof dismissively. “I’m not going to tell you my true name for the same point that keeps me from explaining a lot about what I know.”

Looking at one another a bit annoyed, Twilight looks to me. “So, then, what do we call you?”

“Well…” shifting over in the bed and looking down at the unbandaged side of my flank, I suddenly realized that I had no cutie mark. “What?! I have no mark? Gods, I’m a blank-flank on top of everything else! Might as well call me Blank Space.” I whine.

“Well then, Blank Space, you are free to leave.” Redheart chimed in. “Your wound is mostly superficial, some muscle damage, but it will heal fast. It will, however, undoubtedly leave a scar.”

“A scar I can deal with. What I fear more is that I have to pay a bill or something. I don’t have a bit to my name, so, I have no clue how to pay for this kinda thing.” But with a green light, I start to move my way off the bed without falling off due to my changed limbs.

“That will not be a problem.” Celestia steps forward as I finally slip off the bed and land right on my flank. Despite my careful efforts, I had still slipped on my hooves. “Considering we are the ones who put you here in the hospital, we will pay for this expense.” After gritting my teeth from pain and finally getting to my hooves I slowly turn to the princess of the sun and slowly bow.

“Thank you for your generosity, your highness. H-how can I ever repay this kindness?”

“Tell us what you know.” Luna snaps with a faint grin.

“Anything but that! You must understand that I will not use this information in a bad way. But by the same token, if you knew all that I do…” lifting my head, I glanced to Twilight, then looked to the princesses sternly. “If I did, who knows how it would bend the future and affect the life… sorry, lives of those involved.”

A visible shiver runs down Twilight’s back. Solar and lunar princesses looked to one another then back to me. “Let us get out of here first, shall we?” Celestia queries.

“About time! I was scared I would be here all day.” The white nurse comments as she sat next to a wheelchair that had been retrieved and was waiting patiently near the doorway.

As the doors slid apart to make way for the small party leaving, I could see it was dusk outside. I sighed at the seemingly-universal rule that I had to be wheeled out of the hospital, looks like some things are the same from dimension to dimension. After pulling myself out of the seat I stretched my new limbs. Two guards rushed to flank me and I saw the princesses walked up next to me as Twilight led the way. Slowly at first, my pace was shaky but thankfully I was quick to learn. Odd, this would lead to be one of the many things that would unsettle me as time went on. “How did I pick up walking so fast?” I ended up muttering to myself as one of the guards gave me a strange look.

With the guards between me and the princesses, I finally looked skyward and asked: “May I ask you something, Twilight?” looking back the unicorn smiles and nods.

“Sure!” eyes falling back to the mare I tap my horn.

“Okay, you’re a unicorn so I hope you will know why but my horn seems to feel like it is being tugged somewhere, like a string on the tip pulling it. You got any clue why?”

Turning to face me she blinks “It does?” Walking up to me she fixates on my horn and the sisters look on. “May I try something, Blank?”

I’m going to have to change my name if this keeps up. I’m hating it already. “I don’t see why not at this point.”

She nods. “Alright. Where does it feel like it’s pulling you to?”

“Hmm…” I hummed, looking around. I nod as I point with my horn. “Towards the castle.”

“Oh? That’s strange,” she blushes a bit as she pushes my horn with one hoof away from the castle, then back to it, then to the side. “Well, normally it shows where something you value is close to you after a location spell is used. But what is at the castle?”

“Well… I’m going to guess it’s my shotgun. That’s the only thing I have from my world.” My ears lay back as I turn away from the castle. “But seeing as to what I did and how others may want to study it. I fear I may never see it again.” A short pop was heard and a moment later, my horn was tugging in a different direction. It was much stronger of a pull, too, like it was closer. Following the tug, I turned around to see Celestia holding the KSG in her magic along with two guards between me and her. With a stunned look on my face and a gentle smile on the Sun Princess, she waved the gun from left to right.

The pull on my horn was physically pulling my head as if to follow the firearm. “Will you tell us your secrets, Blank?” the elder ruler asked as she rose and lowered the gun, making me nod in following it.

“No, Princess, I will not.” After a light giggle, Luna bumped her sister and shook her head a bit. “I don’t mean to sound desperate, but will you give that back? Not only is it mine to start with, but it is full of gunpowder. And with all that magic holding it, I would rather not have you hurt if it detonates and I get blamed for it. That and the safety is off.” Looking back to me, Celestia seemed to think about her response.

“You did attempt to harm me with this… club-thing.” The two guards pointed their spears at me. Just holding till the word was given to move. “You will get this back when you leave Canterlot and are under supervision that trusts you with it.” Celestia decreed.

“When I leave? Supervised? Sounds like I’m on probation! Where am I going to go that is away from here yet you keep an eye on me?” I could not believe it! The one thing I had in this realm to remind me of home and Sun-Butt, here, was holding me by the tail for it.

“Oh not me…” My ears stand up as I look her broodingly. “My pupil will do just fine in my stead keeping an eye on you. She may think of it as a test to see what she has learned from her studies and her friends.”

“You think the magic of friendship will help me?” I deadpan, and the princesses looked a bit annoyed as I slowly looked to Twilight. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t question the power of friendship. There’s just nothing to fix on me but my form and to send me home. The Elements can’t do that, to my knowledge.” After a moment of surprise, the purple mare shook her head clear.

“How do you know about my studies and my friends?” she inquired.

“I just do. Get used to it, Sister.” I quip.

“Maybe the princess sees something else in you that needs to be fixed?” Twilight proposes with an annoyed look. I glanced from the unicorn to the solar and then lunar sister.

She nods a bit and I roll my eyes as I shut them to rub my face with one hoof. “Ok, ok, I’ll bite. So you want me to hang around Ponyville with Twilight and let her try and, fix me like some project as it were? If so, then I know that will not work. The power of friendship will not change me back or send me home. Hardly think it would know how to deal with a being from another realm. Or do you think something else deeper is wrong with me?” I restate as I roll my eyes sarcastically. I was hoping she would say otherwise.

“You catch on fast, Blank. And in case you have not realized, you are of this land now.” The taller princess commented. With a flash, my shotgun disappears as Celestia’s magic teleports it away. “Oh, and find a better name, will you? I hardly think ‘Blank Space’ is a fitting name for you. Now, hurry and catch the last train before it leaves, for now you are not allowed in Canterlot until I feel I can trust you around this city.” With that, the princesses bid us good night and took to the air, back to the castle, leaving me with Twilight. Celestia took that better than I would have thought considering I could have possibly killed her.

Slowly looking back to Twilight as the last bits of light left the sky, I sighed and hung my head a bit low. “Please, tell me you three did not plan this out… did you?” With a bit of a sly grin, Twilight nodded.

“Where else would you sleep?” she responded as she turned and walked to the train station.

“Pffft, was just going to sleep under the stars.” I followed her as she walked.

After boarding the train, Twilight and I found seats and sat down for the long ride back to Ponyville. This was not at all hard as the last train out of Canterlot was fairly empty. So much so that the car we were in was empty! Other cars barely had one or two other ponies. I thought this was kind of a waste of a train, but this was a different world so maybe it was normal. Making myself comfortable on the seats, I simply looked out the window to watch the moon start to rise and the stars appear. So strange to see it all happen in the span of a minute as the princesses controlled it all. But just as stunning none the less, if you ask me.

Out of nowhere, I could hear my travel companion sigh. Looking over at her without moving my head, I could see she wanted to ask me something but stopped. With a deep breath of my own, I looked back out the window as I talked. “Okay, Twi, whatever it is, you can ask me. Aside from how I know this land, despite the fact I am new here. I can deal with just about anything else. Though, I want to warn you about the responses I will give may not be to your liking…” The mare blinked a bit and taped her chin as she thought.

“You don’t want to be my friend do you? Is it because you know the princess is trying to force you to be?” she asks.

“What made you think that?” I wonder.

“How you spoke about the magic of friendship sending you home,” she points out.

“Oh, I see. Well, I hope I can convey this correctly.” Shifting a bit to face the mare, I sit up properly as I continue my response. “As you know, I have a strange knowledge of this land. Seeing as it is you, Twi, I will ask that you not tell your friends or the sisters anything I’m about to say. I’m kind of taking a risk here, okay?” staring back to the now-intrigued unicorn to see her nod. “Pinkie promise?” A moment later, the mare goes through the motions and the rhyme. “Okay, perfect. Next, I need to know what time it is around here. Have you gone to the Gala?”

Surprised I knew this, she nodded. “Yes, I have. It wa-“

I cut her off “-was horrible, I know. But it was okay when ya got to Pony Joes for doughnuts with the princess and you’re friends, right?” Stunned she nods as her mouth hangs open. “Okay, have you run into Zecora?” Another stunned nod from the future princess. “Okay, what about the mishap with Celestia and her phoenix?” Yet another nod of confirmation. “Well, then… do you know who Discord is?”

The pony looks at me while tilting her head. “I don’t know who that is… should I?”

My eyes shrink and I quickly look away, I was hoping the “Mane Six” would be past that! “Nothing much to worry about. When you hear that name next: just stay calm and remember who your friends are.” Rubbing my face, I kept looking out the window at the night covered land zipping past.

“Are you sure?” she prods further. “Seems to me it is something I should know about.”

I looked back to her with a bit of a blank look. “Twilight, my knowledge of this land is not unlimited. It has constraints and it is, in fact, limited. I don’t know all of what will happen. But I know of key points that are based around you and your friends.” I turned back to look out the window so I wouldn’t have to acknowledge the unicorn’s questioning looks and to dodge her last spoken one. Rubbing my wound, I kept talking. “I would love to be friends with you and the others close to you, it would be an honor! But I just can’t do that. I can’t be a good friend to you until my information has run out. It is-”

She butt in, “How does what you know affect being a good friend to me and my friends? If you want to be friends why hold it back?” she tilted her head, a bit confused at the idea.

Letting my head rest on the window sill, I decided to ask Twilight a question. “Tell me… if you knew the fates of your friends, you would jump to help them, right?” Watching her from my periphery, I could see the confused unicorn nodding. “Okay, well, what if the problems your friends were facing would help build them into better friends and, overall, better ponies? To face bigger things and rise above them.” Now turning fully to face her, she seemed more confused and could not respond. “That is what I face. Imagine you knew a friend was having a terrible time with something. But you could not help. I mean, if you did, it would be easy for them. But now your friend will not grow from it, nothing will be learned. After a time, they’ll all turn to you to save them from everything. They become completely dependent on you.” Twilight glanced away as a look of sadness slipped onto her face. She understood what I was saying.

“But that’s not all, Twilight. After saving your friends over and over, you reach the end of your foreknowledge. You have expended all of your information and another event happens, worse than before. What then?” slowly Twilight’s face showed a look of dread and she suddenly looked at me, frightened.

“What happens to my friends, Blank? Will they be okay?!” The mare blurted out.

“Hold on, there! Calm down.” I waved my hooves to try and keep her calm. For the time being, I’ve managed to compartmentalize everything happening so I haven’t collapsed into a complete mental breakdown. Thank the gods for small favors and coping mechanisms. “I’ve already said too much, okay? Just… just don’t worry. I know that is hard. And I want to help! I truly do!” I heaved a long-suffering sigh. “But I can’t. I will do what I can and I will help if it is needed. But for the major events, I will not be around. Can you see now why I can’t be a good friend? What kind of friend will just disappear when you need them?”

Man this is hard. I wanted to tell her it would be all right, but would that give her a false sense of safety? I could see she was starting to panic and overthink things, too. Mumbling about how to stop the unforeseen or something like that. “Twilight!” I shouted and her incoherent rambling stopped as she looked back to me with watery eyes. “Okay, okay. Pay attention. If you truly feel in danger just find me or something. I will let you know as best I can if it will be okay or not. Just please stop freaking out, okay?”

Showing her Cadence’s ‘breathing trick’ early shouldn’t hurt, I hope. It did help out tremendously; she finally calmed down. “Better?” I asked as I rested a hoof on her back.

“Yes. Thank you, Blank.” Getting back to my seat, I nodded. “So, if what you say is true, then we can never be friends?” Her voice was soft and sad.

“I don’t see why this bothers you. Pinkie I could understand, but not you. You barely know me and yet you want to be friends with the likes of me?” I point to myself with my hooves. “I assaulted the Sun Princess. I want to tote around the only thing I have from home, which happens to be something made to harm others. I don’t think I’m good for ya. Hell, I can be kind of a brute… but that’s just what I see.” I shrugged uncomfortably and looked back out the window, up to the moon.

Twilight started to talk as if she had rehearsed. “Even if we can’t see it right away, everypony has something to offer. After first seeing you I thought you had something that could help not just me, but others in Ponyville.”

Looking back to the unicorn, I lifted a brow showing skepticism. “Is that so? Well, I don’t think I have anything, but okay. I can keep playing along. I would feel better if I had my shotgun with me, though. To be perfectly honest, I’m a little worried about leaving it out of my sight. I just don’t want others getting hurt trying to mess with something they know nothing about.”

“What is that thing, anyway? The, uh, shot-gun you called it?” the mare asked.

“It’s a weapon, like a sword or axe. But it is more like a bow and arrow. Instead of arrows made of wood and feathers, it fires little balls of lead so fast that you can’t see them. No armor in this world could stop them… but magic may stand a chance.” I shrug a bit as I continue “I’m not sure, but I don’t intend to find out.”

Laying her ears back, Twilight looks at me scared again. “That sounds like you could harm lots of ponies with it. Why have it? Equestria is a land of harmony, what good would it do here if all of what you say is true?”

“Still have creatures like Timber-wolves, right? But you misunderstand, Twilight.” I waved my hooves a bit dismissively. “I’m not here to rule or kill any pony. That’s just wrong. I would rather intend to protect others but, like a bow and arrow, it only has a few shots left. Seeing as no one around here makes shotgun shells, I would rather use what little I have left to protect. After that, I don’t know. With no shots it’s pointless, like a bow with no arrow.”

The clacking of the wheels on the steel rails penetrated through the car and filled the slight silence. “You can’t just make more?” she inquired.

“Not that I know of. Brass and lead are in this world but I don’t think plastic is. I know what to use to make gunpowder, but now how much of each. Messing that up could be just as bad as mixing it with magic. That and I have no clue about the primer at all. So, no, I can’t make more. What I have is what is left in that gun.”

Realizing this made me shiver a bit. The only thing that could have given me anything to do is limited. I huffed a bit as I looked back out the window to the calming night. There goes being a guard or hero with a strange weapon.

When I finished speaking, Twilight got up and smiled slightly. “Please, excuse me. I will be right back.” Trotting off down the train car, she opened the door and moved to the next car, leaving me alone.

I kind of liked it. Alone to listen to the sounds of the train and think about my next moves. All while looking out the window. I could just spot Ponyville over the horizon and chuckled at the thought that I was going to spend a night at the Golden Oaks library. Probably any Brony’s dream and here I am, one of them, yet I’m gonna try and avoid it AND the “Mane Six” as much as I can. “Gods, this will suck.” I muttered as Twilight returned.

“Sorry?”

Still looking out the window, I just shook my head. “If things were different, I would be so happy right now.” Rubbing my still bandaged gash on my flank, it throbbed to remind me that none of this was a dream. It was real and not going to end any time soon.

Taking her seat across from me and giving me a concerned look, she smiled a little. “Things will get better. You’ll see.”

Eyeing her, I shook my head as I responded. “Time will tell, yes, but I don’t see it getting any easier for me.” As long as she and her friends turn out the same by the end of my foreknowledge, it will be worth it. I just needed to remember that, for their benefit and the land. And as far as I could tell, I was not gonna be too much a part of it.

More unsettling silence was exchanged as we both sat there, me begrudgingly wanting to keep my distance, and her probably not knowing what to say. Soon after the chat, we made it to the Ponyville Station. My chaperone, Twilight, was already on the platform as I stood at the threshold of the train’s car door. Just staring at the gap, I was a bit worried about stepping onto the platform. And for completely different points than anyone would think.

I knew full well one pony in this town that may make all I plan to do so much harder to accomplish. Stay away from the “mane six” and try to not interrupt their time lines. Looking back up at Twilight, I see that she stared back at me with a strange look of both wonder and confusion.

“Blank?” she stepped forward. “Are you all right? You need to get off the train before it takes you to the next stop.”

Pointing a hoof at the platform I shake my head “If I get off this train I have no doubts that one particular sense of the pink variety will detect me as a newcomer and I’m not sure I can deal with that this late in the night!”

“Are… are you scared of Pinkie Pie?” she held a hoof to her muzzle to stifle a chuckle.

“Hell no! I’m not scared of Pinkie… more of what she will try to do this late at night. She’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but the absolute last thing I need is for my first impression to be loud and wake up the whole town.”

Shaking her head, Twilight waved one hoof, beckoning me off the train. “She’s asleep and if she wakes up, I think I can get her to be quiet.”

“You sure about that, Twilight?” Lifting a brow, I tried to point out that: this is Pinkie we are talking about.

“Let’s find out how good her sense is. This is a perfect opportunity to test something I can never figure out.”

“I know that, Twilight, but I’m not up for an experiment right now,” I responded. With that said, her horn still lit up as a determined smile tugged the corners of her muzzle. “What are you casting, Sparkle?” I demanded as I took a step back. I didn’t move. Shortly after, I could feel myself lifting into the air by the unicorn’s magic. Not struggling, knowing that would do nothing, I glared at the mare as she floated me out over the platform, three feet from the wood floor. “Don’t do this! If I hear so much as a giggle out of that pink mare, I will bolt out of this town so fast it will not be funny!”

Watching me struggle a bit, Twilight tilted her head. “Then how will you get the gift I got for you at the library?” And I stopped moving.

I open my mouth to say something, or to shoot a comment back at her, but my curiosity ate at me. Having something to finally look forward to was far too tempting to merely brush off. Looking off to the side, I just sighed and grit my teeth. “Fine.” This pony is much smarter than I thought. I needed to remember that.

With that, the levitation stopped and Twilight nodded. “Good!” That was too cheery of a response, if you ask me. I landed with echoing clips as all my hooves hit wood at once. I brace myself to run or to be tackled, looking around quickly and straining my ears for any hints of a giggle or running hooves.

After a moment of me acting like a hummingbird on crack, Twilight shakes her head. “Nothing is happening. Happy now, Blank?”

Moving slowly, I stood more at ease and shook my head. “I will tell ya when we get to the library and I figure out what this gift of yours is.” With a huff, she turned and started walking to her home. I simply trotted next to her, still looking around to dodge any party-cannon fire.

Suddenly, I felt bad for Luna. Ponyville looked calm and peaceful in the dark under the moon’s light. At the same time, I can see why others could find this boring. I made a note that I should do this more often, taking walks at night.

After I sort out that pink mare I can wander the streets during the night without fear. As Twilight and I walked through the rustic town, I could see some homes still had a single light on. And I could catch glimpses of others just having them turned off. Stopping for a moment, I looked at a house in the distance with lots of colored lights and a faint thumping, pulsing through the ground. “Hmmm… Vinyl Scratch?”

Looking over her shoulder, I could almost hear her eyes roll in her skull. “Eeyup.” Was all the unicorn muttered.

With a shrug I turned to follow her as the cool night air slowly flowed through my coat. It was one sensation that I was not at all mad about from the change. Rounding a corner, something made my ears twitch. Suddenly shifting my stance to that of a bracing one to take a tackle, my ears swiveled to locate the sound.

Looking back, Twilight looks around to try and find what I was trying to locate. A moment later, I spun my head to look behind me, only to see another pony round the corner of one of the homes. With a blank look, the stallion nodded at the two of us as he passed. “Good evening.” He spoke in a slightly wispy tone as Twilight reciprocated the greeting.

“To you, as well, sir.” Then, turning to me, she shook her head and waved a hoof to follow. “Come on, scaredy- pony, others walk around at night, just like us.”

Slowly relaxing and turning to follow the mare, I simply rub the back of my head. “It’ll be better to deal with things after I get some much needed sleep… that is not brought about by a blow to the head or blood loss.” Spotting the large tree ahead, Twilight looks back over her shoulder.

“What? The day of unconsciousness wasn’t enough?” She asks as my eyes go wide.

“An entire day?! What?” I almost shout and she places a hoof over her mouth. “Sshhhh! You want to wake up Pinkie?”

Covering my mouth, my ears flattened back. “Okay, okay.” I whisper through my hooves. “Let’s just get to the library, this has been one heck of a day ok?”

With a nod, the mare continued on and I simply followed, rubbing my head as I swore a slight headache was manifesting. So many things I wanted to ask about what was going on. I had a few for either one of the princesses, as well. But that had to be held off for another day. Like when I was allowed back into Canterlot to talk to one of the sisters, of course. Too many things were happening all at once and it was starting to make me physically sick.

The night’s cool air was doing wonders. At least, once I stopped being paranoid about Pinkie Pie in the dark. Finally making it to the library, Twilight just looked back with a slight smile and opened the door with her magic. “I can make this quick so you can get some sleep. The gift should be on the table in the center of the room.”

I nodded as I walked past the purple mare and looked around the library. Funny how you think you know how some place will look through a show… but it just never adds up to the real thing in real life. A small smile makes its way onto my face as I take in the smell of a library built inside a living tree. It was fantastic and almost overwhelming, the somewhat sharp smell of the pages of the books, with the strong smooth scent of the oak tree.

Walking forward slowly, I wasn’t really looking ahead as I was attempting to work off memory. It was just so I could look around the small but grand room of the library. Gently bumping into the table, I quickly turned to see the large wooden bust wobble back and forth. Stepping back a bit in surprise, it slowly stopped its rocking and righted. With a sigh of relief, I looked down at the tabletop and was shocked to see what my ‘gift’ actually was.

“My KSG! Twilight, are you serious?! You got Celestia to hand it over, already?!” In a flash the bullpup shotgun was in my hooves, embraced like an old friend. “Oh, man, Sparkle, thank you so much! I so owe ya for this! So much so!” Letting the gun down a bit, I realized what I had just shouted and lowered my head as I followed up that previous statement. “Yes, Twilight, I’ll even answer your questions.” Slowly, I look back to see a wide smile on her face as she clapped her hooves together. “But heed my warning, as well, Miss Sparkle. The answers you seek may be a bit more than you bargain for and you must not tell any of the princesses. Do you understand?”

She suddenly stops and looks at me with her big eyes, tilting her head. Smile slowly fading I could tell her mind was spinning trying to decide if she should ask or not. “What is that?” She asked instead and I was a bit shocked.

Blinking, I looked to what she was pointing to and, sure enough, it was the gun. A heavy sigh slipped through my lips and I held up the gun in front of me. “This is the product of some 750 years of designs, tweaks, research, along with trial, and error. One of the newest in a long line of weapons meant to kill one another. This was born of war and necessity. This is something that I hope your land does not make but, instead, continues to rely on harmony to protect the land.” Using my magic I pull the action lock and pull the pump back to eject the live round that was still in the chamber. With my hoof, I loaded it back into the feed tube. “Okay, that was a bit weird. How did I do that with such ease?” Staring at my hoof, I just shook my head and got back to what I was saying. “This one is called the KSG and it is a shotgun meant for combat. If I pull this little trigger, here, then little balls made of lead come out here. The thing is, they’re moving so fast, they break the sound barrier as they leave the tube. Anything in its the way can be fatally harmed or killed. Sadly, this kind of sums up a part of the history of my home. And just so you know, this does not pay back my debt to you. So, you can use that at any other time.”

Looking back to the frightened mare, I wondered if she truly knew what had she just given back to me? Was this for the better? But, as always, the bookish pony wanted to ask more questions. “One door closes, but so many more open, hmm?” I asked only to have her nod back at me. “Well, if it’s okay, I can do that later. For now, if you will excuse me, I need to get some sleep.”

I started for the door, only to have her step in front of me. “Hold on. Where do you think you’re going, Blank?” she questions.

“Okay, look, I’m not going to sleep in this place. Can you imagine what would happen if one of the other Elements saw that? Some strange new stallion sleeping in your home? So, if it is all the same to you, I’m going to sleep just outside, under the balcony. With this new coat I now have, I should be alright.” Lifting my shotgun with my magic, I stuck it, barrel down, on my wounded flank as if it was holstered, and held it there with my magic.

“I’ll be fine, Twilight. It’s not like I’m sleeping in Everfree, right?” I pointed out. After a bit of thought, she nodded and stepped out of the way.

“Fine, but you will be back inside for breakfast, alright?” With that comment, I chuckled and nodded as I pushed the door open.

“Yes, Drill Sergeant.” I pushed the door closed with my hind leg and stepped away. Walking around the left of the door, I spotted the balcony in mind, and nodded as I curled up under it. The cool soft grass was like nothing I had felt before. I had no clue if it was this new body or just the long day, but it was too good. Lulling me to sleep, I moved my weapon to rest between my front legs, and lowered my head to rest on it. With a faint click, the safety was engaged with a hoof, and I quickly fell into a deep sleep. Find it odd and strange that I was going to sleep with the one and only item that reminded me of the world I was born and raised in, only to be ripped from it?

Yes.

Did I care?

Hell no.

Author's Note

Ok that about finishes up the first ideas I had of that first week of this story. from here on out it may slow a bit but hay I'm no writer so that should not worry any one.

Still need an editor or something along the lines of that. Using my dad at the moment to proof read so thank him.

12/27/15 edit: fixed the sudden change of heart and asking to be changed back.
12/27/16 Editing by: Dr. Cloud Nine

comments and such are welcome as always! New as heck to doing this but don't pull punches.