Storm Chaser watched as the lead human gave his speech before the other humans dressed in black and silver not really paying much attention, she didn’t really pay much attention to any of the humans except for her Rider, but he was special and shed known him all her life, he took care of her and she took care of him and that was all that mattered to her, though now she had to take extra care of him as half his face was covered in tight white cloth. Shed need to watch his blind side for him so he didn’t get hurt more.

Storm Chaser glanced at the two stallions that stood beside their own riders, read to defend them as she defended her Rider, though with a bit more ease as their riders weren’t half blind like hers. Her ears shot up as there was a loud crash from in front of where her and the humans stood and she looked ahead to see a wave of other humans dressed in blues and green running at them, weapons gleaming in the torch light of the building they were in. Why they were fighting them she didn’t know, the only difference she could see was they wore a different color but that was a silly reason to fight. But the why didn’t matter, what matter was they wanted to hurt her Rider and she wasn’t going to let that happen.

The human gave the loud roar they always did before battle and then everything was a blur to Storm Chaser as she stayed close to her Rider, protecting his blind spot by lashing out with hoof and teeth and even tail in a few cases at the blue and green humans. She didn’t have time to really think that it was a hopeless fight, all that matter was keeping her Rider safe.

Slowly her and her rider and the other black and silver humans were pushed back onto the raised platform behind them, it would be so much easier if her Rider was in his saddle on her back or that they were outside on proper ground, not his slick floor they fought upon now but her rider and the other black and silver humans had run in her for some reason and so this is where they fought. She was vaguely aware of a light behind them but before she could look a blue and green human tried to attack her ride so she reared up and brought her fore hooves down upon his head with a loud clang like a bell being stuck, she gave him a few more stops to make sure he didn’t get back up before turning to face the next threat to her Rider, but she couldn’t see, the light behind her was to bright and she had to close her eye tightly. This wasn’t good, if she couldn’t see then she couldn’t protect her Rider’s blind side, and if she couldn’t defend his blindside then he would die, and if he died she didn’t know what she’d do. She could lash out even with her eyes close but then she risked striking her Rider and that couldn’t be done.

Before she could think of what to do there was the sound of a roaring wind and a wave of nausea overcame her and she felt her legs give out from under her as her saddle and armor started to get heavier and heavier. She swayed as the nausea feeling grew and grew till everything went black.

<<<>>>

Storm Chaser floated in blackness for what seemed like an eternity. It felt nice; the battle had been so tiring and the grass under her felt so nice and soft…wait…what battle? Grass? All in a rush Storm Chaser’s memory returned of the battle in the temple and her eyes shot open and she jumped to her hooves, or tried to. The morning sun blinded her and her legs didn’t move right so she succeeded in flopping over onto her other side. “Ow…”She said squeezing her eyes shut to keep the blinding light out, how long had she been asleep? It had been night when her and her Rider and the others had retreated into the temple. Wait, who was it that spoke? The voice had been clearly female if slightly on the lower pitch and whoever it was had spoken right when she flopped over onto her other side causing a bit of a jar…was it her? “No that would be crazy.” She said and her eyes shot open ignoring the painful light as she spoke.

She tried to look at her mouth as she worked it, noticing her snout was much short, a lot shorter actually. She licked her lips. “Ok…this…this is really weird.” She said again jumping a bit at the sound of her own voice.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she hear a groan from behind her and looked back to see a small tan…Horse laying in the grass behind her in armor that was much too big for it. She blinked recognizing the armor and saddle as one of the other horses that had been with her and the other black and silver humans in the temple, why was the small horse trying to wear the armor and laying on its side. Come to think of it where was her armor?

Taking her eyes off the little horse she looked back at herself and blinking seeing her armor right where it should be, only it was much too big for her now. “Ok…things…are getting stranger.” She jumped again when she spoke, that was going to take some getting used to. Slowly she managed to wiggle out of the confines of her much too big armor and saddle and got to her hooves slowly. She shook herself a bit as she stood there focusing on not falling down. Her body felt…strange, very strange.

Looking at herself as best as she could and saw why, this wasn’t her body, least not how it used to be. Her coat was shorter and was no longer white with random splotched of brown, it was just white, the brown was now in her tail which used to just be a dark grey but now was dark gray and brown. Carefully looking she was her mane matched her tail. Looking down at her hooves she saw that they were covered in her short white fur now so you couldn’t tell where her leg s ended and her hooves began.

“Who are you?” A deep male voice said behind her making Storm Chaser jump and spin around taking the fighting stance she took to defend her Rider. She was greeted by the same small tan horse she had seen earlier now with its head up, still in the too big armor and looking very confused as he worked his mouth. “Did…I say that?” He said blinking in confusion.

“Yes, yes you did.” Storm Chaser said relaxing a bit, she only partly jumped at her own voice; it was comforting to know she wasn’t the only one confused by talking horses. She still needed to figure out who this stallion was. “Who are you?” She asked blinking at the slight tone of her voice, it carried the hint of a threat to it, granted she was ready to attack this stallion if she needed to but it was strange to have it reflect in her voice, though still strange to have a voice at all.

“I’m Gorp, who are you?” The stallion asked looking at her with hardness to his eye.

“I’m the one asking the questions here, that’s who.” Storm chaser barked back and blinked as her tone was that she only heard from humans like the one that gave the speech before the battle, the tone that made the humans stiffen and jump to do as told. It somewhat had the same effect on the stallion, Gorp more or less, he stiffened a bit but the defiance never left his eyes.

“Now then where are we and....and where is my Rider!” Storm Chaser demanded that same authoritative tone in her voice.

The stallion blinked. “He the hell should I know where we are and where your rider is, I’m more concerned about my Rider then some crazy mare in the middle of the forest.” Gorp said. “He’s in danger, we were in a battle against the blue and green humans and I’m not there to protect him.” This caused Storm Chaser to blink.

“Battle? Were you with the black and silver humans, in a building with a raised platform in the middle and the one human gave a speech?” This got a blink and a nod from Gorp and Storm sat on her haunches tilting her head trying to figure this out. She didn’t remember seeing this small tan horse anywhere in the building, there had been a tan stallion standing with one of the other Riders, but that was it….Storm blinked and looked at the stallion. The too big armor, the tan fur, riders…She looked at her own armor which was too big for her now. “Somethings….changed us...”She said carefully. Something made them smaller and altered their bodies, but what?

“Well good, glad I’m not the only one who noticed.” Said a male somewhat quiet voice from a bush making both Storm and Gorp, who at some point while she was thinking had gotten out of his too big armor, to jump back and take the same fighting stance. “There is no need for that, I am not your enemy, I seem to be in the same situation you are.” The bushes moved and a pure black stallion stepped out of them, he was slightly smaller and thinner than the tan stallion who was more on the muscular side.

“Who the hell are you?” Gorp demanded threw gritted teeth.

“My name is Dark Night, and it seemed whatever changed you, changed me as well. “ Dark Night said, his voice not rising in the slightest as he stared at the two of them. “I think it may have something to do with that bright light during the battle.”

“Oh yeah< And why the hell do you think that huh?” Gorp snarled not leaving his stance.

“Because the flash happened and then I woke up here in a body that was not my normal one and without my rider, it is the only theory that makes sense.” Dark night replied looking between the both of them. “Unless one of you has a theory that makes more sense?” Storm Chaser had to admit, it was the only thing that made sense and if Dark Night meant them any harm he could have attacked any time from that bush rather than speak and walk out so she relaxed, after a few more moment Gorp relaxed as well but he kept an eye on both Storm Chaser and Dark Night. Dark night slowly approached her. “I’m assuming you are in charge?” HE asked and Storm Chaser blink looking at him tilting her head.

“What? Why would you think that? “She asked eyeing him.

“Well for one you speak in the manner of an Officer and there is that. “He said pointing at her flank. She looked back noticing an image on it she hadn’t noticed before while she was looking her body over before Gorp interrupted her. It was the image of a silver raven taking flight, the same that was on the chest of her Rider and the banners of the place they lived. Under it was another smaller raven with its wings fully spread as if it were flying and seen from above, she’d only seen that symbol on the chest of the human who gave the speech before the battle in the exact same spot under the Silver raven taking flight over his heart. “That, is the symbol of a Captain in the Empire’s army, neither me nor Gorp have it. “He said gesturing to his own flank which had the Silver raven taking flight and under it the image of a Raven low to the ground as if sneaking.

Storm Chaser looked over at Gorp who was looking at his own flank which had the same silver raven but the smaller raven had its wings out and claws out stretched as if attacking something. She looked back at dark night. “How do you know what it mean, and what empire and what’s an Officer?” She asked tilting her head to the other side.

“My Rider doesn’t really like to talk to other humans so he talks to me about many things such as the empire and his military career. I don’t know everything mind you but I know a bit about the Empire and what a Captain is, My Rider spoke very highly of him and the same symbol he wore now adorns your flank which must mean you are a Captain and an officer in the Empire’s military which we are a part of. “Dark Night said nodding. “Even if not in the same capacity as the humans.”

Storm Chaser just stared at the strange black stallion before she finally spoke. “Eh?” Was all she could say having no idea what he was talking about? He sighed looking at the ground shaking his head.

“The point is as far as I am concerned you are in charge of this little group.” HE said and muttered under his breath something that sounded like “We’re being led by an idiot…”

“Um….excuse me, what’s with saying she’s in charge? Who the hell went and made her the boss?” Gorp asked walking up to the two of them.

“Simple, the fact she has an officer’s insignia on her flank means she’s in charge.” Dark Night said looking at him.

“Well what if I want to be in charge huh? I think I’d make a much better leader!”
“Are you questioning her rank? She is an officer and us her subordinates till told otherwise by someone above her.
“Bull shit there is only one person I listen to and he isn’t here now and there is no way in hell I’m taking orders from someone else.”
“It’s how the military works!”
“I don’t give a damn about ‘how the military works’ I’m not taking orders from anyone here.”
“You are in complete disregard for the Empire’s protocols that have been put in place for a reason!” Dark Night shoved his face into Gorp’s face. “An action that is punishable by death.
Gorp pushed back. “Oh yeah and just who is going to deliver that huh? You? I’d love to see you---“

“SHUT THE HELL UP BOTH OF YOU!” Storm Chaser yelled, her eye’s narrow as she glared at the two arguing stallion with the look of someone signing a death warrant. To her surprise they obeyed and shut up. “Finally! You two were giving me a headache.” Though out their argument that had been growing louder and louder Storm Chaser had felt her left eye start to twitch as she watched. “Now that I have you attention, we have to figure out where the hell we are and then find our riders. Unless you two have a better idea what to do FORM UP!” She barked as she turned and started walking in a random direction, leaving the armor behind as it didn’t fit. Like two children who had just gotten a stern talking to by their mother the two stallions fell in on her flanks and followed. Gorp slightly back and on her right while Dark Night was on her left and even with Gorp, and both of them a whole head behind her. And like that they walked off into the woods to try and figure out where they were and what was going on.

It wasn’t long before they finally cleared the forest and walked out into and open field of grass. It had been a walk that thankfully had been spent in silence after the two stallions bickering earlier. Storm Chaser wasn’t sure what came over her but listening to the two of them fight about her as if she wasn’t there had gotten her blood boiling and shed just snapped. She had always had a temper before but something about being able to talk made her actually able to express it. Either way it had gotten the result she wanted, the two of them shut up and started doing something productive rather than standing around arguing and that lead to them actually getting out of the forest and into a field where they could actually see something.

What the three of them saw was a small own in the distance with multi-colored houses with hay roofs and further behind them was a large castle seemingly made out of crystals. The three of them stared at it dumb founded as it didn’t look like anything they’d ever seen before. “I…I don’t think we are in the Empire anymore. “Dark night said and Storm Chaser had to agree, the castle looked nothing like anything shed ever seen before, not the angular stone buildings of her home, nor the wooden but basic colorings of the city they had fought in.

The three of them were so transfixed by the sight before them they didn’t notice a purple dot that was growing as it flew towards them before landing before them. “Hello, my names Twilight Sparkle, welcome to Ponyville. What’s your names?”

Author's Note

And now we are introduced to the main Protagonists of this little story.