The Fearless Warrior

Eravel was with his full armor, a shield and his sword... He was in the middle of a destroyed Ponyvlile, facin a huge black dragon. Some houses were burning and others were completely on the ground. Bodies of dead ponies lying all around and among them, he could see Twilight, Fluttershy, Pink Pie, Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. He gritted his teeth in anger and then charged at the huge lizard but the dragon simply swung his tail and hit the human right in the middle of the chest, sending him flying away. The viking hit the side of a house wall and fell on the floor. All his body was in pain and he couldn't breathe right.

A thunder voice echoed through the air when the dragon started to laugh.
"Foolish human... How long do you think you will be able to fight me? You are weak and fragile... You need a thousand years before even think of fighting me!. So... BURN!"
Eravel saw the huge jaws of the black dragon open and sending a wave of fire that engulfed his body.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I jumped out of my bed with my eyes wide open. The day light hit them and I felt both burning, so I quickly closed and covered both with my hand. The reality was grasping my senses now and I slowly I sarted opened my eyes, breathing in relief... I was in my room and my armor was arranged in a pile at the corner.. I was wearing only a pair of pants and my body was all covered in sweat. My head was pounding a little and my eyes were still a bit sensitive against light. The memories of the day before started to gradually come to me as I walked to the bathroom to take a shower.
I was at the festival... I talked with the Princesses and Twilight... And then Rainbow Dash appeared. That was the strange part... She saw me and suddenly flew away and no one had seen her since then. Applejack convinced me that there was nothing to worry about and then made me drink some apple cider... and then...
"Of course... the Cider..." I sighed as I stepped in the shower... it had something on it because I could remember how the liquid burned my throat and made me dizzy after the first cup... How in the world they could make a cider so strong and did not get drunk! I saw several ponies drinking cups and cups of it and they all seemed ok... and not only that, I swear I saw Pink Pie drinking a whole barrel of it like it was apple juice!

I took a long shower, washing my body and mind. The previous nightmare was now a faint memory at the back of my head and there were a lot of blank spaces in my memories of the festival after I started drinking. I just hope I hadn't done anything stupid.

After my shower I dressed with a clean set of clothes and went outside... Steel Head was not at home and I didn't really wanted to know where he went after the party so I just walked to the city, going to Sugar Cube Corner to see how was Pink Pie. What I noticed during my walk is that every pony that crossed my path waved at me and smiled. One olive colt approached me smiling widely.

"Hey, when are we going to do that again!" He said really excited.

"Hm... 'that'...?" I asked... what was he talking about?
"Yeah! That race! Man, I never saw something that crazy! Heh, I hope you are around for other parties!" He said and trotted away, leaving me behind completely at loss.

Right after him, a gray mare approached me grinning.

"Hey! You there!" She said coming closer "Yesterday you really had the luck on your side... just don't think you will have this again! Next time I'll be ready for you!" She said and trotted away with her snout high before I could even ask something. My confusion grew by the second now and I started to get really worried... I needed someone to explain me what happen yesterday and fast!
I ran towards Carrousel Boutique to meet Rarity...I needed someone to explain me the events of the past night and Pink Pie was not the best option at hand. As I got close to her boutique, I saw the white unicorn trotting out.

"Rarity!" I called her and got closer.
"Oh, good morning darling. What brings you here so early?" She asked smiling. When I opened my mouth to answer she cut me. "I know! How silly me... After yesterday you must want to relax a little, and somepony probably told you that I was going to the spa this morning... Well, you come just in time! Come let's go!" She said and started to trot again and I just started to walk next to her.

"Spa? What is this?" I asked arching and eyebrow.

"Is a place where ponies go to relax and improve their look... not that I need an improvement, I only go there to maintain my natural beauty." She said with her snout high, her lips arched in a smile.

The whole concept of a place like that was weird to me, so, I just followed her with my curiosity leading me... This 'spa' was a few blocks from Rarity's Boutique and had a simpler look... Well, simple if you compare with the Carrousel Boutique or Sugar Cube Corner. As we entered a pair of mares that looked almost equal to each other, except for the colors, came to receive us. One was light blue and the other was light pink, both used the manes the same way and had the same expression on their faces.

"Welcome miss Rarity" The pink one said.
"The usual?" The blue one said.

"Yes, the usual for me and for my friend here too..." Rarity said e and then started to walk inside next to the pink one. The blue one came near me to speak.
"Over here mister... you need to take off your clothes before you come inside." She said guiding me to a room with several places to store clothes and other accessories... And here I was hoping to keep my clothes, for a change...
I simply stripped and grabbed a near towel, warping around my waist. She looked at me for a second and arched an eyebrow.
"Don't feel comfortable near others if I'm all naked..." I said not making any breach for her to make more questions.
I was leaded to a huge tub with hot water... Rarity was already in there with her eyes closed and her head all warped in a towel. As I approached the tub I could smell a light sent of herbs and the water was a little green.
"Herb bath to smooth my fur and skin..." Rarity said smiling. "It will do wonder for your skin and those scars..."

I probed the temperature of the water with my hand and then got inside, with the towel still warped on my waist. The warmth of the water embraced my body and sends me a light shiver down my spine. That sensation was really good and relaxing... We stood there in silence for some time. All I know is that at some point I slept because in a moment I was closing my eyes... and then I felt a pair of hoofs on my chest and someone calling me.
"Eravel...?" A faint voice called me and I slowly opened my eyes... Rarity was really close with a soft smile... her forehoofs on my chest. "You ok?" She said chuckling lightly.

"Yes... yes I'm..." I said smiling a little "I don't know what happen... heh" I chuckled a little embarrassed.
"Hey Eravel, I heard you were..." I heard Rainbow Dash voice and turned my head to see her. The cyan filly was with shocked expression as she saw me on the tub with Rarity.
"Oh, hi Rainbow..." I smiled at her. "Why don't you..." I started to say but she cut me,
"Oh my gosh! Look at the sun! Gottagobyecyalatter!" She said really fast and dashed out leaving me behind really confused... I looked at Rarity looking for an answer but the white unicorn just shrugged.
"Well... she didn't really like here... guess she can't stand watching you doing this too... you can talk to her latter..." Rarity said getting out of the tub. "Come... I'm paying for full service!"

I wanted to go after rainbow Dash, but if Rarity was paying I coudn't just walk away, so, I followed the white unicorn. From there we went to some tables where I received a massage from the blue mare... and she was REALLY good at it. But after that, we started to do some really weird things... not bad... but weird. Like cover our faces in some greenish mud and cover our eyes with cucumbers, having our bodies warped in sea weed and they did something with my nails that made them shine like a well polished blade. But in the end I felt like a fresh new person.
"Thank you for your company Eravel" She smiled at me as we walked out of the spa. "I hope next time we can do this with all the girls too! And who knows your presence can persuade Rainbow Dash to pass through all this too? Hm?" She said smiling.
"Well, It was really nice to spend the morning here... heh, I really feel a lot better." I said smiling too. "Now... about what I was going to..." I started to say but she cut me.
"Oh! Look at the sun! Sorry dear, we'll need to chat latter. I have an important client coming today and I simply CAN NOT be late! Good bye darling!" She said and trotted away, leaving me behind with all my questions unanswered.

I sighed and started to walk without any real destination. What had happen the day before? Probably something good but I couldn't remember what it was. This was honestly getting annoying...
"Honestly? Honesty... APPLE JACK!" I said out loud. She was the element of honesty, so, if I asked a question to her she would answer without changing subjects. Yeap! She was the solution!

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Rainbow Dash only stopped flying after she was out of the city. Her heart was beating fast and the image of Everal and Rarity was still fresh on her mind. She knew her friend... and knew how Rarity enjoyed to have several partners but to go for Eravel? That was a little too much! Rainbow landed on a near cloud e lowered her head.

'Calm down Rainbow! Probably nothing happen at all!" She thought 'Yes... Rarity wouldn't go as far as that... She was probably... ahm... looking his face better! Yes! That's it! She probably saw something that was out of fashion!' She said lifting her head and then took off again to find the human.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I walked out of the city and took the road that leads to Sweet Apple Acres. It took me only a few minutes of walking until I could see that vast ocean of apple trees, the rebuild barn and the house. I passed through the main entrance of the farm and went straight to the house, knocking a few times. As the door open I saw a light pale green mare, very old.
"Yesh...?" She said in a shaking voice.
"Ahm.. Hi, I'm looking for Applejack..." I said looking at her. The old mare looked at me for a second, scanning me.
"She's not home. You'll probably fin'her at the barn with her brother..." The old mare said and I simply thanked her before walking towards the barn. There I saw the big red stallion puling a large cart of apples.
"Hey Big Mac..." I said getting closer.
"Howdy... wha' brings you to the farm Eravel? Your head'is a'right?" He said in that bass voice of his.
"Yes... I guess..." I found the last question a bit weird. "Anyway... I'm looking for Applejack... knows where she's?" I asked.
"Heh... Yeup! She's at tha' direction. Bu' I would be carful to approach her righ'now." He said in a chuckle.
"Why?" I asked arching an eyebrow.
"heh, ye'r a funny guy..." HE said chuckling again and pulling the cart inside the barn. "Jus' walk in a straight line from here... yer gonna fin'her over the hills."
Another one avoiding answering my questions... Anyway, at least he told me where to find Applejack.

I walked in the direction he indicated and soon I saw the orange pony... She was pulling a really heavy cart, filled with rocks... That was a really weird sight... Why would she pull a cart full of rocks?
"Hey Applejack." I said approaching to her side.
"Wha'do yer want!" She said in an angrily voice.
"Ahm... Is everything alright?" I asked getting confused.
"Very funny question!" She said with her teeth gritted from the effort of pulling the heavy cart up. "If yer came here t'mock me, go fin' something else to do!"
"And why would I mock you?" I asked really confused.
"wha...? ya serious!" She said losing concentration for just a second, and her hoofs started to slip. I ran closer to her and grabbed the side of the cart o help her out.
"What yer doing!" She scowled me as I helped her.
"I'm... helping you! Damit this is heavy!" I cursed and I used all my strength to hold the cart.
"I don'need yer hel-" He phrase was cut when her hoofs lost the adherence on the ground and the cart started to roll down the hill. I tried to hold it but I was not even close to be strong enough to hold that cart. We both yelled as we were dragged with increased speed. The cart hit a tree and we were thrown away, landing hard on each other. Me and Applejack rolled a few times until we finally stopped. She was with her hoofs up and I was on top of her.
"Y-you allright?" I asked lifting my body a little... my face really close from her snout... enough that I could feel her breath...
"Yeh... nhg... jus'a little dizzy..." She answered... Suddenly I heard a gasp of surprise and when I turned my head, I saw Rainbow Dash with her mouth open, in shock.

"A help here...?" I asked at the cyan filly as I started to stand up but the rainbow maned filly just took off, leaving me behind.

"Wha' bit her flank?" Applejack said standing up too and I just shrugged.
"I wish to know... she's acting all weird since yesterday..." I said and stretched my back a little. "But back to the main subject... I need to know what happen yesterday." I said looking at the orange mare.
"You honestly don' remember?" She said a bit incredulous and I just nodded. She sighted and started to explain. "Yesterday you started to drink som' apple cider and, yer must be really weak fer alcohol because it only took three cups to get'ya completely drunk! The cider tha' my farm makes hav' almost no alcohol on it, but yer still got drunk. Yer started t'sing some songs from yer homeland and then started to organize som' games to make the party more interesting. The first one was a mounted race. Yer used Pink Pie as yer partner to race and won against all the others... And I hav'to say, that was a fun thing to watch." She chuckled.
"Ok, but why you were pulling that cart full of rocks? And why you looked so angry at me?" I asked trying to link the facts and the fragments of memories.
"Well, th' second game was sumthing you said tha' all the boys in yer homeland did. It was a circle in th'ground and the objective was to throw yer opponent out of the ring or on th'gorund and immobilize him. When Ah said ah'would do it too, yer just laughed at me... saying tha' a girl could never win 'gainst you. So we made a bet... if ah lost ah would hav' to move all rocks from one side of mah farm to the other..." She said and looked away.
"And... I suppose I won... heh" I chuckled. "Well relax, you don't have to do that... after all I was drunk and a bet against a drunk man is never valid. Another thing... why did your brother asked about my head?" I asked.
"Well... yer fought with him... and he exaggerated a lil'on his strength... you wer' thrown against a table of food and got unconscious... Fluttershy took yer back home"
I sighed in relief. At least I haven't done anything stupid.
"Well, thank you AJ... I'll go talk to Fluttershy, you know, thank her for caring me back to my home." I said as I walked away.
"Don'metion!" Applejack said waving a hoof.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Rainbow Dash was lying on a cloud, near her home... her chest going up and down fast as she was panting. That scene she witness... their faces were so close, almost as if he was going to kiss Applejack! The imagination of the cyan filly had completed the image, making Eravel kiss Applejack. She tried to push that image away but it kept coming back again and again... and every time it did she felt like a spike was poking her heart. She could not let this like this... she knew she had to do something!
'Damn it! What is wrong with me! Why do I feel this way every time I see him with another mare!' She thought angry with herself. '... ... Maybe... Maybe I… NO! This can't be… But… Wel… That could explain why I'm feeling like this...but... but wha if... damn it... I need to talk to him or I'm going to go crazy!' The rainbow maned pegasus stood up slowly, looking at the ground below. She decided to just follow him and wait until he was alone. She hated the idea of having to wait but it was still better than catch him in another awkward moment with another pony.

It took some time, but she finally found Eravel. Rainbow Dash was using a cloud as a disguise as she followed the human from above. He was going out of the city, towards Fluttershy's cottage... she waited until he was out of sight from other ponies and the dove from the sky, caring the cloud with her.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I was thinking about how nice Fluttershy had been in taking me back to my home and even taking my armor off, so I could sleep better. She was truly the element of Kindness after all. I smiled to myself thinking about the yellow pegasus but then I saw something from the corner of my eye. When I turned to see what it was I saw a cloud approaching fast. I didn't even had the time to thing and the cloud hit me.

I felt something grabbing me under my arms and lifting me from the ground, taking me to the sky really fast. The cloud that was blinding me fade away as I got higher and I could see a cyan fur really close to my face.
"R-raibow!" I called and warped my arms around her neck as she kept flying fast. I saw that she was going towards my home and soon we landed at my balcony. She was right in front of me, looking at me with a frown.
"Rainbow? What happen? Why you grabbed me like that?" I asked worried that something had happen.
"Eravel... I want to you to just listen to me... ok?" She said. I arched an eyebrow and nodded. She closed her eyes for a second and then looked deep breath. "Eravel... I... I need to tell you something... I'm not really good at it so, well... Better if I just say it..." She made a pause taking her breath again. "Eravel I-" She started to say but then a purple light engulfed my body and I felt the ground and all my surroundings disappearing. I started to fall fast, surrounded by all types of purple lights and black dots until I landed hard on something. My whole body was a little numb from the fall and it took me a good amount of effort to look around to see where I was.

It was a dark room with stone floor and walls. The light came from some torches on metal supports.

"It worked! Yes!" I heard a familiar female voice cheering behind me. I turned my head to see who it was and saw Twilight Sparkle. She was holding an old book with her magic and looked extremely happy.
"What the... Twilight! What am I doing here! And WHERE exactly is here?" I asked completely confused.

"We are at the library's basement... I just found this new spell book here and HAD to try this new teleportation spell! And, well, I was thinking of spike... but in the last second I thought about you and here you are!" She said smiling widely in a weird manner. I just sighed and lowered my head... And for some reason I could swear that this whole mistake was Discord's fault.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Rainbow Dash started to shake the human body, really worried. He had suddenly passed out and fell limp in the floor.
"Eravel! Eravel wake up!" She said shaking him violently, on the edge of panic. "Please... wake up!"

He started to open his eyes slowly. A faint purple sparkle appeared in his eyes for just a second, too fast for Rainbow to notice, and then he looked at the cyan filly next to him, blinking a few times. The human stood up and looked around, looking a bit confused... Rainbow Dash looked at him very worried.
"You... You ok Eravel?" She asked with hesitation in her voice. He looked at her and smirked.

"Yes... Yes I'm fine... actually, I'm more than fine" He said and chuckled, starting to walk inside his room, going for where his armor rested. Dash followed him inside, confused by his weird behavior.

"You sure you are fine? You just fainted over there!" She said following him.
"Yes, I'm fine... and you are annoying." He said smirking and turning to see her with his helmet on his hand.
"I'm... what!" She said in shock. But she didn't had much time to think. Eravel moved his arm and hit the side of the filly's face with the metal helmet. Blood came out of her nose and she fell limp on the floor. An evil grin crossed Eravel face and he started to laugh in a maniacal way, looking at the unconscious pegasus on the floor.