Equestria's Black Swordsmanby TheEveryDaySparkleChaptersProlouge: The legendChapter 1: Into The New WorldChapter 2: LimboChapter 3: The Darkness ArrivesChapter 4: The Darkness ComesChapter 5: Healing and FriendshipProlouge: The legendAuthor's Note Hi again guys! This is my first story more than five chapters long. I'm hoping it's good, and i'm not even done yet. I'm also hoping you guys'll think it's good. Here's to my story skills, eh? Enjoy! Prolouge: The legend There exists a legend in Equestria, of a single pony who conquered all challenges placed before him. Nopony has laid eyes on him since after the war. Some say he disappeared. Others say he returned to whatever place he came from, only to return should Equestria need him once more. He is the only pony to make not only Princess Celestia acknowledge his power, but even Princess Luna has bowed before him in admiration. Ponies now talk about him as if he were a myth, somepony who never existed to begin with, just an old pony's tale to scare children into behaving. "Don't misbehave, or the Black Knight will come for you and eat you. His favorite snacks are bad children." Even now, however, there are some who remember what he did for them, recognize that he did in fact exist, and believe that he was real and will one day come back to help them once more. Ponies to this day talk about his impenetrable armor, as black as the night itself, his blood red cape, and his single piercing eye. But, even still, even if they cannot remember their savior's name, even if he fades from their memories, forever lost in the annals of a history long past, they will always remember one thing. That large, monstrous weapon. That hulking heap of pure metal. That blood soaked hunk of steel that he used to cleanse Equestria of all its evils. His sword, Dragonslayer. He is Guts, The Black Swordsman, or, as he is known in Equestria, Blood Hoof, The Black Knight. Chapter 1: Into The New WorldFinally, Mozgus was dead. Guts had a hard time fighting him, what with his hard skin and all. He was also an angel, and he could breathe fire, so you can imagine how that went. But, in typical Guts fashion, he beat him, and now he was leading a group of ragtag warriors (and one former princess) through yet another mess. Emphasis on the word 'mess'. He and his group were currently demon surfing. Yes, demon surfing. Riding the waves created by the liquid like body of a horde of damned souls. They were stuck inside of its rolling, waving body on a makeshift ride of a piece of wide wood. The only things keeping them from being completely swallowed up by the beast were the lit torches carried by each of the group's members. Turns out, the thing did not like fire. Lucky for them, as it seemed to be working pretty damn well. The members of this group were not much of a team. They were more like, a motley crew, if you will. A former princess, her two guards, a thief, and a fairy, all led by the one and only black swordsman himself, Guts. Their ride did not last long, as soon, the torches were knocked away by the constant rocking and shaking of the beast, snuffing out the light, along with whatever chance of survival any of them had. Well, all except for one of them. That one was Guts. As his torch was now gone, he took to doing the only thing he could think to do to get them out of there. He cut his way through. This worked for quite a while as the beast's strange gelatinous form gave way easily to his gigantic sword. But then, as if to mock his efforts, the beasts body began to regenerate even quicker than it had previously done, thus making any effort given on his end futile as it would only serve to prolong the inevitable outcome that was their untimely demise. Guts was out of options and out of time. He began to think of a last resort. He could use his bombs to escape? No, he used them all up in the fight against Mozgus. Damn that shit priest for being so hard to kill. He could light his arroes on fire and burn his way through? No, he just lost his torch, so that was a no go. Then he found it. He could use the cannon in his false arm! It would be messy, and the force of the blast might make their ride a bit more bumpy, but there was no other option. "Get back!" He shouted as he lifted his false arm up and aimed it ahead of him. He turned around to face the beast and smiled. "This is gonna be messy." Farnese, the former princess of the kingdom they were all now trying to both save and escape from, looked up from her fear induced daze to widen her eyes at the man before her. Surely he couldn't be doing what she thought he was going to do. She had seenthe power of his cannon up close, so she knew what it could do. 'He couldn't! He wouldn't! He'll kill us all before we even escape this place! Surely not even he would do something so dangerous!' But then she thought about it. This was Guts. He most certainly would do it. But it was alos because of who this man was that she somehow knew that they would be okay. She watched in awe as he fired off the cannon in his arm. Guts pulled back the hand of his metal arm and blasted the beast with his cannon, grinning like a madman the entire time. "Take this you asshole!" The cannon fire exploded upon impact with the horde, tearing a hole into the beast and propelling his group forward and away from the danger of the demon. He however, stayed behind. The beasts body was regenerating too quickly for him to escape. He screamed in defiance at the abomination until it had swallowed him whole. The group he was with simply stared in quiet horror as their leader took his last breath. However, the beast did not eat him, nor did it kill him. He was instead sent to another world. Chapter 2: LimboGuts awoke to a strange feeling washing over his body. It was a feeling he did not remember, a feeling he had not felt for so long, that it seemed like it would never be felt again. Warmth. He felt oh so warm. It was as though he was back with the Band of The Hawks, or even better, back in his mother's arms. Not that he could remember what that felt like, considering his upbringing. He just assumed that if he could remember, that is what he would see in his mind. He welcomed it, along with the darkness he was seeing, as he believed that it was death, giving him final comfort before his cross over to the other side. But, just his luck, it turned out he would not be dying, for as he floated in the deep, dark void of nothingness that was what he believed to be the afterlife, he heard a voice. A high pitched, haughty, jester-like voice that immediately made him regret not really being dead. "Well, hi there!" Guts turned his head to see a strange creature who, despite walking on two legs, was nothing like a human. It had a strange mouth that was more like a muzzle, two mismatched horns and feet, a long serpent like body, and a dragon's tail. Not exactly the strangest thing Guts had ever seen, but it was certainly the most tacky in terms of monsters. Not that he really cared how it looked as it was about to be dead. Guts glared at it while remaining silent. "Not exactly the most talkative of my many acquaintances are you?" Guts simply stared back at the being who was apparently his new roommate in the void. "Oh fine, be that way. You won't make any friends where you're going with that attitude." Now Guts was interested. "What do you mean, 'Where i'm going'?" "Ah, so you can speak! Yes, well, about that...You're not dead. Well, at least not yet anyway." "What do you mean i'm not dead. That horde of damned souls swallowed me whole." "Oh you mean that grotesque abomination of liquid hell spawn? Such a nasty thing that one. I simply scooped you up before it had the chance to fully kill you, and brought you here. A little bit bit better, wouldn't ya say? Much less cramped." Guts remained stone faced. "So, where exactly is 'here'?" "Oh just a little hole in the space time continuum I made to help you get more comfortable." Guts' eyes widened, but then he suddenly smiled. "Space time continuum eh? I like it. So, what exactly are you? Some kind of god?" "Yes, actually. Discord, God of chaos at your service." He bowed. Guts laughed. Yes, actually laughed. Out loud. "Ahahahahahaha! Not bad. But, if that's true, then you're the funniest looking god i've ever seen." "Yes, well, I suppose my appearance can be a bit...unsettling at times. But anyway, back to the matter at hand. You are not dead. You are still alive, if just barely." Guts sat up. "So, If that is the case, then I have a question." "Go ahead, ask away my friend." "Why did you help me? Why does a god like you care about a bug like me?" "Well, there's the million dollar question, isn't it, my friend? Why did I help you? I'm afraid that's something you'll just have to find out for yourself. However, I will say this." Guts waited patiently for the god to finish his sentence. "You are alive. you are alive after surviving a grueling life of nothing but death, blood and battle." Guts simply nodded his head at this, knowing the god spoke the truth. "Wouldn't you like to escape all that? To finally put to rest all your pain and suffering and start a new life, in a better, more peaceful world?" Guts smirked at this. Through experience he knew that no world was peaceful. No world would ever escape the call of war and despair. All he ever knew since he was a child was survival and battle. It was his life. It was what made him the man he is today. He knew that whatever world the god spoke of must, like all others, have its own wars and battles of some kind. But still, the idea of taking it easy for at least a little bit did sound a little appealing. "Yeah, I guess I would." "Perfect, because it's almost time for you to arrive!" "Wha-what?!" "Oh did I not tell you? We've been heading there ever since you got here." Guts only smiled again. "You sneaky god." "Yes, I suppose I can be quite the trickster. But I am the god of chaos after all. Now, about your name..." "What about my name?" "Guts is a bit um...well, gory, don't you think? I vote we change it." "Well, that name only brings back bad memories. I guess we could change it. But to what?" "Um....how about...Blood Hoof?" Guts thought about the strange name for a moment before giving his answer. "Sure." "And we should probably do something about that strange symbol of yours." Now Guts was surprised. He could remove the symbol on his neck? How? This symbol was placed by the most powerful demons of his universe! Then again, this was a god he was talking to. "Ah, I know just what to do!" The hod snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. "Hey god! I thought you said you could remove it!" "I didn't say I could remove it. i just said we should do something about it. But don't worry. my magic should do what it was designed to." "Magic, huh? I guess you really are a god." "What made you think I wasn't? Now, you're late for your arrival. Chop chop! We must get you out of here." With a snap of his fingers, Guts was asleep. taking the ride all the way to a new world. One where war was an afterthought. One where peace reigned. One where he could finally relax and just let go. Or could he? Chapter 3: The Darkness ArrivesGuts awakens to a strange feeling. Warmth. Not the comforting, loving embrace of death as it takes him gently to his demise kind of warmth he had always expected, but the gentle, soothing warmth of a bed. Or at least he believed it was a bed. It was rather small and he was sure that he should be well beyond the size limit for a bed such as this. As his eyes, slowly open, adjusting to the world around him, he sits up and takes a look around. He can't see anything just yet, but he can smell just fine, and what he smells right now, smells delicious. For a guy who could force down just about anything in order to fill his belly, the smell of real food, or at least what he thought to be food, was foreign to him. Yet at the same time, it was so wondrously familiar and nice that it made his mouth water, if only just for a moment. "I'm afraid sitting up is something you must not do, for you are are hurt and I must finish tending to you." Who was that? Who had said that? He placed his hand on his sword, which he was grateful he still had. He still could not see, so he had to rely on his hearing to lead him toward the sound. However, turning his head to look for the source of the voice made him dizzy, so he did as the currently disembodied voice said. Then, as his vision began to clear, the voice came closer to him, and now he could see it's face. It was...a zebra? the voice had come from a talking zebra? Oh well, he's seen much worse than this. "No need to fret my friend. I do not wish to cause pain. I, in the end, am the one who saved you from the rain." Who was this zebra? And why did she rhyme when she spoke? "This is nothing." Guts said as he got up from his bed, already walking towards the door. "Thank you for your help, but I'll be fine." "Are you sure you want to go? If so, I will not hinder your hurry, but if you truly are okay, please let me ease my worry. I am sure you are tired, so why not stay the night? There are many things in this forest that can give you a fright." So, he was in a forest, was he? Seemed logical, what with the talking zebra and all. But still, not matter how grateful he was, he wouldn't impose on someone who helped him, let alone put them in danger by staying with them. Zecora could see that her current method wasn't working, and she really was worried for him. She took a look at her cauldron and got an idea. "Stranger, if this is goodbye, then I hope to see you soon, but if not, then, I could share with you my food. I am quite the cook, taste and you will see. But I cannot give you any, if you should leave." Guts stopped. She had offered him food. If he had to admit, he was very hungry Extremely hungry in fact. He hadn't eaten in what he had guessed (and would be right about) was three days. He hadn't eaten when he first arrived in the village that day, nor the day after in that fight with the beast. And by what he could gather, another day had passed since then. He turned around and walked up to the zebra. "I guess I could stay for a meal, if you don't mind." "I would not mind at all, stranger. I only wish to keep you safe and out of danger." What followed after that was a conversation over one of the best tasting meals he had ever had. It was so good he started eating like a starving dog. Which was a fitting analogy considering how that was exactly what he felt like. "I see you are enjoying the meal. I can already see how much better it has made you feel." "Yeah. Thanks." "No thanks needed. I'm just glad my warnings were heeded." With that, the two ate their fill, and finally, Guts got up to leave. Then she saw it. "excuse me, stranger. I do not mean to pry, but something seems to have caught my eye. It is something that is quite out of the ballpark, but what exactly is that you have for a cutie mark?" Guts had no idea what a "Cutie Mark" was, but as he looked around himself, he saw that he had his mark moved from his neck right near to his ass. "I do not know what you had to do to get it, but I have never once seen a pony other than you with it." Now he really didn't know what she was talking about. He was a pony now? He quickly looked around for a mirror and found one on the back wall to the right of Zecora's hut. He checked over himself and, sure enough, he was a pony, fur, tail and all. His thoughts immediately turned dark, as they usually did when something bad happened. He thought about asking the zebra what she had don to him, but common sense told him that someone who had helped him wouldn't do something like this to him. So it had to be someone else he knew, and the only other person he knew since coming here was... "Discord." The zebra was about to ask a question as to why he knew that name but his expression stopped her cold. Pure, untamed, rage, yet cold and unfeeling at the same time. Like he was trying to hold back an anger that could consume him at any time, and that this development had only served to further melt the thick wall that surrounded him. She found herself shrinking back in slight, but very evident fear. Guts began to take his leave, but there was one last thing Zecora had to do before she let him go. "Excuse me, stranger, for I am to blame. I have not given you my, nor do I know your, name." "My name is Blood Hoof." Was all Guts said. "Nice to meet you Blood Hoof, I'll remember it well, My name is Zecora. Our time together has been swell." With that he left the hut and made his way toward what he would find out, after getting over his rage at having his body transformed, was a town. Chapter 4: The Darkness ComesGuts had been walking for quite sometime. Long ago had he forgotten the seething rage he felt at the god for transforming his body. Now he simply felt the need to find shelter. He had left Zecora's hut and stepped back out into the rain. Because of that, he ended up getting soaked. Despite all her warnings about the forest being some dangerous place, nothing had attacked him. Not even once. He did see a shadow looming in the woods, stalking him for a while before it had finally decided to leave him alone. 'Maybe I don't seem like good enough prey to it?' He thought as he trotted along. 'Well I am a friggin' pony now, after all. Stupid god.' He remarked once again on his unfortunate circumstances. Off in the distance, he could swear he saw a small town looming over the horizon. "Finally! Civilization!" He said aloud as he made his way toward the buildings he saw. But, despite his lucky find, all his efforts were thwarted when he heard a scream coming in his direction. So focused on getting to civilization that he was only just barely paying attention, he was soon hit headfirst by a heavy flying object. Said object was moving at a high speed, but, Guts being Guts, simply shrugged off what would have knocked any normal person (or pony, in this case) out instantly. He shook his head free of the confusion he was feeling as he took a look around. There was another pony in front of him. Was she the one screaming? What had she been running from so fast? Upon closer inspection, he found that she had wings. 'A Pegasus now? How many different species are there in this world?' But he did not have time to focus on that now. Whatever this Pegasus was running from was no doubt going to chase her down. He had to help her. He sat her up against a tree and pulled out the Dragonslayer with his teeth, readying himself for a fight. He was surprised at how light it was despite being the same exact size it was before. Then he took a look at it, examining it closely. It wasn't as big as before! Don't get him wrong, it was far bigger than any weapon in this world could be by his logic, and he was pretty sure it still weighed the same, but it was still smaller. How? He couldn't dwell on that either. He looked up. While he was worrying about his weapon, the beast had caught up to them. He was mildly surprised at what he saw. He had seen manticore before, but never, one so...colorful. Nor was it so whimsical looking. He thought that if this was what manticore were like in this world, he could take them out easily. How wrong he was. The beast stared him down, and he stared back. Him being a pony, the beast believed it could take him out easily. How wrong it was. In its arrogance, the beast took a swipe at him, hoping to knock him away and out of its way. Guts simply parrried with the Dragonslayer and sliced at its midsection. The beast howled in pain and stumbled back, only to return with a crushing blow that, surprisingly, Guts could not dodge. He did however, block the attack. But, that was all he could do considering his body type now. He did still posses his unimaginable strength. However, he would have to get used to working with his new body. A fact he would soon learn, as the manticore gave another swipe at Guts, sending him flying into a tree. If not for his armor, his back probably would have broken. He got up on shaky forelegs and charged the beast, rage burning in his eyes and blurring his vision slightly. He jumped. To his surprise, he could jump just as high as he could as a human. maybe even a bit higher. This was a boon to him, as he brought his blade down on the creature. Now it was his opponents turn to block. Only it couldn't. The sword pierced its flesh and cleaved right through it, killing it. With the battle over and his opponent dead in a bloody heap on the ground, he went to check on the mare who had just previously been in danger. He walked up to her, only to notice that she had been awake for quite some time. Flutter's POV The beast was coming after her. She didn't know what to do. She had only been in the woods to find Angel Bunny more carrots to eat. Why was she being chased? As she cranked up her flight speed, she saw in front of her a strange looking pony. Unfortunately, she wouldn't get a chance to see just how strange because she was heading for a collision course with said pony with only minutes to spare. She crashed into the pony before she even had time to react and was knocked out. When she awoke, she was up against a tree. As she lifted her head to see what had happened to the pony she had run into, she saw an unbelievable sight. An earth pony was fighting a manticore. And winning! She watched as the beast smashed its palm down upon the pony only for it to block with some sort of large weapon. "What's going on over there?" she said as she watched the beast deliver a blow that should have injured the pony greatly. Thanks to some armor it wore however, the pony had survived and was now struggling to stand up. 'Oh no! Run, Mr. Swordsman' she saidd mentally as she watched the impossible happen before her eyes once more. The pony charged the manticore, rage in its eyes as it jumped higher than she had seen any earth pony do. Apple Jack couldn't even jump that high, and she was the strongest pony she knew! Then, using its large weapon, the pony literally cleaved the manticore in half. The fight apparently over, Fluttershy simply sat there staring at the pony who was currently walking up to her. Once it stopped to look at her she realized. It had been protecting her. She could barely form words, the thought of what she had just seen leaving her speechless. Guts' POV The pony before him didn't say a word. Was she mute? Was she in shock? Did the blow to the head give her a concussion? He had started to wonder for her safety once more when he heard her say "Um...what...was that?" "I just helped you. Now get up and run away. It's dangerous here." Guts silently laughed at himself. Here he was doing exactly what that zebra had told him not to do, and now he was trying to tell someone else the same thing. Talk about a hypocrite. He walked away. Once he was a distance away, Fluttershy noticed he was hurt. Most likely from the fight. "Wait! Mr. Swordsman! You're hurt!" "It's nothing." "But what if it gets infected?!" What was she a doctor? "I'll be fine. I've suffered much worse pain." That thought scared the yellow Pegasus. To think that he had suffered more painful injuries that this before made her nearly faint from worry. But she had to strive on. She had to help him. She flew up to him. "I insist! You need first aid!" Guts looked into the ponies eyes and saw genuine concern. He almost qanted to give in and let her do as she pleased. if only to stop her griping. But then he realized. This was a good deal. He could get treatment, and she could stop worrying over nothing. "Fine." Fluttershy smiled. "Come with me." With those words she led him off to her home, which just so happened to be on the edge of the very forest they just left. Guts had to wonder how she didn't get eaten by now. She opened the door for him and he stepped inside. Chapter 5: Healing and FriendshipGuts was absolutely horrified. No, not literally. He just couldn't believe his eyes. There were so many furry creatures in her home. He was so bothered by it that he had to ask. "Hey. Yellow one. Why do you have all these animals?" Fluttershy was a bit scared at first. She didn't expect him to call her name so bluntly. BUt then she giggled. "They're my pets. I take care of all of them. Aren't they adorable?" Guts' eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. All these animals...were her pets?! She had a bunny, which was understandable. A bird? Also okay. But when e saw the bear, that was when he drew the line. But then, a thought hit him, and he smiled. "So, a beast tamer, eh?" So that was what she was doing with that manticore back there. "Sorry I killed your catch." Fluttershy shuddered at the word 'kill'. It wasn't a taboo word. It was just...she hated the idea of any poor animal losing its life, even if it was to protect her. "N-no, not at all. I couldn't tame a manticore like that. That only happened once, and even then I was afraid to do it. My friends had to support me. But I was finally able to get it to go back t the wild where it belonged." He knew what she meant. She wasn't a tamer. She was just good with animals. Still a good thing though. "I see." Was all he said in response. And then... "Alright, lie down." Guts looked up to see the pony pointing to her bed. He did as she asked, fully aware that he needed no help, however bad she might think his pain is. "Now, I usually use these to help my animals get better, but i'll use them for you too." She smiled at him as she began to dress his head in bandages. She blushed as she said her next words. "Okay, now I need you to remove your clothes." Having heard this before and gone through the motions dozens of times, he simply complied. Fluttershy, who had not been expecting such a quick response, had to shield her eyes to avoid seeing anything "dirty." She peeked out to find that he had only removed his upper body armor. She scolded herself for thinking such thoughts and returned to her check up of his body. He had scars all over and upon closer inspection of his face, one of his eyes were closed. Was he blind in one eye. She frowned as she found herself feeling bad for the stallion before her. When she returned to looking over his body, she was suddenly a bit disappointed that he had not taken off more. His abs were more than just toned. They were hard, and dense with muscle. She took another look and noticed that his whole body was as she had just mentally described, from his forelegs to his haunches, as they bulged through the armor he wore She scolded herself for having such impure thoughts once more and, with a wave of her hoof and a few words, allowed him to dress himself. "You're just fine. Just keep your head wrapped and you'll be A-okay!" She said happily. She told him to wait where he was as she called her friends over one by one. Considering she had gone on the other room to do this, Guts was left alone with his thoughts. He found himself thinking about how his crew was doing, and whether or not he would ever return to see them. He was snapped out of his revelry by happy squeals of delight from the other room as Fluttershy invited her friends over to visit. Once she had called her friends over, she and Guts sat by the bed, waiting on them to come. When they did, Fluttershy welcomed them inside and allowed them to see Guts for themselves. "OH MY GOSH! Are you the new pony Fluttershy told us about?!" A loud voice seeming to belong to no one came out of nowhere and assaulted Guts' eardrums. "You're so cool! Rainbow Dash would love you!" Suddenly a pink pony with dark pink curly hair appeared behind Guts, causing him to grab Dragon Slayer in his teeth and turn to face her, which in turn caused her to cower away just a bit. "Sorry, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to offend anypony." Suddenly another voice could be heard from the doorway. "Pinkie Pie, darling, stop pestering the poor stallion. He obviously is not in the mood to be joking around." Following the perky pink pony was a white one with a purple mane and a triple diamond Symbol on her flank that Guts could only assume was this cutie mark thing the zebra Zecora had told him about. She walked up to him. "I must say however that his sense of style could use some work. Black leather...ew." Yet another voice from nowhere spoke up from the shadows. "I reckon his sense of style isn't what's wrong, Rarity." A new pony appeared, admonishing the now named Rarity on her priorities. She wore a bow on her tail and had on a stetson hat. She also spoke in a country accent. Guts hadn't heard many of those in a while. "Hi there, stranger, the name's Apple Jack! It's nice to meet'cha." She held out a hoof to shake, which Guts accepted cautiously. He didn't know these ponies well enough to consider them comrades, and for all he knew they could all be here to kill him, but judging by the way the yellow one shuddered at his mentioning the word 'kill', that was frowned upon here. Apple Jack took note of his strong grip. "Alright, where's the pony who killed a mantincore all on his own?!" A very tomboyish voice piped from the shadows once more. Another Pegasus. She looked Guts over. "You don't look so tough. I bet I could do what you did with my wings tied behind my back!" She may have said that, but as she took in his features, she began to think that maybe he was as tough as Fluttershy had said. He did save her after all. She took in his single eye, the second constantly closed. The grim look on his face, the armor he wore, his huge sword. It was as if he was a soldier back from a war, or a lone warrior, forced to fight for his life on multiple occasions against seemingly unbeatable odds. All of it just screamed cool, and she liked it. She didn't know how right she was. "Oh, be quiet Rainbow. You're scaring him." A final voice filled the now non-existent silence in the room. A purple unicorn with wings appeared in the doorway as she slowly entered in to Fluttershy's home. Then, as if she didn't even hear her previous words, she proceeded to pepper him with questions. "So, how did you do it? Did you use that huge sword? How are you able to carry something so big without using magic? Where did you get that armor and what is it made out of? Oh, this is going to be such a huge discovery!" "Girls!" A small, yet intense voice spoke up through the cacophony of sounds. All eyes turned to one yellow Pegasus. "You're asking too much of him! Can't you see he's scared and confused!" The small Pegasus yelled. All of her friends backed off immediately. Guts was surprised at how forceful the yellow one could be. "Good. Now, I'll introduce everyone. Mr. Swordsman, these are my friends. Sorry if they caused you any trouble." Guts simply shook his head. "Really? You don't mind? Yay! Now, everyone introduce yourself. First, was Pinkie Pie, of course. "Hi, there, Mr. Swordsman! My name is Pinkie Pie! But of course you already knew that, since Rarity said my name already!" Then came the rest. "A pleasure, Darling. My name is Rarity." "Howdy, I'm Apple Jack!" "Sup, I'm Rainbow Dash." "How are you? I'm Twilight Sparkle. It's nice to meet you." "And...i-i-i'm...Fluttershy" Came the last and quietest of the introductions. Then she spoke up a bit. "Okay, well, now that we've introduced ourselves. Why don't you tell us your name Mr. Swordsman. It'll be hard calling you Mr. Swordsman all the time, so I just assumed that you'd want to tell us your name to...make it...easier." Guts sighed. Why was she so shy? Then, just as Guts thought that, she started panicking. "Well, that is... if you want us to call you that we can. You don't have to tell us your name if you don't want-" He stopped her mid sentence. Then, he stood up on all four hooves and said, "My name...is Blood Hoof."
Prolouge: The legendAuthor's Note Hi again guys! This is my first story more than five chapters long. I'm hoping it's good, and i'm not even done yet. I'm also hoping you guys'll think it's good. Here's to my story skills, eh? Enjoy! Prolouge: The legend There exists a legend in Equestria, of a single pony who conquered all challenges placed before him. Nopony has laid eyes on him since after the war. Some say he disappeared. Others say he returned to whatever place he came from, only to return should Equestria need him once more. He is the only pony to make not only Princess Celestia acknowledge his power, but even Princess Luna has bowed before him in admiration. Ponies now talk about him as if he were a myth, somepony who never existed to begin with, just an old pony's tale to scare children into behaving. "Don't misbehave, or the Black Knight will come for you and eat you. His favorite snacks are bad children." Even now, however, there are some who remember what he did for them, recognize that he did in fact exist, and believe that he was real and will one day come back to help them once more. Ponies to this day talk about his impenetrable armor, as black as the night itself, his blood red cape, and his single piercing eye. But, even still, even if they cannot remember their savior's name, even if he fades from their memories, forever lost in the annals of a history long past, they will always remember one thing. That large, monstrous weapon. That hulking heap of pure metal. That blood soaked hunk of steel that he used to cleanse Equestria of all its evils. His sword, Dragonslayer. He is Guts, The Black Swordsman, or, as he is known in Equestria, Blood Hoof, The Black Knight.
Chapter 1: Into The New WorldFinally, Mozgus was dead. Guts had a hard time fighting him, what with his hard skin and all. He was also an angel, and he could breathe fire, so you can imagine how that went. But, in typical Guts fashion, he beat him, and now he was leading a group of ragtag warriors (and one former princess) through yet another mess. Emphasis on the word 'mess'. He and his group were currently demon surfing. Yes, demon surfing. Riding the waves created by the liquid like body of a horde of damned souls. They were stuck inside of its rolling, waving body on a makeshift ride of a piece of wide wood. The only things keeping them from being completely swallowed up by the beast were the lit torches carried by each of the group's members. Turns out, the thing did not like fire. Lucky for them, as it seemed to be working pretty damn well. The members of this group were not much of a team. They were more like, a motley crew, if you will. A former princess, her two guards, a thief, and a fairy, all led by the one and only black swordsman himself, Guts. Their ride did not last long, as soon, the torches were knocked away by the constant rocking and shaking of the beast, snuffing out the light, along with whatever chance of survival any of them had. Well, all except for one of them. That one was Guts. As his torch was now gone, he took to doing the only thing he could think to do to get them out of there. He cut his way through. This worked for quite a while as the beast's strange gelatinous form gave way easily to his gigantic sword. But then, as if to mock his efforts, the beasts body began to regenerate even quicker than it had previously done, thus making any effort given on his end futile as it would only serve to prolong the inevitable outcome that was their untimely demise. Guts was out of options and out of time. He began to think of a last resort. He could use his bombs to escape? No, he used them all up in the fight against Mozgus. Damn that shit priest for being so hard to kill. He could light his arroes on fire and burn his way through? No, he just lost his torch, so that was a no go. Then he found it. He could use the cannon in his false arm! It would be messy, and the force of the blast might make their ride a bit more bumpy, but there was no other option. "Get back!" He shouted as he lifted his false arm up and aimed it ahead of him. He turned around to face the beast and smiled. "This is gonna be messy." Farnese, the former princess of the kingdom they were all now trying to both save and escape from, looked up from her fear induced daze to widen her eyes at the man before her. Surely he couldn't be doing what she thought he was going to do. She had seenthe power of his cannon up close, so she knew what it could do. 'He couldn't! He wouldn't! He'll kill us all before we even escape this place! Surely not even he would do something so dangerous!' But then she thought about it. This was Guts. He most certainly would do it. But it was alos because of who this man was that she somehow knew that they would be okay. She watched in awe as he fired off the cannon in his arm. Guts pulled back the hand of his metal arm and blasted the beast with his cannon, grinning like a madman the entire time. "Take this you asshole!" The cannon fire exploded upon impact with the horde, tearing a hole into the beast and propelling his group forward and away from the danger of the demon. He however, stayed behind. The beasts body was regenerating too quickly for him to escape. He screamed in defiance at the abomination until it had swallowed him whole. The group he was with simply stared in quiet horror as their leader took his last breath. However, the beast did not eat him, nor did it kill him. He was instead sent to another world.
Chapter 2: LimboGuts awoke to a strange feeling washing over his body. It was a feeling he did not remember, a feeling he had not felt for so long, that it seemed like it would never be felt again. Warmth. He felt oh so warm. It was as though he was back with the Band of The Hawks, or even better, back in his mother's arms. Not that he could remember what that felt like, considering his upbringing. He just assumed that if he could remember, that is what he would see in his mind. He welcomed it, along with the darkness he was seeing, as he believed that it was death, giving him final comfort before his cross over to the other side. But, just his luck, it turned out he would not be dying, for as he floated in the deep, dark void of nothingness that was what he believed to be the afterlife, he heard a voice. A high pitched, haughty, jester-like voice that immediately made him regret not really being dead. "Well, hi there!" Guts turned his head to see a strange creature who, despite walking on two legs, was nothing like a human. It had a strange mouth that was more like a muzzle, two mismatched horns and feet, a long serpent like body, and a dragon's tail. Not exactly the strangest thing Guts had ever seen, but it was certainly the most tacky in terms of monsters. Not that he really cared how it looked as it was about to be dead. Guts glared at it while remaining silent. "Not exactly the most talkative of my many acquaintances are you?" Guts simply stared back at the being who was apparently his new roommate in the void. "Oh fine, be that way. You won't make any friends where you're going with that attitude." Now Guts was interested. "What do you mean, 'Where i'm going'?" "Ah, so you can speak! Yes, well, about that...You're not dead. Well, at least not yet anyway." "What do you mean i'm not dead. That horde of damned souls swallowed me whole." "Oh you mean that grotesque abomination of liquid hell spawn? Such a nasty thing that one. I simply scooped you up before it had the chance to fully kill you, and brought you here. A little bit bit better, wouldn't ya say? Much less cramped." Guts remained stone faced. "So, where exactly is 'here'?" "Oh just a little hole in the space time continuum I made to help you get more comfortable." Guts' eyes widened, but then he suddenly smiled. "Space time continuum eh? I like it. So, what exactly are you? Some kind of god?" "Yes, actually. Discord, God of chaos at your service." He bowed. Guts laughed. Yes, actually laughed. Out loud. "Ahahahahahaha! Not bad. But, if that's true, then you're the funniest looking god i've ever seen." "Yes, well, I suppose my appearance can be a bit...unsettling at times. But anyway, back to the matter at hand. You are not dead. You are still alive, if just barely." Guts sat up. "So, If that is the case, then I have a question." "Go ahead, ask away my friend." "Why did you help me? Why does a god like you care about a bug like me?" "Well, there's the million dollar question, isn't it, my friend? Why did I help you? I'm afraid that's something you'll just have to find out for yourself. However, I will say this." Guts waited patiently for the god to finish his sentence. "You are alive. you are alive after surviving a grueling life of nothing but death, blood and battle." Guts simply nodded his head at this, knowing the god spoke the truth. "Wouldn't you like to escape all that? To finally put to rest all your pain and suffering and start a new life, in a better, more peaceful world?" Guts smirked at this. Through experience he knew that no world was peaceful. No world would ever escape the call of war and despair. All he ever knew since he was a child was survival and battle. It was his life. It was what made him the man he is today. He knew that whatever world the god spoke of must, like all others, have its own wars and battles of some kind. But still, the idea of taking it easy for at least a little bit did sound a little appealing. "Yeah, I guess I would." "Perfect, because it's almost time for you to arrive!" "Wha-what?!" "Oh did I not tell you? We've been heading there ever since you got here." Guts only smiled again. "You sneaky god." "Yes, I suppose I can be quite the trickster. But I am the god of chaos after all. Now, about your name..." "What about my name?" "Guts is a bit um...well, gory, don't you think? I vote we change it." "Well, that name only brings back bad memories. I guess we could change it. But to what?" "Um....how about...Blood Hoof?" Guts thought about the strange name for a moment before giving his answer. "Sure." "And we should probably do something about that strange symbol of yours." Now Guts was surprised. He could remove the symbol on his neck? How? This symbol was placed by the most powerful demons of his universe! Then again, this was a god he was talking to. "Ah, I know just what to do!" The hod snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. "Hey god! I thought you said you could remove it!" "I didn't say I could remove it. i just said we should do something about it. But don't worry. my magic should do what it was designed to." "Magic, huh? I guess you really are a god." "What made you think I wasn't? Now, you're late for your arrival. Chop chop! We must get you out of here." With a snap of his fingers, Guts was asleep. taking the ride all the way to a new world. One where war was an afterthought. One where peace reigned. One where he could finally relax and just let go. Or could he?
Chapter 3: The Darkness ArrivesGuts awakens to a strange feeling. Warmth. Not the comforting, loving embrace of death as it takes him gently to his demise kind of warmth he had always expected, but the gentle, soothing warmth of a bed. Or at least he believed it was a bed. It was rather small and he was sure that he should be well beyond the size limit for a bed such as this. As his eyes, slowly open, adjusting to the world around him, he sits up and takes a look around. He can't see anything just yet, but he can smell just fine, and what he smells right now, smells delicious. For a guy who could force down just about anything in order to fill his belly, the smell of real food, or at least what he thought to be food, was foreign to him. Yet at the same time, it was so wondrously familiar and nice that it made his mouth water, if only just for a moment. "I'm afraid sitting up is something you must not do, for you are are hurt and I must finish tending to you." Who was that? Who had said that? He placed his hand on his sword, which he was grateful he still had. He still could not see, so he had to rely on his hearing to lead him toward the sound. However, turning his head to look for the source of the voice made him dizzy, so he did as the currently disembodied voice said. Then, as his vision began to clear, the voice came closer to him, and now he could see it's face. It was...a zebra? the voice had come from a talking zebra? Oh well, he's seen much worse than this. "No need to fret my friend. I do not wish to cause pain. I, in the end, am the one who saved you from the rain." Who was this zebra? And why did she rhyme when she spoke? "This is nothing." Guts said as he got up from his bed, already walking towards the door. "Thank you for your help, but I'll be fine." "Are you sure you want to go? If so, I will not hinder your hurry, but if you truly are okay, please let me ease my worry. I am sure you are tired, so why not stay the night? There are many things in this forest that can give you a fright." So, he was in a forest, was he? Seemed logical, what with the talking zebra and all. But still, not matter how grateful he was, he wouldn't impose on someone who helped him, let alone put them in danger by staying with them. Zecora could see that her current method wasn't working, and she really was worried for him. She took a look at her cauldron and got an idea. "Stranger, if this is goodbye, then I hope to see you soon, but if not, then, I could share with you my food. I am quite the cook, taste and you will see. But I cannot give you any, if you should leave." Guts stopped. She had offered him food. If he had to admit, he was very hungry Extremely hungry in fact. He hadn't eaten in what he had guessed (and would be right about) was three days. He hadn't eaten when he first arrived in the village that day, nor the day after in that fight with the beast. And by what he could gather, another day had passed since then. He turned around and walked up to the zebra. "I guess I could stay for a meal, if you don't mind." "I would not mind at all, stranger. I only wish to keep you safe and out of danger." What followed after that was a conversation over one of the best tasting meals he had ever had. It was so good he started eating like a starving dog. Which was a fitting analogy considering how that was exactly what he felt like. "I see you are enjoying the meal. I can already see how much better it has made you feel." "Yeah. Thanks." "No thanks needed. I'm just glad my warnings were heeded." With that, the two ate their fill, and finally, Guts got up to leave. Then she saw it. "excuse me, stranger. I do not mean to pry, but something seems to have caught my eye. It is something that is quite out of the ballpark, but what exactly is that you have for a cutie mark?" Guts had no idea what a "Cutie Mark" was, but as he looked around himself, he saw that he had his mark moved from his neck right near to his ass. "I do not know what you had to do to get it, but I have never once seen a pony other than you with it." Now he really didn't know what she was talking about. He was a pony now? He quickly looked around for a mirror and found one on the back wall to the right of Zecora's hut. He checked over himself and, sure enough, he was a pony, fur, tail and all. His thoughts immediately turned dark, as they usually did when something bad happened. He thought about asking the zebra what she had don to him, but common sense told him that someone who had helped him wouldn't do something like this to him. So it had to be someone else he knew, and the only other person he knew since coming here was... "Discord." The zebra was about to ask a question as to why he knew that name but his expression stopped her cold. Pure, untamed, rage, yet cold and unfeeling at the same time. Like he was trying to hold back an anger that could consume him at any time, and that this development had only served to further melt the thick wall that surrounded him. She found herself shrinking back in slight, but very evident fear. Guts began to take his leave, but there was one last thing Zecora had to do before she let him go. "Excuse me, stranger, for I am to blame. I have not given you my, nor do I know your, name." "My name is Blood Hoof." Was all Guts said. "Nice to meet you Blood Hoof, I'll remember it well, My name is Zecora. Our time together has been swell." With that he left the hut and made his way toward what he would find out, after getting over his rage at having his body transformed, was a town.
Chapter 4: The Darkness ComesGuts had been walking for quite sometime. Long ago had he forgotten the seething rage he felt at the god for transforming his body. Now he simply felt the need to find shelter. He had left Zecora's hut and stepped back out into the rain. Because of that, he ended up getting soaked. Despite all her warnings about the forest being some dangerous place, nothing had attacked him. Not even once. He did see a shadow looming in the woods, stalking him for a while before it had finally decided to leave him alone. 'Maybe I don't seem like good enough prey to it?' He thought as he trotted along. 'Well I am a friggin' pony now, after all. Stupid god.' He remarked once again on his unfortunate circumstances. Off in the distance, he could swear he saw a small town looming over the horizon. "Finally! Civilization!" He said aloud as he made his way toward the buildings he saw. But, despite his lucky find, all his efforts were thwarted when he heard a scream coming in his direction. So focused on getting to civilization that he was only just barely paying attention, he was soon hit headfirst by a heavy flying object. Said object was moving at a high speed, but, Guts being Guts, simply shrugged off what would have knocked any normal person (or pony, in this case) out instantly. He shook his head free of the confusion he was feeling as he took a look around. There was another pony in front of him. Was she the one screaming? What had she been running from so fast? Upon closer inspection, he found that she had wings. 'A Pegasus now? How many different species are there in this world?' But he did not have time to focus on that now. Whatever this Pegasus was running from was no doubt going to chase her down. He had to help her. He sat her up against a tree and pulled out the Dragonslayer with his teeth, readying himself for a fight. He was surprised at how light it was despite being the same exact size it was before. Then he took a look at it, examining it closely. It wasn't as big as before! Don't get him wrong, it was far bigger than any weapon in this world could be by his logic, and he was pretty sure it still weighed the same, but it was still smaller. How? He couldn't dwell on that either. He looked up. While he was worrying about his weapon, the beast had caught up to them. He was mildly surprised at what he saw. He had seen manticore before, but never, one so...colorful. Nor was it so whimsical looking. He thought that if this was what manticore were like in this world, he could take them out easily. How wrong he was. The beast stared him down, and he stared back. Him being a pony, the beast believed it could take him out easily. How wrong it was. In its arrogance, the beast took a swipe at him, hoping to knock him away and out of its way. Guts simply parrried with the Dragonslayer and sliced at its midsection. The beast howled in pain and stumbled back, only to return with a crushing blow that, surprisingly, Guts could not dodge. He did however, block the attack. But, that was all he could do considering his body type now. He did still posses his unimaginable strength. However, he would have to get used to working with his new body. A fact he would soon learn, as the manticore gave another swipe at Guts, sending him flying into a tree. If not for his armor, his back probably would have broken. He got up on shaky forelegs and charged the beast, rage burning in his eyes and blurring his vision slightly. He jumped. To his surprise, he could jump just as high as he could as a human. maybe even a bit higher. This was a boon to him, as he brought his blade down on the creature. Now it was his opponents turn to block. Only it couldn't. The sword pierced its flesh and cleaved right through it, killing it. With the battle over and his opponent dead in a bloody heap on the ground, he went to check on the mare who had just previously been in danger. He walked up to her, only to notice that she had been awake for quite some time. Flutter's POV The beast was coming after her. She didn't know what to do. She had only been in the woods to find Angel Bunny more carrots to eat. Why was she being chased? As she cranked up her flight speed, she saw in front of her a strange looking pony. Unfortunately, she wouldn't get a chance to see just how strange because she was heading for a collision course with said pony with only minutes to spare. She crashed into the pony before she even had time to react and was knocked out. When she awoke, she was up against a tree. As she lifted her head to see what had happened to the pony she had run into, she saw an unbelievable sight. An earth pony was fighting a manticore. And winning! She watched as the beast smashed its palm down upon the pony only for it to block with some sort of large weapon. "What's going on over there?" she said as she watched the beast deliver a blow that should have injured the pony greatly. Thanks to some armor it wore however, the pony had survived and was now struggling to stand up. 'Oh no! Run, Mr. Swordsman' she saidd mentally as she watched the impossible happen before her eyes once more. The pony charged the manticore, rage in its eyes as it jumped higher than she had seen any earth pony do. Apple Jack couldn't even jump that high, and she was the strongest pony she knew! Then, using its large weapon, the pony literally cleaved the manticore in half. The fight apparently over, Fluttershy simply sat there staring at the pony who was currently walking up to her. Once it stopped to look at her she realized. It had been protecting her. She could barely form words, the thought of what she had just seen leaving her speechless. Guts' POV The pony before him didn't say a word. Was she mute? Was she in shock? Did the blow to the head give her a concussion? He had started to wonder for her safety once more when he heard her say "Um...what...was that?" "I just helped you. Now get up and run away. It's dangerous here." Guts silently laughed at himself. Here he was doing exactly what that zebra had told him not to do, and now he was trying to tell someone else the same thing. Talk about a hypocrite. He walked away. Once he was a distance away, Fluttershy noticed he was hurt. Most likely from the fight. "Wait! Mr. Swordsman! You're hurt!" "It's nothing." "But what if it gets infected?!" What was she a doctor? "I'll be fine. I've suffered much worse pain." That thought scared the yellow Pegasus. To think that he had suffered more painful injuries that this before made her nearly faint from worry. But she had to strive on. She had to help him. She flew up to him. "I insist! You need first aid!" Guts looked into the ponies eyes and saw genuine concern. He almost qanted to give in and let her do as she pleased. if only to stop her griping. But then he realized. This was a good deal. He could get treatment, and she could stop worrying over nothing. "Fine." Fluttershy smiled. "Come with me." With those words she led him off to her home, which just so happened to be on the edge of the very forest they just left. Guts had to wonder how she didn't get eaten by now. She opened the door for him and he stepped inside.
Chapter 5: Healing and FriendshipGuts was absolutely horrified. No, not literally. He just couldn't believe his eyes. There were so many furry creatures in her home. He was so bothered by it that he had to ask. "Hey. Yellow one. Why do you have all these animals?" Fluttershy was a bit scared at first. She didn't expect him to call her name so bluntly. BUt then she giggled. "They're my pets. I take care of all of them. Aren't they adorable?" Guts' eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. All these animals...were her pets?! She had a bunny, which was understandable. A bird? Also okay. But when e saw the bear, that was when he drew the line. But then, a thought hit him, and he smiled. "So, a beast tamer, eh?" So that was what she was doing with that manticore back there. "Sorry I killed your catch." Fluttershy shuddered at the word 'kill'. It wasn't a taboo word. It was just...she hated the idea of any poor animal losing its life, even if it was to protect her. "N-no, not at all. I couldn't tame a manticore like that. That only happened once, and even then I was afraid to do it. My friends had to support me. But I was finally able to get it to go back t the wild where it belonged." He knew what she meant. She wasn't a tamer. She was just good with animals. Still a good thing though. "I see." Was all he said in response. And then... "Alright, lie down." Guts looked up to see the pony pointing to her bed. He did as she asked, fully aware that he needed no help, however bad she might think his pain is. "Now, I usually use these to help my animals get better, but i'll use them for you too." She smiled at him as she began to dress his head in bandages. She blushed as she said her next words. "Okay, now I need you to remove your clothes." Having heard this before and gone through the motions dozens of times, he simply complied. Fluttershy, who had not been expecting such a quick response, had to shield her eyes to avoid seeing anything "dirty." She peeked out to find that he had only removed his upper body armor. She scolded herself for thinking such thoughts and returned to her check up of his body. He had scars all over and upon closer inspection of his face, one of his eyes were closed. Was he blind in one eye. She frowned as she found herself feeling bad for the stallion before her. When she returned to looking over his body, she was suddenly a bit disappointed that he had not taken off more. His abs were more than just toned. They were hard, and dense with muscle. She took another look and noticed that his whole body was as she had just mentally described, from his forelegs to his haunches, as they bulged through the armor he wore She scolded herself for having such impure thoughts once more and, with a wave of her hoof and a few words, allowed him to dress himself. "You're just fine. Just keep your head wrapped and you'll be A-okay!" She said happily. She told him to wait where he was as she called her friends over one by one. Considering she had gone on the other room to do this, Guts was left alone with his thoughts. He found himself thinking about how his crew was doing, and whether or not he would ever return to see them. He was snapped out of his revelry by happy squeals of delight from the other room as Fluttershy invited her friends over to visit. Once she had called her friends over, she and Guts sat by the bed, waiting on them to come. When they did, Fluttershy welcomed them inside and allowed them to see Guts for themselves. "OH MY GOSH! Are you the new pony Fluttershy told us about?!" A loud voice seeming to belong to no one came out of nowhere and assaulted Guts' eardrums. "You're so cool! Rainbow Dash would love you!" Suddenly a pink pony with dark pink curly hair appeared behind Guts, causing him to grab Dragon Slayer in his teeth and turn to face her, which in turn caused her to cower away just a bit. "Sorry, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to offend anypony." Suddenly another voice could be heard from the doorway. "Pinkie Pie, darling, stop pestering the poor stallion. He obviously is not in the mood to be joking around." Following the perky pink pony was a white one with a purple mane and a triple diamond Symbol on her flank that Guts could only assume was this cutie mark thing the zebra Zecora had told him about. She walked up to him. "I must say however that his sense of style could use some work. Black leather...ew." Yet another voice from nowhere spoke up from the shadows. "I reckon his sense of style isn't what's wrong, Rarity." A new pony appeared, admonishing the now named Rarity on her priorities. She wore a bow on her tail and had on a stetson hat. She also spoke in a country accent. Guts hadn't heard many of those in a while. "Hi there, stranger, the name's Apple Jack! It's nice to meet'cha." She held out a hoof to shake, which Guts accepted cautiously. He didn't know these ponies well enough to consider them comrades, and for all he knew they could all be here to kill him, but judging by the way the yellow one shuddered at his mentioning the word 'kill', that was frowned upon here. Apple Jack took note of his strong grip. "Alright, where's the pony who killed a mantincore all on his own?!" A very tomboyish voice piped from the shadows once more. Another Pegasus. She looked Guts over. "You don't look so tough. I bet I could do what you did with my wings tied behind my back!" She may have said that, but as she took in his features, she began to think that maybe he was as tough as Fluttershy had said. He did save her after all. She took in his single eye, the second constantly closed. The grim look on his face, the armor he wore, his huge sword. It was as if he was a soldier back from a war, or a lone warrior, forced to fight for his life on multiple occasions against seemingly unbeatable odds. All of it just screamed cool, and she liked it. She didn't know how right she was. "Oh, be quiet Rainbow. You're scaring him." A final voice filled the now non-existent silence in the room. A purple unicorn with wings appeared in the doorway as she slowly entered in to Fluttershy's home. Then, as if she didn't even hear her previous words, she proceeded to pepper him with questions. "So, how did you do it? Did you use that huge sword? How are you able to carry something so big without using magic? Where did you get that armor and what is it made out of? Oh, this is going to be such a huge discovery!" "Girls!" A small, yet intense voice spoke up through the cacophony of sounds. All eyes turned to one yellow Pegasus. "You're asking too much of him! Can't you see he's scared and confused!" The small Pegasus yelled. All of her friends backed off immediately. Guts was surprised at how forceful the yellow one could be. "Good. Now, I'll introduce everyone. Mr. Swordsman, these are my friends. Sorry if they caused you any trouble." Guts simply shook his head. "Really? You don't mind? Yay! Now, everyone introduce yourself. First, was Pinkie Pie, of course. "Hi, there, Mr. Swordsman! My name is Pinkie Pie! But of course you already knew that, since Rarity said my name already!" Then came the rest. "A pleasure, Darling. My name is Rarity." "Howdy, I'm Apple Jack!" "Sup, I'm Rainbow Dash." "How are you? I'm Twilight Sparkle. It's nice to meet you." "And...i-i-i'm...Fluttershy" Came the last and quietest of the introductions. Then she spoke up a bit. "Okay, well, now that we've introduced ourselves. Why don't you tell us your name Mr. Swordsman. It'll be hard calling you Mr. Swordsman all the time, so I just assumed that you'd want to tell us your name to...make it...easier." Guts sighed. Why was she so shy? Then, just as Guts thought that, she started panicking. "Well, that is... if you want us to call you that we can. You don't have to tell us your name if you don't want-" He stopped her mid sentence. Then, he stood up on all four hooves and said, "My name...is Blood Hoof."
