Author's Note

I know I should probably finish some of my older stories before starting this one, but honestly I needed to get this started. I'm serious I needed to get this out of my head because I've been playing dungeons and dragons with a friend and his girl and this just came to me because of the fact I always play a ranger. I wondered "What if a ranger were sent to Equestria?" Thus this was born. Hope you enjoy and sorry for the lack of detail starting in chapter two our protagonist is going to give more detail about everything including the mares he spends time with.

Chapter 1: The end of the line for the ranger and start of retirement

My story begins where it ends. By that I mean where my story in the forgotten realms ends my story begins in another world. It all started when my companions and I traveled deep into the lands of a forgotten kingdom in search of a demon and its followers. We found the demon and faced off against it, a dark cleric, an evil magus, a black wizard, a rogue, a fighter, and a necromancer. My companions and I were better equipped but the enemy were powered up by the demon and making it difficult. We faced hordes of undead, hundreds of imps and other weak monsters, and eventually we all started to fall.

My party consisted of myself a ranger who followed the goddess Mielikki, a druid of the god Silvanus, a paladin of Paladine the platinum dragon, a fighter who’s only goal was vengeance, a mage who followed Solinari, a rouge who followed Mielikki as well, a Halfling cleric, an elven monk, a dragonborn warrior, and an half elf fighter. The party had quickly lost our two fighters, though they took out most of the undead with them. The cleric kept most of us from dying for a while until she took an arrow in the throat from a demon archer.

I was starting to run out of arrows as the last of the demons fell. The demons planned on summoning more but that was quelled by the paladin having taken on their lord and vanquishing him with his dying breath. I hadn’t learned my companions’ names, but I respected each and every one of them. The rouge was eventually slain by the wizard, but not before using an enchanted dagger to kill the necromancer. It was down to our magus, our monk, our dragonborn, the druid, and me to take on the last wizard. He realized he wasn’t walking away alive so he cast a spell to wipe out the area and take us with him. My arrow caught him in the throat mid-cast, causing him to fall and the spell to implode creating a rapidly enlarging portal that could only be shut from the other side.

I volunteered to close the portal, knowing that it led to the infernal realms, and would allow demons through to terrorize the good people of our world and could possibly get the gods involved. I was enchanted by the druid and magus, before going through the portal the dragon born gave me a pair of longswords, seeing as my bow would be mostly useless and I jumped into the containment field around the spell. I found myself facing off against demons as soon as I entered the field.

I was worried about the fact the wizard’s miscast creating a portal then realized he didn’t miscast at all. He planned on summoning reinforcements to help him destroy our world. I swore and ran through the demons then ran into the portal and closed it by severing the link between worlds with an enchanted dagger the mage had given me. As the portal closed it exploded and I found myself before Mielikki. I stared at the goddess, who’d taken the form of a unicorn human hybrid, and bowed slowly. She smiled and said “Rise Jared Shadow, champion of Mielikki.” I slowly rose to my feet and she said “I have seen your travels Jared, I know of your dedication to the light despite being a chaotic being. So, I have a proposition for you.”

I bowed my head and said “What is this proposition milady?” She laughed softly and raised my head with her hand then shook her head to say I didn’t have to bow any part of me in her presence. I nodded and asked “What could you possibly have that I would take, milady? I would be happy just moving on to the afterlife knowing my home was safe.”

She giggled, a goddess actually giggled, and said “I was thinking about sending you to a world a friend of mine runs. She like me is an animal goddess, but unlike my world she has a world of hybrids.” I raised an eyebrow and she explained “Unicorns, Pegasi, and regular ponies crossed with humans. I was thinking about sending you there with the body of a Gaian or earth pony as they call themselves. You would have the abilities you have now, but you would also be physically stronger, in a land of peace, and have a chance to retire so to speak. When you died you may remain in their afterlife or return to mine. Eventually you’ll be given another chance at rebirth. What do you say Jared?”

I smiled slightly and said “Milady I would be honored to accept this. I’ve always been curious about those others would call hybrids, without wanting to become a therianthrope myself. However I must ask is there a catch?”
She sighed and said “The land is heading toward a time of upheaval. You will arrive ten years before this upheaval as a young child. You

will have time to acclimate to your new body. Actually you’ll be with a family that will know nothing of your abilities. Know that you will have much to do and only ten years to do it. After five years you will be old enough to travel on your own. When that happens, if you don’t already live there, head to the town of ponyville and befriend the local populace. I and my friend have seen that the world’s troubles will revolve around six young mares, five of which will reside in the town. It will be your job to protect them.”

I nodded and said “As you command Lady Mielikki, so shall it be. I promise to do my best. I hope the gods watch over this world and the one I’m going to both.”

She nodded and said “Also be wary of the ascended, they will know something about you and may be of help if you reveal to them what you know. Now off with you my champion.” She vanished and I felt myself falling into a deep sleep. As I slept I dreamed of rolling hills, endless forests, and endless mountains. I awoke to find myself in a forest with a gaping wound in my side, inflicted before my death, and was taken in by a shy pegasus. She said her name was Fluttershy and that she lived on her own, what was amazing was we lived near a place called ponyville. I chuckled as I realized my goddess had sent me right where I was needed.

Fluttershy helped me to meet the apple family, a group of farmers with strong Gaian ancestry. They helped me build my own home on the edge of the Everfree forest. Many thought I was insane because of my love of the forest but it was my one reminder of home. Besides that the creatures within knew not to fight with me. I was no easy meal, and honestly the creatures respected me. After my first year I learned about the ascended my goddess was talking about, her name was Princess Celestia. She was an alicorn or fusion of all three pony races. I made plans to meet her and tell her I knew of the coming troubles for her land. However first I had to get to know the town better. This was the start of my retirement, and honestly it was looking a hell of a lot easier than the things I’d had to do in my own world so I was fine with it.