The Ceterian: Beginnings

A young man, by the name of Erik Moore, sighs with a slightly heavy heart as he currently sat with his back against the wall out in the parking lot of the college he currently went to. He was an average man really, messy blonde hair, a five o'clock shadow, rather thick brows, an odd eye of one blue and one red, and he had a rather average build, with a little extra muscle as he preferred to work off the extra fat he got. With another heavy sigh, he pulls out an inhaler, and breaths some in before putting it away. Aside from needing to use that five times a day, he also had to take a few pills every morning and night so that he could go to sleep without hallucinations and hearing voices in his head. And on top of all this, he had just been rejected by the 56th girl to date. He couldn't help but feel that he has the worst luck in both life and with women, so much so that it's becoming a rather big pain in the rear. He enjoys playing the occasional game, like a board game or video games, and he also enjoyed eating mainly Chinese and Japanese foods, but his most favorite thing that he enjoys quite a bit is the theories that scientists come up with involving dimensions, space, and time itself.

Shaking his head with a soft grumble, he gets to his feet, slinging a bag over his shoulder, another shake of the head, and begins walking, getting to the walkway as he walks across the bridge from the college to town. As he walked, he couldn't help but think of something, what would he do if he managed to get a date? He's never actually been on one, and never actually had anyone interested in him, even throughout his 21 years alive. It was rather embarrassing to admit it though, so he never actually told anyone... But he never said he dated anyone either, as he had been raised not to lie, even though he had reserves for when lying would be for the best, but given the life he lived? Nothing was worth lying that much about, so yeah...

He blinks for a moment as he heard a vehicle speeding. Looking behind himself, he saw the car rushing at him, but given how fast it was going, he had little to no time to react before it hit him, knocking them both off the bridge before feeling himself get crushed between the car's hood and the highway below.

...

Erik gasps loudly as he sits up, looking around rapidly as he attempts to find out where and what the hell had just happened. After a while, he slowly calms down as he places a hand against his head, before digging into his pocket and grabbing for the inhaler... However he couldn't find it. In a panic he began searching all over for it, soon discovering he was only wearing his white T-Shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers. Where the hell was his backpack?! He needed his medicine and inhaler for the worst case scenario! ...Wait, why wasn't it becoming harder to breath after that panic?

He couldn't help but rub his throat in confusion, before seeing what appeared to be a bright light up ahead, which made him blink in confusion, before slowly getting to one knee, and using his hand to try and block out the blinding brightness of the light. The last thing he needed right now was to go blind. With a grumble, he gets to his feet and starts walking towards the light, all the while mumbling to himself. "Not like I will end up dying again by following a light, but wouldn't that be a pain? Dying again and finding yourself in nothingness upon your second death?" Shaking his head in an annoyed mood, he continues to follow the light, before soon he felt himself fall off a ledge, and suddenly saw the clouds and air rushing past him as he headed straight for what appeared to be an ocean below. "HOLY SHIT!"

He covers his face with his arms as he soon enough splashes into the ocean water, and began to flail his arms until he had decent control of himself, and swam up to the surface of the water. Once he makes it up there, he takes a big gasp of air and coughs out some of the salty water as he looked around, trying to figure out where the ever loving hell he was.

However, he's soon greeted to a life preserver landing in the water by him as what appeared to be a ship was passing by, and a figure had tossed the preserver to him. Grabbing a hold of it, Erik holds on as the figure pulls him up onto the ship, and he collapses onto his back, coughing out more water as he wipes a bit of the water off his face. Sitting up and shaking his head, he looks up, only to see a sword aimed right at his face, and a rather intimidating... Pony? Aiming it at him with it's teeth as... It's wings were folded.

Erik raises his hands defensively as he spoke. "Whoa! First you save me and now you're going to skewer me alive?! The hell?!"

The pony blinks at him, but keeps the cautious look as it sheaths the blade under it's wing, then... Speaks, sounding a bit female really. "Can't be too careful with the waters being how they are this far north."

"...You just talked..."

"Yeah, and so did you, deal with it shite-for-brains."

"...Shite?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"...Are you British?"

"British? No, I'm Germane."

"...Germane? You mean German?"

"No, I mean Germane, I'm not a bloody human, now am I?"

"...Fair point." Erik folds his hands on his lap. "So... I just went through a thorough mindfuck, and I don't know jack or his brother shit about any of this."

"Let me guess, you're what those Ceterians call a 'Realm-Jumper' then?"

"A what now?"

"A being that appears from other points of reality."

"..." Erik had great interest in the fact that she mentioned a dimensional theory, but repressed it so not to get his rear handed to him. "Okay, so... You are?"

"Crimson Flare, everypony calls me Clare."

"Good to know." Erik gets to his feet, and offers a hand. "Erik Moore."

"Ugh, human names, I'll call you Ere."

"...Uh... Okay?" Erik slowly nods as he looks behind her, and sees that not a single soul was on the ship. "...You the only one on this ship?"

"Yeah."

"...How are you controlling it then?"

"Ah, that's one of my inventions." She motions Erik to follow as she heads up the wooden stairs nearby.

"Suddenly we're friendly?" Erik asks as he follows.

"Want me to throw you overboard instead?"

"No, I'm good."

"Then don't ask stupid questions." Erik grumbles as the two make it to the wheel, and Erik sees that instead of the wheel, there was an entire computer system that connected to the ship. "This is what I like to call the Automatic Ship Controller. See, it's like a normal ship's auto-pilot, but with a more sophisticated system that controls even the sails and whatever else needed to move the ship. The hull itself is wooden, but everything else, even the ship's armor, is completely metal."

"Where in the hell did you get the metal to design this?"

"My family is rich back home, and while they're not supportive, they're still willing to pay for my inventions and such."

"Let me guess, it gets them more money once you make the blueprints..."

"Bingo, they're a group of greedy moneybloods."

"...Odd name."

"What, like I can say wanker and sod off with as much ease as a human? Please."

"...Right..." Erik shakes his head at the confusing mare as he looks ahead. "Where are we going exactly?"

"Germane, I'm heading there with the supplies on the ship so I can start working on my latest invention."

"Which is...?"

"An automatic, double cylinder revolver."

"...How in the hell would that work?"

"It's still in the trial stages, so it doesn't yet." She admits. "I managed to make it able to hold more rounds, at least two more, but that's not enough. Ponies want the power of a 45-70 Revolver with the clip of a Shepard .45."

"I see..." Erik rubs his chin at this, before looking out to the ocean. "You mentioned something about it being dangerous out here?"

"Aye, there are factions beyond the borders of pony territory, which lead to the treaty between all pony factions in an attempt to prepare for the coming war. Not all of the factions are hostile, but we're safer being prepared and all."

"Makes sense I suppose..." Erik sits down on the floor of the ship as he watched the waves passing by, before looking at his hand, stopping for a moment when he discovered a single black mark on the palm of his hand. He couldn't help but blink in confusion as he examined it. What was it, and what is it's purpose exactly?

"Oi!"

Erik looks at the mare. "What?"

"We got a couple ships ahead, they look to be UNSC."

"UNSC? You mean the United Nations Space Command from halo?"

"They're from something in your world?" She blinks, before shaking her head. "Nevermind. Yes, that's them, and they're not as friendly as most other factions... We'd best lay low."

"How would we do that exactly?"

"Simple, go around them, give them a wide birth and all that. Better than-Oh buck!" She makes the ship turn away from the two ahead as another pair of ships come into view, opening fire on the UNSC ships. These ships seemed to have the symbol of a two headed bear on it, reading on the bottom the 'New California Republic'.

"What the hell?! Fallout AND Halo?! And they're attacking each other?!"

"Just assume all those factions from games and shows you've seen are here and also assume they're all at war for something, and the war is getting closer and closer to the pony borders!" She gallops down into the lower decks, while Erik saw the cannons on the main deck loading up. If she's preparing for battle, then they must not be friendly, which means...

Erik immediately runs down into the lower decks after Clare, and takes up one of the rooms. Once in said room, he sits down on the cot and rubs his head for a moment, before blinking as he saw the marking glowing a bright aqua blue, before slowly turning back to a black color, as there was a second part of the marking on the back of his hand now. "The hell?"

With a disgruntled sigh, he lays down on the bed and begins muttering to himself about this being a dream and he'll wake up sooner or later.

...To Be Continued...