The Nine

Tucson, Arizona. Swelteringly hot from five in the morning until eight at night, and one of the more boring towns in the U.S.. This is where my life began, where I grew up, and where I thought my life would end. When I came out of the ‘stables’ and announced my brony status, I found that my family rejected bronies as much as extremist Christians reject fags. As such, I was expelled from the household. I was forced to live in the washes that lace Tucson. This was not so hard, as long as I stayed out of them when the rains came.

Of course, things were even more boring than usual. When not finding my next meal, I had little to do. So, I began exploring the millions of washes, tracing them out on the map I took when I left. But, that didn’t last long, as I had a lot of down time. So, when that fun ran out, I decided to explore the pipes built into the walls of the washes. I figured this would simply serve to pass the time, but I was wrong.

I began by exploring the pipe closest to my ‘home’ (it was merely a hole in the wall). I followed it deep into the earth, my way being illuminated by a flashlight I had found. It eventually led out into searing daylight and rolling plains. I already knew I wasn’t in Tucson, but other than that, I had nothing on my current location. In the far distance, I could see what appeared to be a traditional American Indian teepee, so I decided to check it out, but not before I memorized the surroundings around where I came out. I reached the teepee before the night did, and they put me in for the night, out of sheer kindness.

They were quite strange people, what appeared to be a family of minotaurs. I knew this had to be a dream now, as they were obviously the Native American esque Tauren that Blizzard pulled out of thin air. I must admit, though, this dream food was quite scrumptious, and the bed was quite soft. As I drifted off to sleep in a foreign land I can only imagine was Mulgore, I began to wonder if this was a dream. Would I wake up when I fell asleep?

No, I simply woke up the next morning in the same bed, the same land. And, the Tauren family wouldn’t let me leave without a full stomach. When I did leave, though, it was back the way I had come, into the enlarged foxhole I had crawled out of.

When I arrived back in Tucson, the sun had only recently risen, telling me that time was the same here and there. Since I had a full stomach, I had no need to go hunting, and I decided to explore another tunnel. This one went on for farther than the last, and I was about to give up hope when the sun lanced in and seared my pupils. I stepped out into a land more barren than I could ever describe. All I could see for miles on end was a rolling sea of red. Since I could see nothing, and had no way to memorize the position of this hole, I turned to leave. But there, in my path stood a tall, humanoid thing. It was easily seven feet, and was brutishly built, a truly rippling physique. I attempted to ask him where I was, but was interrupted by a swift backhand that left me unconscious.

The next thing I knew, cold water hit me in the face, ripping me out of my unconsciousness. I looked up at the one who splashed me, and recognized the brute who knocked me out. I made to do the same, but found my arms bound to my sides. I heard a woman’s voice call out a harsh greeting.

“Look who’s awake. Just in time, too. The hounds were getting hungry.” It was then that I noticed the ‘dogs’ sitting and slobbering in the corner. Honestly, I thought they looked more like amorphous blobs. Another voice, in a tongue I could not understand, snapped me out of my thoughts. Whatever language he spoke, it was more akin to a small avalanche. The woman who spoke earlier replied in a similar fashion, then turned her gaze to me.

“Gnuk here says he found you out on the plains after crawling through a hole. Who are you and where did you come from, white one?”

When I had finally translated her broken English, I replied: “I am William, and come from Earth. Where am I?”

“William, William, hmm” she pondered. “No, I do not like the way that sounds. I shall call you Kiqo” She replied in a tone of finality. “In our tongue, Kiqo means white. As to where you are, you are on what we call Nyth. These are the bloodied plains of Vagnir. You stand before the queen of the Nyorn. Have you any more questions?”

“No, I get flung from my world and thrown into an alien one and have no questions. Of course I have questions. First off, why are these plains bloody? Secondly, why did Gnuk have to go and knock me out? Thirdly, how did I not see this building? Did we go that far, or do you have some sort of magic?”

After some consultation with Gnuk, presumably about the whole backhand incident, she turned to me. “These plains are bloody because we fought many years for them. Gnuk simply knocked you out because he was afraid of you. And finally, you did go that far, and we have some grasp on magic.”

“Why would you fight for someplace this barren? Also, how could a muscular, um, being like Gnuk be afraid of anything?” I asked, struggling for a word to describe Gnuk.

“I forgot that Gnuk found you out in the Badlands. Here, these plains are lush and fertile. As for Gnuk’s fear, his muscles are simply an illusion. He is the best mage on Nyth.” At this, Gnuk blushed.

“So, why did you capture me for interrogation?”

“We did not know if you were a threat. Gnuk thought that maybe you were a spellcaster, since you don’t look strong enough to cause much physical harm.” At this, I glared at Gnuk for insulting me so, although it was true. “As i can sense, though, you are not a spellcaster, so you may go.”

On queue, Gnuk exploded in a flash of light, the queen waved goodbye, and I found myself back at the hole I came out of, hands unbound. Before I left, Gnuk crushed me within his arms. I still wonder how he truly felt about me. I ducked back through the tunnel, and when i came back home, I found food at my home.

I found a card, which, in broken handwriting, read: ‘You looked awfully hungry, so i thought I’d have Gnuk teleport some food to you. -Fu, queen of the Nyorn’. Ravenous, I dug into the spread and prepared for another adventure, since the sun was far from setting and I was far from tired.

I picked another tunnel to go through, but I decided against it. I searched about the wash until I found a spray can, and labeled the two tunnels I had already explored. I left the can in my camp even though i doubted its longevity. I crawled through the tunnel I had picked, and was surprised when I was blinded almost immediately.

I stepped through to see three suns burning the land before me. I wondered why such a place would ever exist. It was hotter than Tucson, and seemed abandoned and lifeless. Since I had been fooled by appearances before, I turned around, expecting a backhand. None came, and I found myself truly alone. If it weren’t so hot, I would have been happy. But, all the same, I turned back. I labeled this tunnel ‘Desolation’. It fit.

Since I was not yet hungry, I went in search of another tunnel. I found only one within walking distance, so I entered it. I followed it through its twists and bends and found myself hungry before it ended. When I emerged, it was not into bright daylight, but into dusk. I was under a bridge, but could hear nothing from up above. Since the bridge I was under was obviously man-made, I crawled out from underneath, expecting a village. All I saw was a small cottage, surrounded by lush foliage, and brimming with animal life. This all seemed familiar, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

I walked up to the cottage, not knowing what to expect. I knocked, and there a dart of yellow by the window, followed by a feminine ‘eep’. “Hello?” I called, not wanting to frighten whoever was inside.

“Go away, you big meanie” I heard in that same feminine voice.

“That’s not very nice to say to a stranger” I replied.

“You’re strange, alright. You walk on two legs.” With that, it clicked. I was in Equestria, from the show that got me expelled from my family.

“Look, why are you frightened? Just cause I walk on two legs doesn’t mean I’m mean, just that I’m different.”

“I guess you’re right” she said, and opened the door, bit by bit. I had called it. Fluttershy stood before me, scared as ever.

“Hi.” I said, and observed her form. She noticed my observation, and blushed. “I wouldn’t want to scare anyone else, so do you know of any way I could disguise myself as one of you?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“I have a friend who has some magic that could disguise you. I think she would enjoy your company.”

“Alright, then.” I replied, but when she didn’t move, I just had to ask: “So, do I have to find this friend of yours on my own, or will you be so kind as to show me to her?”

She blushed again. “I was just thinking about how everypony in town would either be frightened of you or ask too many questions.” Suddenly, her face lit up and she sped back into her house. I figured she had just had an idea, since she left the door open. “Come on in, sit where you like, I just need to get something.”

I walked in, closed the door, and decided to sit on the floor, since that had been where I had sat for a rather long time. When she finally came back, she was carrying what looked to be a jumpsuit. She handed it to me. “Put this on.”

I complied, and in a few minutes, I had it on. I looked down at myself, and saw that it was a pony costume. “So, is this how we’ll avoid fear and questions?”

“Yes, but you’ll have to learn to walk like a pony. It’s a ways to the town where Twilight lives, so I’ll teach you on the way.”

I followed, and she started me off with walking on all fours. Noticing that, due to the human anatomy, I bent forward when I did that, so she had me walk on my knees instead. I also folded my legs into my fake legs. When I did this, I wound up just as tall as Fluttershy, and found I could keep up with her rather well.

As we walked through Ponyville, we saw very few ponies, as it was getting on towards night. Those we did see, however, cast curious glances my way, but did not ask questions. Eventually, we came to the tree where Twilight’s library was. Fluttershy knocked, and Spike answered. “Hey Fluttershy! Who’s your friend?” Was the costume that convincing?

“He’s a, um, stranger, and he needs Twilight’s help.” I could’ve sworn I heard Spike mutter under his breath ‘You can say that again’, but I couldn’t be sure.

He brought us in, and called for Twilight. She came down, and glanced curiously at me before greeting Fluttershy, “Hi, Fluttershy. Who’s your friend?” I felt major deja vu then.

Instead of saying I was a stranger, she shut the door and told me to take off the costume. I did so, and revealed myself to the other two. Fluttershy then asked, “Do you have a spell that would make him appear as a pony?”

Twilight blinked a few times, and then turned her head to Fluttershy, though her eyes lingered behind on me for a while. “A what?” She asked, awestruck. She then shook herself out of her reverie. “Why, yes, I have a spell just for that” She dove into her books, and came out, levitating one in front of her. “I haven’t tried this before, but here goes.” Her horn flared, and glowed brighter and brighter, until it was almost unbearable.

Initially, I felt nothing, but eventually, there was a change. First came an unbearable itching as fur grew out of my once bare skin. Next was a shrinking. I knew this was my legs, since the next change threw me off balance, and forced me onto all fours. Then, I heard an awful cracking and unbearable pain in my face as my face rearranged itself in order to look more pony like. Finally, I grew a tail and hooves, and my hair rearranged itself into a proper mane.

Twilight passed out after that, and Spike carried her up to bed, leaving me to inspect myself. I had brass colored fur all over, and a blonde mane. I also noticed I had no cutie mark, but I imagine that will come with time.

Spike came back down and showed me into a spare bedroom, and Fluttershy flew home. I was hungry, but didn’t want to over extend their hospitality. I laid down on the bed and promptly went to sleep, my body wracked with exhaustion after today.

When I awoke in the morning, I noted that the sun was not up yet. I stepped out of my room, walking quietly so as to not disturb Twilight. I left to go for a walk, stretch my new legs. I eventually found myself at a small pond. I looked into the reflective water, and saw my new face. Twilight did a very good job. I saw dawn on the horizon, and trotted back to the library. I lay back down on my bed, and pretended to sleep. A little while later, I heard my door open. I lifted my head to see Twilight standing in the doorway, looking awfully proud. “Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.”

“I certainly thought so,” I replied. “I know that took a lot of power, and I am extremely grateful.”

“I honestly can’t believe I did that,” she replied. Due to my quizzical look, she continued. “Fluttershy shows up with what appears to be a walking ragdoll, and turns out to be an alien, and I just go and turn him into a pony without even asking his name.”

Catching the hint, I introduce myself, not as William, but as Kiqo.

“That’s an odd name” she muses. “What does it mean, and where did it come from?”

“It means white, and Fu, queen of the Nyorn dubbed me so when I visited their homeworld of Nyth.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a story.” She thought a moment, and said “Why don’t you write that down, and I’ll go gather my friends. I’m sure at least one of them wants to meet you.” I nodded in consent, and wrote my tale. This is the end of the record of the past, but just the beginning of the future.