(Hidden and Homemade Shooting Range, Rocky Mountains, Unspecified man’s POV)

I personally wished I could join the military. However, my body weight, appetite, and somewhat lazy (but still hard working) personality kept me from even joining. Needless to say, I was forced to work in a restaurant in Idaho as a dishwasher. With that, I had no alternative to using guns and explosives except in video games and a homemade shooting range that was built on land I carefully saved for.

After a long drive through some mountains, my car came to my land and shooting range. I unpacked my car and prepared some targets (milk jugs and fruits of various sizes) and my favorite rifle, a Mosin-Nagant M1891/30, for shooting. Despite being a Russian designed gun, this was my most reliable rifle, and I treated it as such. Any time I go hunting or need to deal with intruders on my gun range land, my three line rifle was what was used. I cared for it like a parent does with a child, but not overly so.

After setting up the targets and loading my rifle, I took my spot at the end of the range and took aim. Pulling the trigger, the gun exploded. I’m not saying that the gun fired as usual, I’m saying it legitimately exploded. The gun’s barrel and internal workings broke into smaller pieces, a good number of them peppered my chest and punctured my legs. As I started feeling lightheaded from the loss of blood, I felt something impact my chest and pierce through me. After a few seconds of realization, I fell onto my back, and lost consciousness.

(The void)

When I woke up, I saw nothing, but paradoxically, I could see what looked like stars or planets or something space related. I went to rub my eyes, but my hands went through my head. I looked at my hands and to my silent horror, I saw that I was transparent. Before I could actually freak out, I heard a voice.

“Young man, it is best if you didn’t panic. There is a child here and he needs to remain calm.” I heard. Looking around, I saw the Merchant, the guy in those MLP Displaced crossover stories I’ve read...and Yes, I’m a gun fanatic that also likes MLP.

“I never thought I would meet you in my life. I never go to conventions and even if I did, I wouldn’t really buy anything, except food.” I said with a slight bit of awe.

“A shame that. Now, I just happened to be nearby when I felt you getting killed in that gun accident. So, I brought your soul to the void, just as Faust here brought the soul of a recently deceased colt as well.” He said. I looked around and saw a white coated and red maned and tailed alicorn with a transparent colt version of Shining Armor next to her. Said colt was looking at himself like I was minutes before.

“I’m dead!” Shining exclaimed in shock. I could feel the same kind of shock in me as well. We both could only look at each other as we could only fake hyperventilate. A couple of minutes passed before I looked to the two otherworldly beings.

“So, what’s to happen?” I asked with a bit of fear. “Is this a brief afterlife choice thing?”

“That it is, young man.” The alicorn, Faust, answered. “You both have died and either died before your time or lived a rather unfulfilling life.”

“And while we can’t give you your lives back, we can offer you a second chance.” The Merchant added.

“What is the catch?” I asked, getting everyone in the area to raise an eyebrow. “When it comes to things like this, there’s always a catch.”

“The only catch that would happen would be that when your souls are transferred over to the other, your bodies will change to be half-way.” Faust said.

“Meaning that Shining’s body will change to Anthro Pony while my body will change to Pony Man?” I asked, getting a nod from both beings.’Not much of a choice for me. Either live as a freak of nature among ponies or just be dead.’ I debated with myself. ‘And Faust mentioned having lived an unfulfilling life, so being given a second chance to have a good and somewhat proper life in exchange for looking relatively weird is a fair deal.’ I thought. “Well, I’ll take a second chance. If I have to be different to have that chance, well, I’ll do it.”

“And what about you, young Shining Armor?” Faust asked the young colt soul.

“In all honesty, I’ll pass on that.” Shining said, surprising us all. “At least, for now. In all honesty, going into a body that has an unfulfilling life while my mind is only four years old, it’ll be difficult to pick up the pieces.”

“Very profound for a four year old.” I commented.

“That’s the mind that is only four years old.” Shining said. “The soul can be profound beyond the years of the body.”

“True enough.” I conceded. “So...when do I start my new life?”

“Now.” Faust said, lighting her horn and I end up falling asleep.

(Canterlot Hospital, Shining Armor [age 4] POV)

I could hear beeping as I was beginning to regain consciousness. I carefully opened my eyes and slowed tried adjusting to the bright lights that came from the ceiling. I sat up to examine my body and true to Faust’s words, I’m anthro. Unlike what I read in certain fanfictions though, my legs and feet are different from what I expected. I expected hooves with satyr-like legs, but what I saw and got were human like legs and my feet were like a combination of feet and hooves (basically, think a foot with a cloven hoof serving as two big toes). I barely had time to register that in mind when a pair of grey hooves took me into a hug.

“Oh, Shining sweetie!” I heard a mare say as I was hugged. The mare was grey with a purple and white mane and tail. I instantly recognised her as Twilight Velvet, the mother of Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor...well, now me. “I was so worried that the magical backfire killed you, but you’re okay! It’s just you’ve now become something else!” She cried on my shoulder. I returned the hug, rubbing and scratching her back, calming her down almost instantly.

‘Holy Hay! This is actually happening!’ I thought as I calmed Mom down while trying to keep calm. ‘I’m guessing Shining...well me...must have gotten into an accident of some kind. I have a few memories from his...my...past, but not much. Maybe Mom can help fill in those blanks.’

“I’m sorry for scaring you Mom.” I told her, as both fake and real tears rolled down my face. “Now, I think the backfire or whatever made me forget some things.” I told her. She looked almost ready to cry again, but I calmed her down with another back rub. “We can just talk about it. Think of it as a chance to go over memories and laugh together, as mother and son.” I said, which got her to perk up again. Her and I talked for a few hours, during which, Night Light (Dad) showed up with a nurse and dinner was served to me right there in my room. And to be honest, the hay food tastes pretty good.

Author's Note

And here is the start of a FanFiction that I intend to try to keep alive.

And I will count this (somewhat) as a Displaced FanFiction, so when Shining gets older, he'll stumble on someone's Token and crossover happens.