I was observing a dagger for imperfections when a helmet crashed into my face, followed by chuckling,

"Hey, freak! Toss me another helmet?" With a sigh, my shoulders sunk. The voice was annoyingly familiar, I looked up, and my day was instantly ruined. Emerald green eyes, mane, and tail, accompanied by white fur. Yep, it was him. Sergeant Gallant Blade of the Solar Guard. Bastard's been a pain in my ass ever since we met. Him and his entourage of yes-men or yes-stallions. Gallant was from a long lineage of uptight unicorn nobles who, unfortunately for everyone else, had a history in the Royal Guard.

Trying in vain to curb my anger, I stood up and walked towards the helmet rack. Snatching one off of the shelf, I tossed it at Gallant, "Try not to dent this one, Gallant." My words struck a chord in him. Gallant's eyes lit up in a fury. He instantly closed the distance between us. The stallion's face was contorted in rage.

His hoof prodded my stomach, almost sending me off balance, "Listen here, you shaved ape, don't you ever speak my name! A lowly creature such as yourself will sully it! It is not my job to worry about what happens to the armor. That duty is yours and yours alone. I don't even know how you became a guard in the first place, but...you belong in here, away from ponykind. Like the animal you are." I almost hit his ass right then and there. My fists shook. Every second I looked at his ugly sneer, the urge to throw a punch grew. Gallant noticed them and smirked, "Oh, you wanna hit me? Go right ahead, I'll beat you up and down this forge, then make sure you never step foot in this castle again. Do it. Do it. Come on, do it, you freak!" He grabs me with his magic and shoves me into the shelf. I was showered in a rain of golden helmets.

The silence was interrupted with raucous laughter, "Look at him, at my hooves. As he should be!" Gallant turned and walked away, "Clean this up, now. That's an order." Once they left the chamber, I rose from the pile.

I sighed a lot louder this time, "I can't take much more of this shit." I bent down and snatched up a helmet, gazing at my reflection. I was an unfortunate man who happened to be stuck in Equestria, to be more specific, A 24-year-old African American man. Scars peppered my body, got cut a few times on the job. I shaved my head bald, less of a thing to worry about. Black stubble lined my cheeks and jaw. Dark bags formed under my eyes. Strangely enough, I've been sleeping these past few days. No matter how long I stay in bed, it still feels like I was awake the entire night.

My name is Donovan Crowley; I arrived here in Equestria after a "magical influx" opened on my world. I was unfortunate enough to be walking home from the local bar when it happened. The princesses understood my situation. They tried everything they could, but as fate would have it...I couldn't go back. The combined magic of Equestria's royalty wasn't enough to pinpoint the exact location of Earth, let alone send me there. The news was the hardest thing I ever had to take in. Never being able to see my friends and family again. Things I learned back on Earth quickly became useless. Finally, once some time had passed, Princess Celestia gave me citizenship and sent me on my way.

At first, I tried to get a job somewhere out in Canterlot. Every store I went to didn't need another worker. Especially those where I was confident that there would be some open positions. I spent whatever bits I had on some food. I found myself sleeping in allies and on benches when the night came. I spent the last of my bits on breakfast in a restaurant when I saw a poster ad for the Royal Guard. I stared at it for a time, pondering my options for a few moments before realizing I had none. I spoke to a recruitment officer and signed up.

Boot camp was another animal entirely. The Drill Instructors were especially hard on me. It didn't matter how minor the mistake was. If I fucked up in any way, my punishment was always harsher. My fellow recruits never regarded me, either. No matter how much physical training or sparring matches we had, I always felt like I was on my own. However, against all odds, I survived. When I received my armor and sword, I felt proud to have accomplished something. I couldn't stop myself from smiling, regardless of the comments I received about it. Not all guards get the same job. Sometimes we handle escort missions, get stationed at forts across the country, or if you were highly desirable, you could be a personal guard for one of the Princesses. Standing by them and ensuring their safety at all times. Wanna know what I was tasked with?

Blacksmithing. I trained tirelessly for two months, only to be given the role of Royal Blacksmith and Armour Cataloguing. The first time I saw the old stone walls and decrepit furniture was a soul-crushing experience. No windows, just the roaring light of the furnace illuminated the dungeon I'd come to call home. The previous blacksmith that used to work there opted to teach me everything she knew. Her name was Iron Hooves. She was a middle-aged earth mare with a silver mane and tail accompanied by burnt orange fur. She never commented on my appearance or my race. Iron Hooves was just there to mentor me. Learning the ropes took a decent amount of time and effort. My first creations looked akin to crude weapons that third-graders would scribble in their notebook. Once I learned everything there was to know about forging armor and weapons, she wished me luck and left. After that, I never saw her again. I didn't want to ask around, not like anypony would take the time to stop and answer, but it was also because of how exhausted she'd always looked. I guessed that she should enjoy her retirement.

So now...here I am. Living out every day of my life in the sweltering heat of the forge. Slaving over an anvil to supply the guard with weapons and armor. I haven't worn my armor for so long that it's been collecting dust. Its gold material, having long lost the lustrous shine it had on the day of my graduation from boot camp. It just stays on the stand until the day I need it. It isn't like blacksmithing didn't have its benefits, the heat, continuous movement, and heavy lifting made for a killer workout. For lack of a better word, I was built. I packed on a good amount of muscle over time. Still, I wished things were a bit different. If only these ponies were more accepting towards me.

In Equestria, ponies go by the motto "Friendship and Harmony." As far as Harmony goes, it's a lot more peaceful than what was going on in America or the world. But, on the other hand, friendship is something I have yet to experience. I've been alone for the whole of these three years. With the way things are now, I doubt that will change.

I stepped back from the shelf and looked at the helmets. The roaring flame of the bellows made them gleam. I gotta admit, I do some damn fine work. The only fun part about being this damn job is my side projects. I've made a lot of stuff over the years. I made repeating crossbows, daggers, and swords. Just to name a few. Armor and weaponry from the Medieval Ages were my favorites to create. Ponies used Corinthian-style armor (think of the Spartans), which is great for mobility but not as effective for protection in certain areas like the legs and arms. What was even worse was the fact that the Solar Guard used Gold. Despite being an absolute waste of a valuable resource, it was also unethical. Gold was a lot heavier than steel yet not as resilient. The Lunar Guard preferred to use blued steel, so they had the upper hand when it came to that.

I went around the room, snuffing out the wall-mounted torches before extinguishing the bellows. I shed my apron and tossed it onto the couch with a huff, "That's it for today, I guess," I headed towards my room. The iron door opened with a slight squeak, warranting my attention, "I'll fix that hinge tomorrow morning." I muttered before stepping inside. On the left was my cot. The mattress was old, stained, and darkened from time. There was no bathroom in here. I usually got ready for the day in the barracks. I go a little earlier to avoid any confrontations with the other guards. In the far right corner, my dusty armor sat. I had nailed in a metal rod between two adjacent walls to hang up my clothes, what little clothes I had anyway. My room was lit by a single torch. Not as big as the ones I used for work, but it was enough to let me see.

I collapsed onto the bed, the frame squeaking something awful. The squeak graduated into a groan before a loud snap rang out. The mattress now sat lopsided. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, "Guess I'll fix that in the morning too." Funny how I went from a respectable auto technician on Earth to a blacksmith on some distant planet. Some time passed before I started to feel the day's effects.

'How much father am I going to fall?" was the last thought to cross my mind. Then, finally, my eyes closed, and sleep overtook me.

I awoke in darkness.

It was as if my eyes were still closed. Although I could feel that they were open. I stood there perplexed at the strange dream...or nightmare. It was too early to tell. Taking a tentative step forward, my barefoot made a squelching noise. It felt like I was standing in cold mud.

No, wait. It was moving? Before I could react, the black ooze crawled up to my knees and forced me downward. My arms flew out instinctively to stop the fall, only to meet the same fate as my legs. I fought and struggled against the strange black substance. I looked around, waiting for Princess Luna to come to take me from this nightmare.

"I have been...observing you, Donovan." That didn't sound like Luna or Celestia, but the voice was feminine, "You are a fascinating creature, to say the least." The mysterious being's voice was frigid and bold. It felt like I was surrounded by the same person, speaking in both my ears simultaneously, "If you would kindly look forward." My head rose, and I squinted. In the distance, a thick purple mist flowed like smoke from two eyes. The scleras were a neon green while the pupils held a blood-red shade. I could feel them boring into my soul. The muscles in my body twitched of their own accord.

"What the fuck?"

"I have seen how ponies have treated you. I know you want respect from them, yet they treat you like dirt. You do so much for them, and what do you get in return? Nothing." The eyes got closer, causing an irrational fear to mount, "What if there was a way to make them respect you? What if you had the means to take what you deserve? If you had these chances...would you take them?" The eyes were only a few feet away now, " Donovan, I see the considerable potential inside you." My body started to quiver and shake. The fear was so intense that I closed my eyes. It felt like death itself had been speaking to me, "All I want to do is give you a chance to actualize your desires." I could feel a hoof gently lift my head.

Dark gray fur, an ebony mane, and tail blacker than the night sky, and a curved horn glowing a fierce crimson, "Queen Umbra," I said in awe and fear.

Her fangs glistened from a wicked smile,"Ah. So you do know of me?" She stood and walked around me. A black aura enveloped her horn, and the black ooze departed from my appendages. Apprehensively, I stood and stared down at the mare. She was tall for a pony. Now that she and I were so close, she was a head shorter than Princess Luna. Umbra wore her dark steel armor and regalia. The same she wore during her many conquests of destruction, "Tell me. Haven't you ever wondered what it's like to use magic?"

"Y-Yeah. A few times." Her eyes widened slightly, and her twisted smirk grew,

"What would you say if I offered to teach you how to use my magic?"

Author's Note

So yeah just consider this a reworked version of Donovan The Accursed. Let's hope I don't get discouraged after one chapter.

Enjoy friends.

Update (March 20th, 2022): I made a few edits and grammar fixes to this chapter and I will do the same to the following ones. I will try to bang out a new one today. Thank you all for the support and my friends on discord who've motivated me to write again.