Chapter 17

I couldn’t explain my current position at the moment since all I could see was the dark void of my subconscious. I floated aimlessly without direction and couldn’t really feel my body. The last thing I remember was driving off those train bandits before succumbing to my wounds and passing out. I don’t know how long I’ve been out, nor do I know what became of me after I passed out. I just hope I didn’t die again, otherwise I’d be a little disappointed in myself that I allowed this to happen again.

“Wish I could wake up soon…” I said aloud. “I wonder if the others will worry for me?” I looked around the void, as if expecting to see or hear someone. “Kinda strange that I’m having this dream.”

Suddenly, a bright light shined from within the darkness of the void. I shielded my eyes from the light with my arm as my eyes adjusted. From the light, I could faintly see a faint silhouette make its appearance. This was by far the strangest thing that’s ever happened in a dream. Considering that the silhouette has the figure of a person with large wings on its back. I considered my options and decided to try and talk to whatever was standing before me.

“Uh…hello?” I called out to it.

The figure said nothing and despite my hesitation, I cautiously floated closer towards it as the light began to dim a bit and I started to hear the familiar sound of tea being stirred in a cup.

“Well, it is about time you got here.” A voice said making me stop in my tracks. “It is rather rude to keep somepony waiting, you know.”

I spun my head around looking for the source of the voice. “What the?! Who’s that?! Who’s there?!” I panicked.

“Are you normally this flustered, young youth?” The voice said again as the light continued to dim.

I looked back to see a tall white mare with light cream-white fur, deep red mane that went down her lower back, and tail, and baby blue eyes. She wore a regal-looking dress and was sitting on what looked like a wooden chair, holding a teacup while stirring it with a little spoon. There was something about this mare that seemed familiar to me, like I had seen her somewhere before, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Whoever she was, she somehow made my heart race a little.

“Uh…hi?” I waved a sheepishly.

“Welcome, young William.” She said my name as if she knew me before taking a sip. “I have been expecting you.”

“How…do you know my name?” I asked.

The mare sipped her tea as she waved her hand, and another chair materialized before me. “Come. Sit,” she offered. Not seeing any other option, I managed to float my way towards the chair and maneuvered myself to sit down on it. “Tea?” She asked, making another cup appear with a pot.

“Um…sure,” I said, and she poured me some. We sat in silence for several minutes. Honestly, I felt a little awkward just sitting here with this unknown mare. She obviously was an alicorn, which I was still trying to comprehend, and I didn’t know what to say to her. Either she was waiting for me to say something, or she was taking her time to speak while she enjoyed her tea. I waited for a few more minutes only to still not get a response before finally speaking up. “I’m sorry, but who are you?”

To this, the mare calmly placed her cup down and looked at me with a warm smile as she stood up to introduce herself. “My apologies. I am Faust; Lady Faust.”

I blinked several times at the name as I froze mid sip from my tea. It wasn’t until I felt like I was just slapped across the face did I finally remember the name and recognize the mare before me. When the realization hit me, I nearly choked on the tea, and I had to hit my chest a few times. After managing to catch my breath, I looked at the alicorn before me with my mouth agape, my eyes so wide they felt like they would pop out, and my heart was pounding so hard that I could swear even she could hear it. I was in the presence of the alicorn of legend, the mother of princess Celestia and Luna, the one Sir Rokai directly served under, the Queen of Equestria, Lady Faust herself!

“W-W-WHAT?!” I yelped in a state of panic. “Y-You’re Queen Faust?! THE Queen Faust?!”

The queen let out a burst of laughter at my reaction while I composed myself. “My goodness, I have never had a reaction like that,” she said while handing me a handkerchief.

“A-Apologies, ma’am!” I said while trying to fix myself.

“Oh please, there is no need to be so formal,” Faust said sweetly. “I am just happy to finally meet you at last.”

“But you’re the Queen! How could I not be formal in your presence, your highness?!” I said and tried to stand up from the chair and bow to her, only to do somersaults in the air. “Crap! Sorry!” The queen could not help but laugh even more as my cheeks turned red from embarrassment. This is just perfect. My first encounter with Queen Faust herself, and I end up making a complete idiot of myself.

“You are certainly livelier than I anticipated you would be,” she said before using her magic to stop me from spinning and set me back down on the chair while fixing up the tea set. “Now that we have had our fun, I am sure you wish to know why you are here.”

“I have loads of questions!” I said, then socked myself internally for being rude to the queen again. “Um…if you don’t mind, your majesty.”

“Ask away then,” Queen Faust said while folding her hands.

“Where exactly are we?” I asked, looking around. “Am I dead?”

“No, not dead, just unconscious,” Queen Faust answered. “It is a spell that allows me to speak to you through your soul. I cannot disclose to you about my current whereabouts at the moment so I believed that this method would suffice.”

“My soul?” I said and she nodded. “How long have I been out?”

“A few days,” she answered, surprising me. “You took quite the beating. Honestly, you are lucky to be alive. Not many can survive a battle against multiple foes unless they are quite seasoned in combat,” she said while summoning a tray of snacks for us to enjoy.

I watched her daintily pick up a cookie and eat it before considering my next question. “Why me?” I asked, making her pause and look at me. “Just…why me? Out of everyone? You could’ve picked someone who was more driven, brave, and influential among the human population. Yet, you chose me while saving my life in the process. You also gave me my new powers, and enhanced capabilities to boot. So, why me?”

“Hmm, that is a fair question,” she said as her gaze turned to me. “It is true. I could have chosen anypony from your world to be Rokai’s successor. Even somepony here in Equestria would suffice. I admittedly at one time considered choosing Twilight Sparkle but that filly already has her own path and destiny to follow.” She leaned her head on her fingers as she gazed at me. “You, on the other hand, have shown great promise. You have already proven yourself to be a protector of the innocent after besting those bandits for the sake of others. Not to mention your encounter with my daughter’s dark form, Nightmare Moon.”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t exactly helpful that night,” I said, scratching the back of my head. “If it were Sir Rokai, he probably would’ve subdued Nightmare Moon no problem. As for those bandits, I honestly wasn’t really thinking. I just jumped into action without considering my own safety.”

“Just as a true protector would,” Faust acknowledged. “But as for Rokai…he would have killed my daughter without hesitation,” Faust said in a deadpan tone, catching me off guard. “Make no mistake, William, he was a great hero, and a savior to our people and the world but when it came to his enemies, he was nothing short of ruthless even when giving them a quick death. After all, you bore witness to his memories and all of his experiences during his time as Guardian. Can you honestly say he would have tried to save Luna with mere words?”

“But…why?” I said, still shocked. “He wouldn’t have done that to Luna. Not after all he’d been through with her and Celestia.” Faust just kept staring at me with a serious expression. It made me feel discouraged that even Rokai wouldn’t have shown mercy to Luna as Nightmare Moon. I looked down at my hands while contemplating the Queen’s words “Is that what it means to be the Guardian? To destroy your enemies even if they’re considered family?”

“A guardian is expected to make hard choices, young one,” Faust said as she changed the scenery to a vast hallway of stained-glass windows depicting Rokai’s many battles and his eventual death.

I was now standing on solid ground and Faust led me down the hall. Each window we passed showed Rokai in the different kingdoms of this world, fighting alongside its inhabitants against the Shadow Legion.

“Those memories I saw of his battles,” I said as I noticed some of the windows showed Rokai almost losing. “Each seemed more intense than the last.” I looked at Faust. “Were the Legionaries that ruthless?”

“They were monsters...” Faust said with contempt. “They came to our land not to conquer but to simply destroy. Homes were burnt to the ground, families were slaughtered, and everywhere they went left nothing but death and misery, but Rokai helped turn the tide of battle not through mere strength of arms but with his bravery. He was a beacon of hope when none had it. I admired him not only as a warrior but as a person too.” Faust walked up to one of the windows and placed her hand near Rokai’s picture. “He grew to be like a son to me, and I miss him ever so dearly to this day.”

“I know…” I said, looking at some windows of him making a victorious pose. One of which looked like he was standing with that minotaur princess, Rastor. “He also made quite the impression on everyone too. All the friends he made and the bonds he shared with the Pillars. He didnt just win the war for Equestria, he ushered an era of peace for the entire world.”

“Indeed, he did,” Queen Faust agreed. “And you would not believe how many marriage proposals we got from the nobility.” Faust giggled as we came upon the window depicting his final battle. “The poor human was constantly badgered by noble mares demanding his hand in marriage so that they could climb the ranks of stature and merit.” I laughed a little to myself imagining what else Rokai must’ve gone through behind the front lines. “As for why I chose you, you have the potential to be every bit of a hero he was. This world has had an era of peace that I wish to remain intact. You may doubt yourself, but Rokai also had his doubts, yet he succeeded on multiple occasions.”

“You really think so? Even though I barely just got here?” I stated, looking at the window where Sir Rokai battled Valafar. “He was a seasoned warrior, even before the Pillars summoned him. How exactly am I supposed to live up to his great name?”

“It is simple. You do not,” the queen said as she turned to me. “Instead of trying to be like him, be your own type of hero.”

“My own type?” I asked still feeling a bit confused, and she nodded.

“Just as Rokai chose his path to becoming a legend, you must find your own and you will not be alone either.” Queen Faust smiled at me with confidence. “The friends you have made now, and any you make along the way, will be there to help guide you. No one said you had to do this alone. Not even Rokai, with all his strength and merit, relied on the Pillars when he needed them most.”

“My own path…” I said, thinking about her words. “Not sure where I should start.” I then thought about the six mares, Spike, and the rest of the ponies I’ve met upon my arrival in this world. “But I think I’ll be able to figure it out.”

“You will find your way. Of that, I am sure,” Faust said before a strange wind suddenly began to blow through the hall. “Oh my, seems our time is up.”

The world around us began to fade, and even Faust started to fade away herself. “Wait! What’s gonna happen to me?! What should I do now?!” I frantically asked.

“Trust your heart! That is all I can tell you! We shall meet again, young youth!” Faust shouted over the howling winds as the hall began to disintegrate. “And one more thing! Tell Tia to ease up on the cake! It will go straight to her flank!”

Before I could ask anything else, I was flung from where Faust stood back down the hall. There was a light at the end of the hall, and it got brighter and brighter until it enveloped my vision.

Beep beep beep

The sound of digital beeping filled my ears. My consciousness was beginning to return, and I felt my body lying on some kind of mattress. My eyes felt like they were glued shut, and it took a bit of effort to open them. I was then met with a white ceiling and a fan hanging off to the side. I blinked slowly and looked to the side to see what looked like a heart monitor with cords attached to my wrist. If I had to guess, I was in some kind of medical room. When I was able to look down, I noticed I was wearing a hospital gown which confirmed my suspicions. Underneath, my torso was covered in bandages and my leg was in a cast. It was then I felt a migraine come along which made me groan from the sudden pulsating from my head.

“Ugh…not the best wake-up call…” I said groggily.

As I regained my vision, a nurse walked into the room holding a clipboard to see I was wide awake. She was an earth pony mare who wore a traditional-looking nurse uniform and had white fur, peach-pink mane and tail, and her eyes were light teal blue.

“Oh my! You’re awake!” The nursed yelped and ran back out of the room before I could say anything.

After about a minute, she came back with and earth pony stallion wearing a lab coat and had a stethoscope hanging off his neck. His was fur yellowish-brown, his mane and tail were chocolate brown, and his eyes were a slightly darker shade of blue as the nurse’s. The doctor walked up beside my bed with a welcoming smile.

“Welcome back, mister William. I am Dr. Greymare. This is Nurse Redheart.” he greeted as he took off his stethoscope to check my vitals. “You gave us quite the scare.” The doc sounded almost impressed while taking hold of my hand. “Can you squeeze my hand?”

I squeezed the doctor’s hand just as he told me to, and he nodded as the nurse took notes. “Water…please,” I said in a raspy voice.

“Of course, son. Nurse?” The doc nodded to the nurse who handed me a small cup of some much-needed water. “Drink slow.” Greymare instructed as he helped me drink. Every sip felt like nectar going down my throat as I finally managed to regain my voice.

“Where are my friends?” I asked, still feeling weak.

“It’s early in the morning, so they should still be waking up,” the doc said, but then he glanced over on the far side of the room. “Or should I say, most of them.” I looked to where he was gesturing to and saw Twilight, of all ponies, slumped in a chair fast asleep. Her mane was a bit messy, and a little drool dripped out of the corner of her mouth.

“Twilight?” I spoke. “She…she’s been here the whole time?”

“Never left your side even while you were in surgery,” Redheart said as she continued to scribble down the numbers on her clipboard from the monitor.

“You’re lucky you have such good friends, son.” Greymare smiled before giving me a second cup of water and some pills. “Here, something to help with the pain.”

I took the water and pills and downed them. “Surgery?” I said after swallowing. “Were my injuries that severe?”

“You fought a griffin, Mr. Saber,” Redheart said. “Not many come out as unscathed as you did. Most tend to either flee or barely make it out alive.”

“Truth be told, we thought you wouldn’t make it. It was really touch and go during your operation.” The doctor explained. “We had never operated on a human before, so we had to be as delicate as possible. Luckily, we were able to operate without any compilations, and we were able to aquire some very interesting data on you and your human biology.“

All this talking seemed to stir Twilight from her slumber as she finally began to wake up. She let out a cute yawn while stretching her arms out until she looked at me. When she noticed I was awake, she gasped, and her eyes went very wide.

“William!” Twilight cheered and rushed to my bedside as the doc and nurse smiled.

“Easy, miss Sparkle, he just woke up,” Greymare advised as she held my hand, eyes flooding with tears.

“Hey, Twilight,” I said with a smile. “Sorry for scaring you, bandits kinda threw me for a loop.”

“Do you have ANY idea what you put me through?!” She sobbed while holding my hand. “Don’t ever scare me like that again!”

“Hey, what was I supposed to do? Let them rob the train?” I said, only for her to look at me with her tear-filled eyes, making me feel guilty. “Sorry…didn’t mean to worry you.”

The doc let out a small chuckle as she cuddled with me and after what I was put through, I definitely needed it.

“We’ll just leave you two to catch up then. Got other patients, you know?” Greymare winked as he left with Redheart.

It was then Twilight realized what she was doing and immediately got up and stepped away from me with a flustered face.

“I-I…um…I’m happy you’re okay!” Twilight said nervously.

“Sheesh, Twilight, no need to be so anxious,” I chuckled, and she looked away while twirling a strand of her hair in her fingers.

There was a pause between the both of us and I remembered my dream I had with Faust. It still baffled me that I met the Queen herself while I was unconscious. Everything we discussed was imprinted in my mind. Come to think of it, ever since I came to this world, the inhabitants have always referred to humans as nothing but a myth. Apart from Celestia and Luna since they were there and knew Rokai when they were very young. So, it begs the question, just how much do these people know about humans since Rokai’s time? Were Celestia and Luna the only ones to confirm of his existence while everyone else allowed his memory and existence to fade away? I looked back at Twilight and thought of telling her all I knew. Maybe she could have some insight to all of this.

“Hey, Twilight? Can I ask you something?” I asked my friend.

“Sure, William, what is it?” Twilight said.

“What do you know about humans?” I questioned.

Twilight blinked for a few seconds as she tried to think of an answer. “Hmm…well. I only know them through legends and stories in the scrolls at the Canterlot Library when I was still living there. But other than that, there’s not much else about your species.”

Just as I thought, I thought to myself. I guess it makes sense since it’s been over a thousand years since Rokai was alive.

“Then let me confirm it for you,” I said, looking at her in the eye. “But you need to swear to me that you’ll keep what I tell you a secret.”

“I promise,” Twilight said without even a hint of hesitation.

I took a deep breath before deciding to tell her. “They did exist in your world, once, and it was only one human. His name was Rokai Stourmborne, and he served the missing Queen Faust.”

Twilight gasped upon hearing this and sat herself down calmly. “Are you sure?” She asked to make sure I wasn’t delirious from my injuries, and I simply nodded yes.

“Celestia told me this herself,” I said. “It’s why she wanted me to come to Canterlot in the first place. She wanted to share with me about Equestria’s long forgotten history.”

“Oh my stars!” Twilight said with glee, then paused. “Wait, Princess Celestia told you?”

“She and Princess Luna,” I nodded. “I saw his statue in a hidden garden at the castle. Princess Celestia even showed me visions of his memories and how he was summoned here by a one Starswirl the Bearded and his companions.”

“STARSWIRL?!” She yelped loudly before suddenly getting in my face with a twinkle in her eyes. “YOU SAW STARSWIRL THE BEARDED?!”

“ACK! Twilight! Ribs!” I gasped as pain shot through my body.

“Ah!” Twilight stepped away again as the throbbing in my chest made me wince. “Sorry…!”

“It’s fine,” I said, still wincing. “But yeah, I saw the whole thing. Starswirl summoned Rokai to this world with a powerful spell. He did so because of these demons from Tartarus called the Shadow Legion were wreaking havoc across Equestria and other neighboring kingdoms.”

“The Shadow Legion? So, they were real,” she said with a look of amazement.

“You know about the Shadow Legion too?” I asked.

“Well, according to some ancient scriptures Princess Celestia gave me to study, I read about how there was a time when the world faced an unimaginable evil from depths of Tartarus wreaking havoc on Equestria many moons ago but that too was believed to be a legend,” Twilight said. “It was thanks to the combined might of the kingdoms of the world and the Pillars that the evil was banished for good to usher in an era of peace. This Rokai, what happened to him?” She asked, desiring more information like the quirky book worm she was.

“At first, he was a merc,” I explained. “Didn’t do anything unless he was paid. Starswirl had him train soldiers, create battle plans, and fight on the front lines. His efforts allowed the allied forces to push the Shadow Legion back on multiple occasions. I guess it was his unpredictable tactics that allowed the allies to gain the upper hand many times. Even against an army of demons.”

“He sounds like he was a great hero…but I don’t think there’s any mention of him in the history books.” Twilight pondered about this mysterious hero. “Why is that?”

“You tell me,” I said. “This was over a thousand years ago. Only ones who would even remember Sir Rokai so vividly are people like Celestia and Luna since they’re supposedly the only immortal beings around, right?”

“Hmm, then we should ask them when we see them again once you’ve recovered,” Twilight said, and I nodded in agreement. “Please, continue.”

I spent about an hour sharing all the battles I saw through the memories Celestia showed me about Sir Rokai. The Legionaries he vanquished, the bonds he made with the Pillars and comrades, and how he was like a brother to Celestia and Luna. Twilight was so fascinated by my stories that she may have forgotten how to blink.

“And you know that Captain Kruber I told you about?” I asked and she nodded. “Turns out he was your ancestor.”

“REALLY?!” Twilight gasped in excitement. “That explains my brother’s desire to join the guard.”

“And your ability to find trouble when you least expected.” I commented, earning a scolding look from my friend. “But yeah, it seems we’re…connected somehow.”

“Connected? How?” Twilight wondered.

“Well…” I said, not sure how else to tell her. So, I sat myself up in order to speak properly. “Queen Faust foretold a prophecy before she disappeared during the memories. She said there would come a time when the darkness would rise again, and a new champion would be called to carry on the flame Sir Rokai held.” I looked down at my hands and clasped them together. “And…that’s why I was brought here by Queen Faust.” I looked back at Twilight who now was looking at me like she was hearing something extraordinary. “I am to be Sir Rokai’s successor. I’m…supposed to be the new Guardian of Equestria.”

“A guardian? But I thought that’s what the elements were for?” Twilight said in confusion but before we could discuss any further, the nurse returned with my lunch. After being out for an entire day, it soon hit me that I was quite famished.

“Here you go, dearie, some mashed potatoes and steamed fish to help you get those muscles back,” Redheart said sweetly.

“Thank you, nurse,” I said with a smile before she left again. “The Elements, from what I know, are used to protect the peace of the land. However, the Guardian’s purpose is to protect this entire planet. Which means every kingdom that exists, their inhabitants, everything, and everyone. That’s the role Rokai played as Guardian.”

“But to take on such a role…can you do it alone?” Twilight asked with worry when I smiled remembering Faust’s advice.

“Who said I’ll be doing it alone? I’ll have you and the others helping me. right?” I asked making her smile.

“Of course, we would be honored to assist you in any way we can,” Twilight reassured me.

Before I could take the fork and knife, Twilight took them and started cutting the fish. She looked at me with a teasing smile and I already could catch on with her intentions.

“Oh no, don’t even think about it,” I said with a deadpanned stare. “I am more than capable of feeding myself, Twilight.”

“Nonsense, you need to preserve your strength,” Twilight argued before taking a piece of fish and holding it up for me. “Now say aah~.” She was treating me like a baby, and I felt nothing short of humiliated as I reluctantly ate the fish. “There, see? that wasn’t so hard.”

“Yeah, yeah…” I rolled my eyes as I ate another piece.

Just as she was cutting another piece, I found myself staring at Twilight a little. Her smile made my heart beat a little faster than normal, which was a strange feeling for me. The way her hair looked silky smooth and how she surprisingly had a teasing side to her was somewhat endearing. I then smiled at her as she poked the fish piece and fed me again. As she did, I found myself somewhat lost in her pretty dark purple eyes.

She’s…pretty cute, I thought to myself. It made me smile after acknowledging how admittedly attractive this mare is. Maybe I’m not so crazy after all.

“Now how’s about those potatoes?” Twilight asked while taking the spoon and prepared a small scoop for me. “Here comes the choo-choo train!”

“Really?” I quirked a brow at her as she began making train noises.

“It’s coming through the tunnel!” She giggled.

I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth so she could put the spoon in my mouth. “You’re enjoying this too much, you know that?” I said with a laugh.

“Guilty,” Twilight admitted while continuing to feed me.

While the situation itself was humiliating, it felt good to spend some time with her even if I was trapped in a hospital bed. Her presence made me forget about the pain of my wounds and was rather soothing to me.

“There, all done,” she said after making sure the plate was cleaned and proceeded to wipe my mouth of any food bits. “Now, how’s about some jell-o?” She asked while holding the desert cup.

“Ah!” I swiped the cup from her hand and grinned at her. “That’s enough assistance from you, thank you very much. I’ll take it from here.”

“I’m only teasing,” Twilight laughed at my now blushing cheeks as I snatched the spoon from her. I took a bite but upon doing so, I suddenly realized that the jell-o was absolutely horrid, and my stomach was about to make me pay for it. It tasted like I was eating flavored toothpaste with too much fluoride infused into it.

“Twilight…bucket!” I grunted, my face turning green when Twilight realized what I was asking.

Twilight frantically looked around and used her magic to grab a small pale and hovered it over to me. I grabbed the pale and spit out the disgusting jell-o before I could yak up my lunch.

“Ugh! What kind of sorry excuse for jell-o was that?!” I gagged. “It defiles the very name of jell-o!”

“Guess we can skip desert,” Twilight said while putting the pale back in the corner. “I need to go. I promised the girls I’d let them know as soon as you woke up.”

“Sure thing,” I said, and she got up and left. Before she stepped out the door, she glanced over her shoulder to look at me. She and I stared at each other for a few seconds before she gave me a warm and comforting smile.

“I’m really glad you’re okay, Willlaim, truly I am,” Twilight said.

Hearing that made baring some of the pain easier but as she left, I felt a bit sad and soon it was nothing but the beeping of the monitors and the humming of the vents as I laid there in my bed. As the beeping continued, I felt my eyes grow heavy until they closed completely, and I soon drifted off to sleep again.

“I-I don’t know how it’s possible!”

“You checked his body, yes? Yet there’s nothing left!”

“You think I don’t know that?! I’m a doctor for crying out loud and I’ve never seen anything like it!”

I must’ve dozed off for a bit but was awoken to the voices of the staff outside my door. When I opened my eyes, the door opened and the doctor from before walked in followed by two nurses.

“Everything alright, doc?” I asked.

“Erm…yes, well, sort of,” Greymare said. “How do you feel?”

“Honestly?” I said and looked at my hand and opened and closed it. I looked down at my chest and patted it a few times but didn’t feel any pain. “I feel good. Like I’m good as new.”

“That’s what I thought,” Greymare said, pinching his snout under his glasses. “Mr. Saber, I was going to keep this to myself, but it would seem that my presumptions are correct.”

“What’re you talking about?” I asked.

“Your injuries, Mr. Saber,” one of the nurses said. “I came in earlier to check in on you and change your bandages while you slept, only to find that they had completely healed!”

I blinked at her words and pulled my gown to check my torso. The bandages had been removed, as she said, and the injuries I sustained during my fight had completely faded away. It was both shocking and unexplainable considering that I felt sore the whole time Twilight was here.

“What the heck?” I asked aloud after noticing all my bones were healed and the bruises and cuts from before were gone.

“Did you perhaps drink some king of healing potion?” Greymare asked.

“No, I didn’t even know that was a thing,” I said. Although, considering this is a world of magic, it wouldn’t be surprising if there was.

“Did miss Sparkle use a spell?” Redheart asked.

“Not that I know of, we just talked, and she left to meet with her friends,” I said. I decided to take off the covers and stand on my feet. When I placed my feet on the cool hospital floor, I slowly stood up and felt no discomfort whatsoever. “It’s like I was never hurt…” I said, patting my stomach and arms again.

“Um…if I may?” The other nurse said. “I do recall seeing something odd when I came to check on you.”

“Odd how?” I wondered.

“Well, it was faint, but I noticed some sort of strange aura surrounding your body. I thought it was just my imagination, but now that I think more about it, it almost looked sort of dim and flame-like.”

Her description made me ponder what she could’ve meant. No one was in the room with me, and I clearly fell back asleep when Twilight left. It obviously couldn’t have been magic, so the only explanation was that I somehow unconsciously healed myself.

With Ki? I thought, scratching my chin. But I’ve never even tried practicing healing techniques…

As soon as I thought that I recalled something Ivan once told me years ago. During ancient times, masters of martial arts who devoted their lives to fighting and mastering the manipulation of spirit energy had been known to recover from their injuries subconsciously by focusing their ki to heal themselves. This, however, was a talent that only those deeply connected with the energy of their soul could perform. Though they could not manifest their ki into anything like beams or ki waves like I now can, Ivan explained to me that their connection with their inner energy was so deep, it allowed them to do incredible things that no normal human or any modern-day martial artist could do.

Could I have done it while sleeping because of my own newfound connection with my powers? I thought.

“Well, though you were supposed to stay here for another week or so, I guess we can give you the all clear,” Greymare said while scratching his head at this surprising miracle before giving me back my clothes.

“Oh great…” I said after seeing the many holes cut into my shirt as well as the blood stains. “Rarity is gonna kill me for this.”

“We’ll leave you to get changed,” the doctor said and he left with the nurses to discuss something in private. I shrugged and took off my gown and draped it on the bed. I was still wearing my boxers and grabbed my pants to put them on. Suddenly, as soon as I put my pants on, the door burst open and Twilight and the others ran in.

“WILLY! We’re so glad you’re-!” Pinkie cheered when they all stopped dead in their tracks as soon as they saw me with my bear chest on display.

“It’s called knocking for a reason, girls,” I laughed.

All the girls were wide-eyed, and their cheeks flushed pink as they just stared. Save for Applejack who was impressed with my physique.

“Well dang, sugarcube, where were ya hiding them guns?” AJ asked while coming over to check out my biceps. “Ya might actually give Big Mac a run fer his money.”

Applejack started poking my chest and arms and I just smirked at her. “Keep it up, AJ, and I might just have to charge you,” I joked.

“Name yer price sugarcube.” She winked, turning my joke against me as I blushed.

“Ahem! While this has all been entertaining, I suggest we find a more suitable attire for William’s…imposing figure~.” Rarity batted her eyelashes at me while gazing at my pecs.

“What, and deny you a show, Rarity?” I teased, purposely flexing my abs a little.

This of course caused Rarity to swoon as she was caught by Fluttershy while Rainbow seemed to grin at me with pride.

“Not bad, Saber,” Rainbow said aloud while examining my abs.

“Are you okay, William?” Fluttershy asked, peeking from behind her mane.

“Sure am,” I nodded, grabbing my torn bloody shirt. “First time I ever fought off a gang of bandits on a train. I felt like I was in one of those old western films.” The girls seemed confused at the word film for some reason but I ignored it. “Man this was my favorite shirt…”

“Perhaps I can be of assistance,” Rarity said after managing to collect herself. “It’s the least I could do after that dreadful battle you just endured.”

“You do realize my clothes are covered in blood?” I said out of concern.

“Fear not, darling, some hot water and bleach and it’ll be good as new,” Rarity said as she used her magic to levitate my shirt away before catching a sour smell. “Eugh! Um, and perhaps you should get yourself freshened up as well, darling. You smell worse than Rainbow’s gym socks after practice.”

“HEY!” Rainbow protested.

“Eh, no offense taken,” I shrugged.

“I should throw you a special hero party for saving the ponies on the train!” Pinkie chirped.

“It’s the thought that counts, Pinkie, a party isn’t necessary,” I said. “I just did what needed to be done.”Although, I would’ve been worse off if I was weaker, I thought to myself. If only there was a way to improve my mental training somehow. “Hey girls? Do any of you happen to know someone who’s proficient in meditation around here?” I asked, earning confused looks. “I meditate for my training, but I need a more efficient method instead of just sitting by the lake.” The girls pondered my question for a bit until Twilight perked up.

“What about our friend Zecora?” She said. “She meditates pretty frequently and is very spiritual.”

“Who?” I asked, unfamiliar with the name.

“She’s a zebra who lives on the edge of the Everfree forest,” Twilight explains.

“Wait…a zebra? Like an actual zebra with stripes from Africa?” I wondered.

“Africa? Never heard of that place,” Applejack said while scratching her chin.

“How come I’ve never met her?” I wondered as I put my shoes on.

“I think it's because we’ve all been so busy,” Fluttershy said after realizing we had gone through some crazy stuff since my arrival.

“Fair enough,” I shrugged. “But first, let’s get me the heck outta this hospital,” I said, slinging my jacket over my shoulder and put my earrings back on before tucking my earbuds and phone in my pockets.

After signing the papers and getting the all clear from the doctor, we were finally out and off to Rarity’s boutique to get my clothes fixed but, on the way, I noticed a lot of the townsfolk were more cheerful to see me than before. Some even cheering as I walked by like some kind of bigshot star.

“Did I miss something?” I asked my friends who just giggled.

“You’re the talk of the town, dude! Everypony knows it was you who stopped those bandits,” Rainbow said before zipping over to the nearest news stand to give me a paper and the headline was shocking to say the least.

Sure enough, the front page was of me being carried to the hospital and the headline read:

Heroic actions from Ponyville’s local human!

Our top story, the Friendship Express was recently under threat from a gang of bandits! All passengers on board were about to be cleaned out of all their valuables had it not been for the courageous efforts of the human, William Saber! Reports from eyewitnesses say that he boldy confronted the bandits all on his own and managed to quite literally blast them all away with his strange powers! All of Ponyville thanks him for saving not only their possessions but also their lives as well!

“Wow, that was fast,” I said. In the corner of my eye, I noticed a group of mares eyes me and my shirtless torso with lustful smiles. “The sooner I get new clothes the better…”

“I don’t know, maybe you should go shirtless,” Rainbow suggested with a wink making the mares gasp.

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity scolded.

“Oh please! Like you haven’t been ogling him since we left the hospital!” Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“Hmph! I’ll have you know I was estimating his measurements,” Rarity scoffed with a flip of her mane while the rest of the girls rolled their eyes.

“By the way, anyone seen Spike?” I asked after noticing the little drake wasn’t around.

“I had him send word to the princess of your recovery; he went back to the library,” Twilight said.

I nodded and decided to check if my Ki was still in tact.

“Hey Pinkie, can you hold onto this for me?” I said, handing her my jacket.

“Yeppers!” Pinkie said with glee.

I smiled at her and hopped up and down a few times. I then focused my ki and centered it within my core. Once I felt the familiar sensation build up, I allowed myself to float into the air until I was hovering above the ground.

“Yep, still got it,” I said with a smirk. Feeling the need to show off, considering the number of eyes on me, I looked up in the sky and flew upwards as fast as I could. The feeling of the wind blowing against my skin and through my hair was a newfound enjoyment that I could get addicted to.

“Woohoo! Flying is just the greatest!” I cheered to my heart’s content and did a few loop-the-loops. I decided to fly a little higher to get a better view. I flew higher and higher until I flew high enough to just barely see Canterlot Castle in the far distance. I closed my eyes and held my arms do drink in the sun’s rays on my skin.

“I’m still alive…” I said to myself, letting it sink in. “And no matter what, I’ll stay alive.” I slowly descended back down to the ground where the girls were waiting for me. “Sorry for the delay, girls,” I said as I touched down. “Had to get it out of my system.”

“It still baffles me how you can fly so well without wings,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, same for me.” I admitted. “Stuff like that only happens when you’re either born an alien from another world or have a super high-tech suit,” I joked.

“WILLIAM!”

I turned around from the sudden voice, only to be tackled to the ground by an unknown force. When I looked up, it was none other than Lyra as she looked down at me with a wide smile and happy tears.

“Oof…hey Lyra, nice to see you too,” I said.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were out of the hospital?!? I THOUGHT YOU’D NEVER WAKE UP!” She sobbed while holding onto me.

“I’m sorry,” I said while patting her back. “But I’m okay now, really.”

Lyra managed to calm down and helped me up. It didn’t take long for her to finally notice I was shirtless, and she ended up staring.

“Lyra, staring is rude,” another voice spoke up and Bon Bon approached us. “Good to see you upright, William, gave poor Lyra a scare when you were carried out of the train covered in blood.”

“That’s what you get for taking on a gang of bandits, Bon Bon,” I said sarcastically.

“I agree,” Bon Bon nodded. “We should get going, Lyra, we still need those ingredients for my new candy.”

“Right. I’ll see you around?” Lyra asked while holding my hand.

“Yeah, sure Lyra,” I said with a smile, and she let go. I heard giggling from the girls, and I argued a brow at them. “What?”

“We saw that,” AJ said.

“Saw what?” I wondered.

“Oh, don’t be coy, darling, you are obviously attracted to her,” Rarity winked.

“A-Attracted?” I stuttered sheepishly. “Please, me? Come on… She’s just a friend. Right? Besides, I’m…” I paused as we neared Rarity’s boutique. “I…I’m a human. What’s the point anyway?”

“Darling, I don’t think she cares about that. What matters is how you both feel about one another,” Rarity reassured me.

“Blech! Mush…” Rainbow grumbled, making Rarity scowl at her.

Rarity opened the door for me, and the girls and I was met with the sight of several different clothes and dresses hanging in possibly every corner of the room.

“I feel like I’m in one of those Say Yes to the Dress episodes my mom and sister watch,” I said to myself. “This is very impressive, Rarity, no wonder everyone in town comes to you for clothing needs.”

“Oh, darling you flatter me,” Rarity said while fixing her mane as she gave me the tour of the place. “This is where I deign all of my fashion pieces. It is my special talent to create the most fabulous dresses and clothing in the land! One day, I hope that my brand is known throughout all of Equestria!” There was a sparkle in her eye as she was probably picturing herself as a big shot in the fashion industry. “Now let’s find you a new outfit, shall we?”

“First thing’s first,” I said, catching a whiff of my now pungent odor. “May I please use your shower? I’d rather not soil any new clothes you have for me.”

“Oh, but of course. My powder room is up the stairs, first door on your right. There’s towels on the shelf and some conditioner to help loosen your hair,” Rarity said, and looked at my raggedy hair. “No offense, darling, but you look like you’ve done nothing to maintain your appearance.”

“Noted.” I said while heading towards her shower and gave my head a quick scratch as I noticed the amount of dirt underneath my fingernails. “Do you um…”

“In the cabinet darling,” Rarity answered for me with a knowing smile.

I nodded and made my way up the stairs. I opened the first door on my right and saw arguably the fanciest shower I’ve ever seen. Everything was very posh and refined, as expected from someone like Rarity.

“Guess I better get started,” I shrugged and turned on the faucet.

Meanwhile
With the mares

All the mares waited until they heard the water running and they all visibly and physically relaxed while looking very stressed out.

“That was exhausting…” Rainbow groaned. “Does he realize how much heartache he put us through?!”

“That was…a lot of b-blood,” Fluttershy said sadly. “I thought he was going…to…”

“It's a miracle he’s even alive,” Twilight said while she slumped on a chair. “I think this was my first time seeing somepony so badly hurt. Shining always came home with bruises and black eyes from his training days, but this is different since it was actual wounds and blood.”

“Then how in tarnation is he walkin’ upright like nothin’ happened?” Applejack wondered.

“Perhaps it’s due to his…strange powers,” Twilight said.

“Powers? Isn’t it some kind of weird magic?” Pinkie asked.

“In a sense, yes, but what we’ve seen from Will is something entirely new. It looked like magic but at the same time it wasn’t,” Twilight expalined.

“I’m confused,” Rainbow said while rubbing her head. “If it’s not magic that he can do, then what the hay is it?”

“We gotta ask Will more about this when he's done with his shower,” Twilight sighed as she began rubbing her head in frustration. “There are just SO many questions we don’t have answers to!”

“He is quite the enigma,” Rarity admitted. “I’m still honestly quite shocked that we are in the presence of a human. Something our mothers and grandmares told us about in ponytales when we were fillies.”

“But don’t humans…eat meat?” Fluttershy asked cautiously, making the mares look at her with confused expressions. “I noticed William has sharp incisors in his mouth. So that would mean…he eats meat?”

“Oh, come on,” Rainbow waved it off with a roll of her eyes. “This is Will we’re talking about. Of course he doesn’t eat meat!”

“Actually, Rainbow, he does,” Twilight said. “According to my research, humans are omnivores.”

“Omni…what now?” Applejack asked.

“It means they can eat fruits, vegetables and…other living creatures, according to some old history books I’ve read back in Canterlot,” Twilight explained. “They even hunted animals to make clothes.”

“How barbaric!” Rarity gasped, feeling queasy.

“Now, now, hold on there, girls,” Applejack said, sensing the growing uneasiness from her friends. “Fer as long as we’ve known him, do y’all really think Will is the type of feller to eat meat like some kind of monster? Heck, that colt looks as though he wouldn’t hurt a lil’ ol’ barn mouse, even if he wanted to.”

“Well, for his sake, let’s hope you’re right, Applejack,” Twilight said, and the others nodded in agreement.

Just as the mares finished their conversation, they detected the feint floral aroma of Rarity’s shampoo before noticing a cloud of steam coming from the stairway as William walked down the steps from out from the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

“Thanks for the shower, Rarity, I really needed that,” William said as he combed his hair with his hand. “The feeling after a nice hot shower will never not be one of my favorite experiences.”

All the mares were once again taken by surprise when they saw the young human walk out holding a towel. His muscled frame was on full display and his hair was slicked back a little from the wetness of the shower. His discolored eyes gazed at the group of madly blushing mares as the human looked back at them with an innocent smile.

“What?” He asked, tilting his head a little.

“Um…William, darling, step right this way. I already have your new wardrobe ready.” Rarity scrambled into action and grabbed one of his muscular arms but failed to hide the smirk on her face as she bit her lip while feeling his muscles.

“So, what’ve you been talking about?” William asked, not realizing some of the mares were jealous at Rarity for subtly feeling up his arm.

“Oh, just the usual girl talk, you know,” Rarity replied while taking him to the standing blinds to get changed. “I hope you like the selection I picked out for you. It might not be your style but it’s better than wearing tattered and bloody rags.”

“Wow, these look great,” William said as he tossed his towel over the blind. “Nice and casual, and just my style.”

Twilight gulped as Rainbow and Applejack lidded their eyes. Fluttershy was hiding her blushing face and neck behind her mane and Pinkie covered her mouth as to suppress her laughter.

“So, how do they feel, dear?” Rarity wondered, trying not to sound too nervous.

“Um…the shirt’s a little tight but it feels alright,” William said from behind the blinds when they heard the distinct sound of a zipper being pulled up. “The pants seem to fit though.”

“I’m glad,” Rarity said and glanced at the towel. It took every fiber of her being to not lean in and sniff the towel as she swallowed hard, and she felt a slight dampness on her forehead. Just then, William came out do the changing room wearing a fresh set of clothes with his signature jacket on.

“How do I look?” William asked. All the mares could do is stare at their human friend. “Hello? Earth or…Equestria to girls? Am I talking to myself here?”

“Oh! Uh, you look great!” Twilight answered, snapping out of stupor.

“Oooh, spiffy!” Pinkie added while getting a look at him from all angles.

“Remind me how you stick to the roof like that?” William wondered as he literally watched the pink mare look at him from upside down.

“It’s Pinkie Pie, hon, don’t question it,” Applejack advised with a wink.

“I’ve learned not to,” William said while rubbing his head. “Well. I’m still kinda tired, so I’ll be heading back to the library. I’ll catch you all later. Thanks again for the clothes, Rarity.” Will waved the mares goodbye and left the boutique. The mares were still trying to calm themselves down as Rarity fanned herself with her hand.

“Okay, I’ll say it,” Rainbow said, holding her hands up. “He’s hot.”

“Hot? Darling, he’s smoking,” Rarity corrected.

“Ah’ll admit, he’s not too shabby, and he gave us quite the gun show,” Applejack said with a tip of her hat.

“And his arms were beefy too!” Pinkie chirped.

“Yes! Will is attractive, we get it,” Twilight shook her head while pinching her muzzle.

“So, you admit it?” Rainbow teased, making Twilight flustered.

“Can we focus please?!” Twilight snapped with her face flushed pink before storming off.

“You think she likes him? I think she likes him,” Pinkie said as they followed.

“Hard to say,” Applejack shrugged with a chuckle. “But Ah’m willin’ to say she does.”

Author's Note

A dream of the queen has answered some questions. Yet more still addle his mind as his new life in this world continues.

Side Note:
One word: College. That is all.

Hope you enjoyed!

~WurkyWilk has left the building…