N’Zoth’s Chosen

Chapters

Prologue: Rebirth
Chapter 1: Awakenings
Chapter 2: Fortunate Forthcomings
Chapter 3: Of Certain Equine Princesses
Chapter 4: Workhorse
Chapter 6: Competition
Chapter 7: Closing Ceremony
Chapter 5: An Empire of Crystal

Prologue: Rebirth

Author's Note

Hello everyone! Starting a new story! I will probably write this and another story at the same time, so updates won’t be as frequent as Death Cometh was.

This is a story focusing on a human in Equestria who has to find himself again, while finding some love as he does—but a certain Old God interferes with his plans…

Welcome to the introduction of N’Zoth’s Chosen! Let me know what you think; feedback, comments, reviews, and thoughts are very much appreciated!

I hope you enjoy!

Prologue: Rebirth

“My Black Empire will be reborn through your flesh…”

The world quaked as the slow, cold rumble of his voice rolled over the ground. The deep places of the world stirred with the tone of his voice, rejoicing at his words and repeating them in an unending echo. Like a symphony of discordant tones merging to become one cacophony of darkness, the voice forced its way into the minds of all who heard it.

The words spoken by the horrid creature were coming true as he held his enemies within his wicked grasp. They struggled to break free of the dark energy swirling around them, only further constricting them. The armor they wore to protect themselves would become their tomb, for it pressed into their bodies to the point of drawing blood, and inevitably, to the point of death. They gripped their necks with their hands, trying to pry the plating around them off. However, it mattered not, for the tightening grip sucked at their resolve, slowly breaking them.

Those who wore lighter armor did not fare any better since the Void around them seeped into their bodies, causing them to scream in agony as it consumed them. Their skin dissolved from the corrupted substance as they literally came undone, their flesh peeling away as it decayed. Even the warlocks and shadow priests who had used shadow magic for years could not ward off the sheer amount of dark power being forced into them.

Those held in the air were humans, dwarves, gnomes, and everything in between. They were united as one in their goal to save Azeroth from the being that threatened it now. They were all warriors, some choosing to fight with sword and shield while others chose to use arcane power to decimate their enemies. Through countless battles and as many wars, they had honed their skills, defeating foe after foe as they valiantly protected their homeworld. In normal times, they would fight against the Horde, a faction of races bent on conquering the planet in the name of glory. The Horde’s greatest enemy was the Alliance, a coalition founded by humans. Whichever faction the warriors fought for did not matter now, for the fate of all Azeroth was hanging in the balance. The warriors suspended in the air were Azeroth’s champions, the planet’s greatest warriors. They had taken down many villains, from dragons to demons, but now they faced their greatest foe.

The creature they battled was none other than the God of the Deep. He was an Old God, the vile beings of flesh that were the physical manifestations of The Void. They were chaotic beings that twisted the minds’ of their enemies to their gain, their only goal to consume the world. Their whispers turned even the noblest of creatures into mindless abominations bent only to their will. Masters of manipulation and power, they were responsible for some of Azeroth’s greatest tragedies. The Curse of Flesh that turned the Titan’s perfect creations into mortal beings, the corruption of the Emerald Dream, the Sha of Pandaria—all the result of the Old Gods.

Four of them had crash-landed on Azeroth after they were hurled across the universe when they were birthed from The Void, but only one still remained. The first of them had been killed before he could release his army onto the world, another had been forced back into his prison before he could unleash his true power, and one had been killed long ago—literally ripped from the planet by the Titans, the beings of order in the universe. The last of the four was the smartest.

He spent his time scheming and building his influence while his brothers waged war on the planet. He raised a glorious empire that walked not on land but instead waited beneath the ocean. His chains held him below the waves, keeping him concealed from most mortals, so he was left to plan. He alone was responsible for corrupting the dreamscape that was the Emerald Dream, and he had turned the noble Dragon Aspect Neltharion the Earth-Warder into The Worldbreaker, Deathwing. His constant whispers through the very soil of Azeroth had driven Neltharion mad, giving rise to the wicked power of Deathwing.

Since then, he had revealed himself to the world, drawing the mortals into his realm. One of his most powerful servants, Queen Azshara, tried to betray him, but he used his enemies to thwart her when he could not. In so doing, he freed himself of the prison that had held him for centuries, now free to wreak havoc upon the waking world.

The time had finally come for him to claim his ultimate victory. His manifestations had become real as he stood at the point of utter dominion over the past, present, and future. Using one of the Titan’s own devices, he had turned Azeroth into Ny’alotha, a city of the Old God’s creation. It was a terrible place, filled with wicked beings that were twisted into mindless abominations that fed upon the flesh of their foes. Massive temples scattered the world that honored him alone, and his countless servants that walked the land commanded the corrupted earth.

There was only one thing left in his way: the champions who faced him—but they would soon be dealt with. He held them in his grip, his numerous eyes watching their lives fade away. His dark energy tore through them, killing all that it touched. It seemed that no one could stop him…

The newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria grabbed the Elements of Harmony from her friends’ necks, circling them around her form. She removed the purple star-shaped one from her crown, adding it to the circle. She sped the Elements up with her magic, her horn glowing brightly as she did, making them spin fast enough to create a rainbow around her.

Wicked vines shot up from around the dying Tree of Harmony and wrapped around her barrel. Her friends gasped as she struggled against their grip. Another vine wrapped around an Element, but Twilight pulled it away with her magic. She lowered the Elements to the tree, placing them within their slots on the hardened branches. The vines encased her, but she continued to use her magic, placing her Element at the center of the tree.

The Elements radiated with electrifying energy as they were connected to each other once more, a bright light of many colors illuminating the tree. The same light burned away the twisted vines wrapped around the branches, spreading out across the entire Everfree Forest and all that the vines touched. The tree’s bark turned crystal as it shined with a glorious radiance.

Twilight flew down to her friends, looking at the two mounds of vines beside the tree’s base. As they were burned away by the purifying light, Princess Luna and her sister, Princess Celestia, were revealed. Twilight ran over to them, hugging them both.

“We know how difficult it must have been for you to give up the Elements,” Princess Celestia said in her soothing voice as she held Twilight close. “It took great courage to relinquish them.”

A sharp sound echoed through the cave as the tree flashed with light. Streams of energy came from each of the Elements and into the center, where the Element of Magic was. It connected to the sun and moon near the bottom of the tree, winding down to a root on the ground. With a flash, a small purple bud formed. It quickly grew in size, forming a large bulb. Twilight trotted over to it, reaching out a hoof and touching it.

Rainbow light made her look away as the bud opened, revealing a crystal chest inside. It had six keyholes on it, one for each side of its sparkling surface.

“What’s inside it?” Twilight asked. “How am I supposed to open it?”

“Six locks,” Princess Luna said, looking at the container, “six keys.” Twilight looked at Princess Celestia.

“I do not know where they are,” she said. “But I do know that it is a mystery you will not be solving alone.” She stepped aside, Twilight’s friends behind her. Twilight looked at the crystal box one more time before trotting away with her friends.

The sun was rising over Equestria in the light of the Summer Sun Celebration and the return of the royal sisters from the clutches of the Everfree Forest. It was a joyful celebration, for Princess Luna stood alongside her sister once again, free from being Nightmare Moon. But in the ponies’ joy, dark powers worked their magic. The air warped and crackled within the cave that held the Tree of Harmony as something bored its way into the world, something alien appearing. The whistling sound of magic faltering rang out as a ball of yellow light formed in front of the tree. Its good-willed and pure energy allowed it passage into the world—but it was a deception. A purple color took hold of the ball, darkness engulfing the cave as the light faded, the tree unable to hold back the invading force it had already let in. With a surge of magic, the ball exploded, the ground shaking as it did. Its energy dissipated as what was inside was revealed—a man.

He fell to the stone ground, his body sprawled across the cold surface. His eyes were closed, and his chest was still. His lifeless form rested on the stone, and an ominous silence was in the air.

“Awake.”

The man’s eyes shot open as he heaved a massive breath into his lungs…

Chapter 1: Awakenings

Author's Note

First real chapter done! I’m going to write a chapter for a different fic now, and then come back to this in a chapter-to-chapter pattern.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Awakenings

Darkness. That was all that existed—an infinite void devoid of life that existed without form. No substance, no living thing, no purpose—just darkness—and then something flickered into existence. Floating in the sea of inane was a man. His soul was still with him, the only thing keeping him from passing onto the next life. As the darkness began to seep into him, consuming everything it touched, a purple energy sparked around him. The darkness was burned away as a furious glow radiated from the man. Everything faded away as his body was drawn to somewhere different—a place of Harmony…

Awake.

An incredible light burned through Tinnidas’s conscience, forcing him to return to his mind. His eyes shot open; the same light seared into his vision. Everything was but a blur as the light persisted, Tinnidas feeling himself become tethered to his mortal body once more. The world crept into his vision, banishing the light as the landscape around him overtook it. Gray shapes formed, still too blurry to make out. The feeling of warmth on his skin as his senses returned was all too real to simply be a dream.

He was alive.

As soon as that thought finished, he was hit with the pain. He roared out in agony, an onslaught of physical torment washing over his entire body as he felt every nerve come alive. His senses were sobered from the burning pain, forcing him into reality. His ears began to ring, the sound permeating his mind. The gray shapes around him morphed into rocks as he found himself in some sort of cave. Bearing through his current state, he slowly rolled over, putting his hands onto the cold stone below him.

With whatever will he could muster, he pushed himself up, fighting through the pain as he went onto his knee. The sound of metal grinding against stone got his attention, making him look down. To his surprise, he saw metal plating covering his knee. It was almost gold in color, with small engravings etched all over the plates in a methodical pattern. He put his hands on his legs and pushed himself to his feet, forcing deep breaths through his body as his pain seemed to ease.

He finally looked around, taking in the cave he found himself in. The walls were like any other cave—bare—but as he turned, he saw a glow. His eyes rested upon the tree made of crystal in front of him. He noticed the five gems held in the branches of the tree, as well as the largest one held at the center. Something about the tree made him feel invigorated, and he could feel his pain dull. His eyes lingered on it for a moment before he continued to look around. The rest of the cave was empty, except for the bag lying on the ground.

He kneeled down and picked it up, noticing the scorch marks on the outside. He pulled off the leather flap that kept the bag closed. He looked inside, seeing small vials full of strangely colored liquids. He also saw an egg-shaped object that caught his eye. It had a glossy surface that looked akin to glass, but a white substance seemed to flow beneath the surface. Reaching a hand into the bag, Tinnidas pulled the object out. There was a blue rune on its face that seemed to shift as the white substance did.

Something about the object felt familiar, as if he knew what it was. He set the bag down, tapping the outside of the object with his finger. The glossy exterior felt like an incredibly smooth stone, one that was somehow transparent. As he continued to stare at the blue rune on it, the Hearthstone felt more and more familiar.

Hearthstone? he thought. How do I know tha—

Tinnidas’s vision disappeared in a flash, everything around him fading as his vision became glazed, his surroundings warping. He was suddenly looking at a man who was in what appeared to be a tavern. The frame of the building was entirely wooden. It was a darker brown color that made Tinnidas feel welcome. There were couches and tables scattered around the room, and there was a long counter near the back of the room. A line of bar stools was against the counter, a few humans and dwarves sitting there.

The man his eyes were drawn to was talking to a dwarf who was the innkeeper. Somehow Tinnidas knew that the dwarf was the innkeeper; it just seemed right. The dwarf spoke in a scruffy voice that was layered with a strong accent.

“Anytime ya wanna return here, just rub that Hearthstone of yers, and you’ll appear here.”

The man unlatched the satchel on his side and put his Hearthstone into it. Tinnidas instantly recognized it as being identical to the one he was holding before he was transported to wherever he was now. He took a step forward, hoping to talk to the man—but he did not move. He looked down in shock, finding his legs missing—as well as the rest of his body. The panic racing through him intensified as he was drawn to the man again.

He slowly turned around, revealing himself to Tinnidas. He had the same armor that Tinnidas was wearing, and when he looked at the man’s face, it was the same as his. Tinnidas was captured by his own gaze, staring into his own brown eyes. He saw his short beard and mustache, short and curly hair, and olive-colored skin. He realized that what he was watching was a memory, a memory of his own past.

Everything blurred again as his surroundings changed, bringing him back to reality. Still shaken from the memory, his grip loosened, causing the Hearthstone in his hands to slip out of his fingers. He tried to grab it as it fell, but it hit the stone floor, cracking on its edge. He picked it back up, watching as the blue rune flickered. Luckily it was still in one piece, but he doubted it was functional.

“Maybe I can get this fixed later,” he said to himself, his voice firm. It was worn from the years of shouting he had done in battle, giving it a slight croak. Nevertheless, his voice sounded like that of a strong warrior who was tried and true. Tinnidas looked outside the cave, noticing the sun was further down the sky than it should have been.

“Odd,” he muttered, stepping over to look outside. “The sun should not be that far yet…”

As he continued to look at the sky, he saw the sun was moving quickly—too quickly for Azeroth. He looked back to the ground, seeing a path leading out of the ravine he was in. He started walking outside, his armor clinking as he did. The sun did not feel as hot as it usually did, despite him being in armor. He added that to the list of strange things he had encountered.

He trudged up a steep slope, reaching the top of the ravine. He took a look at his surroundings, finding himself in a dense forest. He did not see a single person, nor any buildings. He did not see any sign of civilization at all, only trees.

“Where even am I?” he asked no one. He went over to one of the trees, examining its bark. He furrowed his eyebrows as he found the texture of the wood unfamiliar. He knew that he was an expert in wildlife—he did not know how, though—but he did not recognize the trees. They seemed too bushy, too dark, to be in such a warm climate.

“This can’t be Elwynn Forest,” he said, pausing as he lingered on his own words. That name seemed to come to him like muscle memory, but he lacked the memory of what it actually was. He knew it was on his planet of Azeroth, but he had little knowledge of his homeworld.

Might as well start moving. The sun’s going down, he told himself. He took a few steps past the tree, scanning the area. Everything appeared normal at first glance. There were small bushes and lush grass, even some flowers here and there. He went forward, going deeper into the forest. Hopefully, I can find someone before it gets dark. The thought of spending the night in some unknown forest was not something he looked forward to.

He continued on, making his way through the woodlands. To his surprise, he saw hardly any animals. He saw one single rabbit, but that was it. As his journey continued, it slowly got darker and darker until there were only a couple of hours of sun left. His legs had begun to tire, so he stopped for a moment at a small pond, sitting down and resting his body. He grabbed his satchel, opened it up, and laid the contents on the ground. His damaged Hearthstone was still in decent condition. The crack had not grown since he last saw it. If he were lucky, he would be able to repair it sometime in the future. He carefully put it back in the bag.

Next to the Hearthstone was a series of vials. Five of them had a bright red color, and two had a darker red color like that of blood. He picked up one of the lighter ones, inspecting the glass. Etched into the outside, he read “Potion of Rejuvenation.” He put that one back on the ground, lifting one of the darker ones. Taking a closer look, he saw a label on that one as well.

“Potion of the Juggernaut,” he whispered. As he continued to look at the smooth liquid inside, he felt his vision change again. The pond vanished, replaced by a small stone chamber filled with herbs and other ingredients. There was a strange table in the center of the room that had tubes and containers, burners and vials, and other peculiar things on it. Once again, there was a man standing at the table. This time, he had a vial in his hand that had a wine-colored liquid inside it. He put it into a small slot that held it in the air. He put a tube into the vial and turned a valve on top of a beaker, another liquid pouring into the vial. After waiting for every last drop, he closed the valve, moved the tube, and turned on the burner, the flammable powder in it igniting.

The liquid began to bubble, mixing together. He turned off the flame, grabbed a small stick, and stirred the mixture. After letting it cool for a moment, he poured it into a different vial that looked the same as the one Tinnidas was looking at near the pond.

The man continued to work on his potions, and as he did, Tinnidas knew that the man was an alchemist—and that was him. His herbalist skills flowed through his mind as he remembered making potions and elixirs many times before. He continued watching himself work, when he heard a snapping sound.

He looked around the room, finding nothing to make the noise. He then heard a low growl that pulled his mind from the memory. Everything dissolved, the forest returning in an instant. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw something flying through the air towards him. He quickly got to his feet, but not before the creature slammed into him, forcing him to the ground.

His back hit the dirt hard, knocking the wind out of him. As the creature bore its full weight onto him, its claws tore through the chainmail on his torso and into his chest. He screamed as he felt a number of dagger-like talons cutting deep into him. He looked at his chest, seeing pieces of wood coming out of him. Looking higher, he saw the creature on top of him. It was made of what appeared to be wood, but it was alive. It had the shape of a wolf and features very similar to it. It was unlike anything Tinnidas had ever seen.

The timberwolf lunged at his head with its jaws, but Tinnidas moved out of the way. He delivered a punch to its jaw, knocking off a part of the wood. He was glad he had gauntlets on, or else his knuckles would be bleeding.

The wolf slowly turned its head, snarling. It lifted its front claws, pulling them out of his chest. Ignoring the sharp pain he felt, he curled his legs as the creature reared back. With the force of a cannon, he kicked. As his kick impacted, the timberwolf was sent hurtling backward, tumbling on the ground. Wasting no time, Tinnidas rolled over and got to his feet.

He still needed his satchel, so he grabbed it, throwing the two intact vials into it and latching it. He threw it over his head and shoulders, already starting to run. He pushed himself as fast as he could, sprinting through the forest. He jumped over logs and weaved through trees as he tried to get away. The timberwolf was not far behind, barking as it chased after him.

Tinnidas started to panic as he looked over his shoulder, seeing the wolf gaining on him. He picked up the pace, barely avoiding tree after tree. As he jumped over a log and went between two trees, he found himself trapped. Trees were all around him, and they were too thick for him to squeeze through. He skidded to a stop, turning around to see the timberwolf only a short distance away. He glanced around, looking for something—anything—that could help him. To his dismay, he found nothing.

The wolf bared its teeth as it prepared to pounce upon its prey. Tinnidas watched as it got closer and closer until it was only a few yards away. His eyes flashed with light as he saw a faint vision of himself reaching behind his back. He found his right arm doing the same thing as it imitated the motion, going behind his head and grabbing onto the hilt of a sword. Another flash hit his eyes as he saw himself pull the blade out.

He unsheathed it with a schling sound, grabbing onto it with both of his hands. For a brief moment, he studied the sword. It was long enough to use two hands and short enough to still be used with one hand. It was double-edged, and he could see engravings along its blade that were similar to his armor. He instantly knew it was his sword.

The timberwolf jumped towards him, but Tinnidas swung his sword with a speed he did not know he had. The blade went straight through one of its legs, cleanly cutting through the wood. The timberwolf let out a howl as it fell onto the ground, quickly rolling and getting its footing.

Tinnidas narrowed his eyes as he took a step back. A familiar confidence coursed through him as he readied himself, grinding his feet into the ground. He angled his back and leaned in as he prepared to strike. The beast charged at him, wobbling along the way. Tinnidas took his swing, the wolf barely dodging the attack. It jumped onto him, but his blade quickly swept up, cutting the timberwolf in two. Its front section fell beneath his feet, its green eyes flickering out.

Tinnidas let out a relieved breath, putting his sword back into its sheath. He kneeled down to the strange creature that had attacked him, opening its jaws. There was not a speck of flesh to be seen on its body, meaning the creature had to be held together by a magic of some kind. And if there was magic, then maybe there was civilization after all.

He stood back up, looking up at the sky to get his bearings. Before setting off, he hooked a finger under his chainmail, lifting it and taking a look at his chest. He cringed as he saw blood slowly seeping out of his wounds, but at least he would be okay for now. He then remembered the potions he had, pulling the lighter one out of his bag.

“Let’s hope this works.” He took off the small cork, leaning his head back as he downed the liquid in one swig. His face contorted from the foul taste in his mouth, but he almost instantly felt the potion’s effects. The pain coming from his chest seemed to ease, and he felt more energized than ever. When he lifted his chainmail again, he found his skin patching itself up, decreasing the size of the cuts. While it would not fully heal him, it would keep him going for the time being.

He closed up the vial, putting it back in his satchel. He started through the forest again, unaware of the timberwolf he cut in half beginning to rejoin.

As he made his way, the forest started to thin. The trees were more spread out, and the sun shone through the tops of the trees brighter than before. Tinnidas hoped that meant he was close to the forest’s edge and, therefore, close to people.

He tensed as he heard faint steps behind him. He looked around, finding no clear escape. He reached for his blade, spinning around and drawing it. His eyes darted around him, finding nothing. He heard the bushes rustle all around him. He slowly turned in a circle, ready to defend himself.

A timberwolf leaped out from one of the bushes, but Tinnidas heard the rustle of the leaves, pivoting on his foot and slicing the wolf from its snout to its tail. Surprised by his speed, five timberwolves lumbered out of the bushes. He was surrounded. Instead of waiting for them to strike him down, he decided to make the first move.

Tinnidas ran forward, dragging his sword low to the ground. He cleaved upwards, cutting one of the timberwolves along the snout. It recoiled before lunging back at him with outstretched claws. Tinnidas raised his weapon, blocking one of its paws. The other slid across his chest, cutting into the same area he was already injured.

The beast paid for its actions—dearly—as Tinnidas separated its leg from its body. He raised his sword, about to finish off his attacker, when another timberwolf’s claws sawed into his back. He awkwardly bent forward, going down to one knee. He raised his sword as another strike came down, blocking the blow. The wolf pushed against the sword, snapping its jaws at him.

His eyes flashed with yellow light as a memory flooded through him. He found his body mirroring the actions he saw in his mind: a man dropping his guard and quickly stabbing his sword through his enemy’s chest. Tinnidas looked in front of him, seeing the contorted face of the timberwolf impaled upon his blade.

He gritted his teeth, twisting his sword before pulling it out. The wolf fell to the ground, its eyes snuffed out. He snapped his sword behind his back, cutting off the head of the wolf behind him.

The three other timberwolves felt uneasy, still stamping their paws on the ground to show strength as Tinnidas stood up, almost unhindered by his injuries. His eyes glowed yellow as he gripped his sword tight.

Inside his mind, he had already seen the fight unfold. Whoever he was on Azeroth was a warrior—a great one at that. He had the same fight before, only with something he knew to be orcs instead of timberwolves, and all he had to do was let it unfold.

As the glow in his eyes dissipated, a smirk slid onto his face. The first of his enemies rushed towards him. As it tried to jump him, he stepped to the side with ease, watching as it slid on the ground. He swept low with his sword, removing the wolf’s back legs. It collapsed onto the ground, scrambling to get back up. Tinnidas thrust his sword down, straight through the chest of the wolf.

He quickly pulled out his weapon, parrying an incoming attack. With a spin, he stopped another attack by removing the attacker’s claws. He rolled on the ground, getting onto one knee behind an enemy. His sword whipped through the air, claiming another wolf. The last of them managed to land atop him, throwing him to the ground. He grabbed onto its front legs, holding it away from him as best he could. The wolf snapped at his head, but Tinnidas moved out of the way.

The beast’s teeth impacted his armored shoulder instead, causing the engravings on his armor to glow with a blue light. A blast of electricity shot through his armor and into the wolf, stunning it for a moment. Tinnidas did not let the opportunity go to waste, grabbing the timberwolf by its jaws and throwing it to the ground. He rolled over, scraping along his already injured chest in the process, getting up as fast as he could and rushing to his sword. He grabbed it from the ground, the wolf already coming towards him.

Almost like instinct, he thrust his sword out, pointing it directly at his enemy. He let out a war cry, his weapon reacting to his emotions. All along the blade, the runes carved into it burned with an orange blaze. A wave of fire washed over his sword, running from the handle to the point before shooting out from the end in a stream. The jet of flames hit the timberwolf, eating away at its wooden body.

Tinnidas watched it fall apart as it tried to get to him, dropping as a pile of burnt lumber before his feet. The fire stopped, the runes on the blade returning to their normal color. He looked around, seeing the bodies of the timberwolves scattered around him. He glanced down at his sword, the fight he was just in seeming like a blur. While he remembered it clearly, it seemed almost unreal how he had single-handedly taken down the pack of timberwolves. He took another look at his sword and the runes running along it.

“I guess I have this to thank,” he said aloud, putting his weapon back in its sheath. While he had taken them down, he was wounded. His chest and back were bleeding, and he knew he was out of healing potions. The effects of the potion he drank earlier had worn off, leaving him weak and vulnerable.

The adrenaline coursing through his veins started to fade as well, bringing the pain of his injuries. His chest stung like a hot knife laid on his skin, but he had to keep moving. He found his bearings again, continuing through the forest. His condition only seemed to worsen.

At first, he took slow steps. Then, he held an arm over his chest. Next, his every step became incredibly taxing. After that, he started to trudge around, barely able to stand. He kept looking ahead, the forest never seeming to end. His vision started to go black around the edges as he felt his conscience slipping away. His will was fading, and his steps became more and more sluggish. The world around him was spinning, but through the insanity, he saw what he was looking for.

He saw the edge of the forest, and he saw a village in the distance. He pushed his legs to walk, moving his feet forward with each step. His eyes were set on his salvation, and he was only a few feet from the last tree of the forest. Just when freedom seemed so close, he tripped on a rock, stumbling forward as he tried to find his balance.

In the end, he failed, falling to the ground and hitting his head on another rock. He let out a scream as he thudded onto the grass, everything going still. His eyes strained to stay open, but he could feel his senses slipping away. Just before they did, he heard the sound of wings flapping in the air.

He tried to turn his head, barely moving from the effort. As his head rested to the side, he saw something approaching him. He scrunched his eyes, trying to make sense of the blurred figure. It was a bright purple and walked on four legs. Something protruded from its head, but he could not tell what. He saw its outstretched feathered wings fold to its side. He wondered if it had come to pick away at him once he blacked out or if it was going to use him as food for its family. As his vision turned black, he did not seem to care. There was nothing he could do to save himself.

Once again, darkness was around him as everything faded away.

Chapter 2: Fortunate Forthcomings

Tinnidas felt his mind spinning, his conscience barely hanging on for dear life. His death seemed inevitable, his wounds too severe for him to survive—yet he knew he was not dead. An eerie feeling crept through him as he felt himself stirring from the abyss. The dark void he was floating in washed away, leaving him back in his mortal body. He felt his senses returning, a cool breeze on his skin. He could hear the excited screams of children playing outside and the sound of birds chirping in the trees. The rustle of the bushes nearby was from the rabbits that lived in the forest, a sound he had come to love and recognize by heart.

He forced his eyes open, the brightness of the sky hitting him and stinging his head. He scrunched his eyes, the light around him fading as he could see again. He made out an area familiar to him: the streets of Stormwind City. He was walking down them, greeting everyone he passed. The brilliant white stone towers of the walls extended above him, the sun glinting off of their shine. The streets were full of people going around, talking to each other over a meal, relaxing in the sun, and taking in the cool air. In the middle of the day, the city could get pretty crowded.

Tinnidas continued his walk, his feet taking him to wherever he was going out of muscle memory. He passed more and more people as he went through the city, guards greeting him along the way. The more he paid attention, he realized the guards were not simply greeting him, but they were saluting him. The next one he passed went rigid, standing tall and putting a hand by his head. Tinnidas saluted back, watching the guard relax a bit and look back to the street.

Strange, he thought while going up a set of stone stairs. As he looked up to see where he was going, he found himself walking into Stormwind Keep. He knew its name, as well as the fact that the king lived there. Who the king was, what Stormwind was, or why he was headed inside was a mystery to him. The guards outside saluted him, so he saluted back, entering into the keep.

Once inside, he looked at the delicate interior. The walls were a pristine white marble with not a speck of dirt on them. They were also polished to have a glossy shine. Blue pillars stood on each side of him, reaching to the curved ceiling that was high above him. As he looked back forward, he could see the large chamber he was quickly approaching: the throne room.

Once stepping inside, the first thing he noticed was the incredible height of the ceiling. Much higher than where he had just been, the domed ceiling was above him, light coming from its glass windows into the room.

He went forward across the large stone tiles that made up the floor, finding himself walking towards a majestic throne. Low steps led up to it, and at its front were four lions made out of gold. Past them were the carpeted slabs that made up the throne itself. Behind it, glass panes went up the wall, reaching a circle of glass with the symbol of the Alliance, a lion, at its center. Two banners hung next to the glass, draping halfway to the floor.

Tinnidas looked back at the seat itself, seeing the man sitting in it. He was the leader of the Alliance, the king of humanity, champion of Azeroth: Anduin Wrynn, son of Varian Wrynn. Tinnidas remembered the young king and how his father was killed while he was still young. He had to take up the role of king at a relatively young age, but he was no doubt a leader.

“General Geurin,” Anduin spoke, his voice higher and softer than his father’s. However, Tinnidas detected a sense of worry in his tone.

“Yes, my king,” Tinnidas felt himself saying, taking a knee as he remembered what the king had just said.

Guerin? Is that my last name? He continued to watch as Anduin smiled, feeling his body rise back to its full height.

“There is something dire I must tell you,” he felt himself saying again, but this time there was a heavy feeling to it—like something was off.

The king leaned forward, a now worried look forming on his face. “Go on.”

“There is a threat to all of Azeroth unlike any we have faced before. The Lich King, Deathwing, Garrosh—even the Burning Legion—do not compare to this evil.”

Tinnidas could feel dread seeping in from all around him, whatever he was experiencing feeling alien.

“What is coming, soldier?” Anduin asked, his darkest fears forming.

“It is—” Tinnidas started to say, when the world cracked apart. He felt panic race through him as everything around him ground to a stop. Time froze as he felt his body lock up, unable to move. He tried to focus on what he was saying, but the thought slipped away before he could even begin to try. His surroundings started to come undone, fragments of the world disappearing as he felt himself being pulled away. He tried to hold on, but he was powerless against whatever had taken hold of him. He felt everything slip away as his conscience was plucked.

Tinnidas felt his eyes open, the familiar burn of the sun hitting them. He slowly put an arm over his face, attempting to block the sunlight. It proved to be useless, more light seeming to hit him every second. He started to roll over with a groan, hearing a creak as he did. As his face hit the soft ground, he tensed.

Remembering what had happened before he blacked out, he felt what he was lying on, recognizing it as a sheet. He flipped over, desperately squinting his eyes to see where he was. He was able to catch a glimpse, finding himself in a bedroom of some sort. Everything seemed a little small, but it was a bedroom nonetheless. A dresser rested in the corner of the room, a nightstand was next to him, and pictures hung on the wall.

He did not get much time to think, for the distinct sound of a door opening sounded the alarm inside his head. He wrestled with his bedding, trying to uncover himself to stand. Before he could, the wooden door swung open, an overly cheery voice floating through it.

“Good morning!” said what he recognized as a she from the sound of her voice. It was a very high-pitched voice with a sense of enthusiasm that worried him. Opting to remain silent, he sat there, hoping she would leave. It was then that he looked down, realizing his chest armor was gone. As he looked at his chest, he saw only scars where his cuts were. Almost in disbelief, he ran his fingers along them, their rough texture confirming what he saw.

Worried if he still had the rest of his armor, he moved his legs, the clang of plating letting him know he still had leggings. It seemed whoever was outside the room heard as well because he heard something hitting the ground, the sound getting closer. He mentally scolded himself for making noise, only able to watch as either his captor or savior came through the door.

He was surprised to see a purple four-legged creature. It was like a horse, but smaller and less bulky. It had a horn and even a pair of wings—something he found most peculiar. His nerves calmed as he saw the miniature horse, his eyes still following it closely. Its hooves clopped on the floor as it came closer to his bed. He raised an eyebrow, and it turned its head, raising an eyebrow as well.

“Hi there!” the tiny horse practically shouted at him, a large smile appearing on her face. Tinnidas nearly screamed, squirming away from the creature as best he could. What he now knew to be the owner of the female voice he had heard before looked at him in confusion as he failed to escape the confines of his linen prison. She wondered why the hairless creature was moving so wildly, while he, on the other hand, was terrified of the talking horse.

As he finally got out of the bed, falling to the floor in the process, he tried to stand up. She came around the bed, stopping a few feet away from him. She slowly came up to him, turning her head as he kept trying to get away.

“What’s wrong?” she asked with a concerned tone.

“You’re a—” he started to stay, too freaked out to finish. “You’re a—”

“A pony?” she finished, even more confused than ever.

“A talking, winged, horned pony!” he half-shouted at her, still trying to get away. She saw how entangled he was in the bedding, so she thought it would be a good idea to help him.

“I have never seen a—” he started, breaking into a yell as he felt light purple energy wrap around his body. He went rigid as he was lifted into the air, the sheets dropping from him. He looked back at her, noticing her horn glowing the same color, meaning she was the one holding him in the air.

“PUT ME DOWN!” Afraid she had upset him, she released her magic, causing him to hit the floor like a sack. He let out a groan, his body still sore from his fight with the wooden wolves in the forest.

“Are you alright?” she asked, taking a step closer.

“I’m fine,” he replied, trying to calm himself. He looked up at her, noticing her mane that looked like human hair. It was a deep purple with a pink streak going down the middle, her tail the same way. “I just—Where am I?”

“You’re in the Ponyville Library where I live,” she answered, glad that he was calming down.

“Ponyville?” he mumbled while standing up, wiping his face with a hand.

“Yep. Right near Canterlot.”

“Canterlot?” He looked back at her, getting more used to her appearance. “What continent are we on?” He tried to focus on his planet, a few names coming to his mind. He did not know what they were, but he hoped they were continents. “Kalimdor, Pandaria?”

She cocked her head. “We’re in Equestria.”

“Equestria?” he repeated. “I’ve never heard of something like that on Azeroth.”

“Azeroth? What’s that?” she asked, more lost than before. He gawked at her for a moment, trying to find the words to explain.

“Th—That’s the name of the planet.”

“We’re on Equus. A-are you alright?” She took a step forward, noticing his eyes darting around the room. She could tell he was getting progressively more distressed.

“Equus? I-I don’t understand.” He put his hands on his head, his heart beating faster. “Where am I?”

“You are on planet Equus, in Equestria. This is Ponyville, one of the closest towns to Canterlot, the capital of Equestria.”

“Maybe this is an undiscovered continent,” he said more to himself than to her. He looked back up at her, asking, “Are there any other continents on this planet?” She put a hoof to her chin for a second.

“There’s the Dragon Lands, Griffonstone, and Yakyakistan,” she answered with a smile. That smile faded when she saw the look of horror on the man’s face.

“You’ve never heard of Northrend, Kalimdor, Pandaria—even the Eastern Kingdoms?” he desperately asked, hoping she knew at least one of them. She thought again for a moment, trying to remember if she had heard of anything similar in any of her books.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I’ve never heard of any of those.”

“This can’t be happening,” he whispered, his breathing picking up. “It’s got to be some sort of… dream?” The pony took a tiny step forward.

“Get away from me!” He put up a hand, still trying to get away from the thing in front of him. It seemed every bit of ground he made she took back with a simple step.

“Please,” she gently began, worried about his current state, “you’re not well. You need to stay here and rest.”

“What I need,” he retorted, “is to get away from… whatever the hell you are—and get back to reality!”

That line hit the pony like a rock, causing her face to drop. She took a large step forward—something she regretted when he practically jettisoned away from her. He flew backward, unaware of just how close he had gotten to the wall. The back of his head slammed into the hard wood, knocking him clean out. His body slumped over, lying on the floor in a small pool of sweat.

“Do you think he’s alright?” a soft voice called. Tinnidas could barely understand it, but it pierced through the haze he was currently in. He heard a few other voices, but a sudden ringing in his ears stopped him from hearing them. He grunted, slowly opening his eyes. He found his vision blurry and the room spinning wildly, but he was able to make out some shapes. He could tell he was no longer in the bedroom he was in before he got knocked out.

“I think he’s waking up,” a sharper voice said. He then heard several steps coming toward him. He tried to lift his head, only bringing a stinging sensation as he saw six different vibrant colors growing larger.

“Are you sure he’s alright, Twi?” he heard someone skeptically say, a worrying amount of concern in their voice.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine, Dash.” His eyes widened as he recognized the voice of the purple pony from before, his body instantly coming alive. Tuning in to every little sound around him, he heard the six beings around him breathing. They were all around him, but he had the element of surprise.

He glanced around, seeing a rough outline of what was around him as he put his legs into action. He felt himself stand up while an intense head rush washed over him. He tried to step forward, stumbling in the process. He flopped over like a rock, about to hit the ground, when the same purple glow from before grabbed onto him, hoisting him back upright. He caught himself with his feet, still shaken by the magical grip.

His vision had cleared considerably, letting him see the six ponies standing in front of him with equally shocked expressions. One of them was a cream color, one was a light blue, another was pink, one was peach, and one was white. Then there was the original purple one he was beginning to dislike. However that may be, he was weak. He could not risk angering the ones who had saved him if he was going to survive wherever he now found himself. So, he stood there in waiting, still ready to grab his sword at any moment—if he still even had it on his back.

“Hello again,” the purple pony gently said, deliberately not taking a step forward this time.

“Hello,” he replied, waving at them all. As he did, a strange look appeared on their faces as they stared at his hand.

“What’s…” the purple one muttered, coming up to him. He forcibly steadied himself, not wanting to alarm her or make her think he was a threat. She slowly reached out a hoof, looking up at his face before reaching to touch him. He slowly nodded before she proceeded, watching her take his hand and examine it in her hoof. She traced along his individual fingers, her hoof feeling much softer than he thought it would be.

“What’s wrong with your hooves?” Her dumbfounded expression led Tinnidas to believe there were not many creatures with opposable thumbs around.

“They’re called hands,” he softly answered, wiggling his fingers and getting a few gasps in the process.

“I’ve never seen a sentient creature with those before,” the purple one said, stepping back. “Where are you from?”

That hit him rather hard. He had hoped to wait before revealing the strange lack of his own memories, but he could not risk lying to them. He had no idea how they would take it or if they would know he was lying. He hoped that these ponies were kind and civil—or else he would be needing that sword soon. He also hoped to get some help finding out where he was and what had happened to him.

“That’s…” he began, pausing for a moment and sighing, “what I’m trying to figure out.”

“What do you mean?” the light blue pony asked in her naturally sharp voice.

“Well,” he said, slowly raising a hand and running it through his rustled hair, “I can’t seem to remember where I’m from, or why I’m here.” As he moved his hand away, he bumped the handle of his sword, returning his hand to his side. “All I know is that I am in some strange place where talking ponies exist, and I can’t figure out how.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” the pink pony said in her excitable voice. “You’ve never met a pony before?”

“I would say no, but I can’t remember.”

“Why can’t you remember?” the purple one asked. He sighed again, growing tired of her curiosity.

“I barely remember anything about my past. I know my name is Tinnidas… Geurin… and I think I used to be a warrior.” He heard a large gasp from everyone in the room.

“You were a warrior?” the blue one questioned in a voice more excited than the pink one’s.

“…Yes,” he simply replied, questioning whether she was excited in a good or bad way.

“Awesome!” she exclaimed, her eyes going wide. “Is that why you have a big clunky sword on your back?”

“Yes, it is,” he said, carefully reaching behind his head and gripping the handle of his weapon. He saw the cream-colored pony with wings shake a little, leading him to believe she was the most afraid of the six. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you.” Her trembling slowed with his soothing voice, prompting him to start pulling out the blade. It made a quiet sound as he took it from its sheath, lowering it to his side.

The ponies stared at it in awe, studying its elegant features. Tinnidas found his own eyes going to the blade, taking in the excellent craftsmanship that went into making it. Now that he had the opportunity to really look at it, he marveled at its beauty. It had a red grip made of wrapped leather and a pommel made of gold. The guard of the sword was made of gold as well and had a shape similar to that of a phoenix’s wings. The blade itself was long and well sharpened, its two sides equally so. The runes running along the blade’s center lacked the fiery glow they had had before, but they were still engraved to perfection. The sword itself was awing, and the ponies seemed to think so as they continued to stare at it. The purple one finally broke the trance, looking up at Tinnidas.

“I’ve never seen such an extravagant sword. The craftsponyship looks similar to that of the time of Starswirl, but the detail is too intricate for that time. Your armor is almost identical in style.” She scrunched her eyebrows in thought before coming up to him. “Where did you get all this stuff?”

Craftsponyship? he thought to himself. Just where am I?

“I’m afraid I don’t know. I had it with me when I got here.”

“Speaking of,” she started, cycling back to what she originally wanted to ask, “when and where did you arrive here?”

“Well, I remember waking up in a strange cave yesterday, and then I went out in hopes of finding someone. I ended up in a forest, and after searching for hours, I encountered a pack of wolves.” He recalled the distinct memory of their strange bodies and appearance. “They were made out of wood, and their eyes had a green glow to them. They were held together by what could only be some form of magic.”

“Y-you m-mean…” the cream-colored pony sputtered, shaking again while taking a gulp, “timberwolves?”

“If that’s what they’re called. All I know is that a pack of them attacked me, and while I was able to kill them—” He stopped as he heard a gasp of horror from the ponies. He saw the look of utter shock on their faces, and he started to panic.

“Y-y-you k-killed them?” the same manila pony recoiled.

“I don’t understand,” he said. “I had no other choice. They attacked me, and I had to defend myself.” That did not seem to do much.

“Couldn’t you have just wounded them?” the purple one asked.

“No. Even after they were wounded, they kept coming at me. Like I said, I had no other choice.”

“O-okay,” she said, her expression of disgust fading slightly. Most of her friends seemed to react the same.

I guess killing of any kind is not to be taken lightly here.

“I’m sorry if I offended you. I have no idea where I am or what I’m doing here, but this place seems vastly different from my home.” The purple pony nodded.

“I guess so.” After a pregnant pause and one final strange look, her warm smile returned. “So you managed to survive in the Everfree Forest alone?”

“Is that the name of that wicked place?”

“It is,” she answered. “The Everfree Forest is the only place in settled Equestria with natural weather. It’s home to all kinds of creatures—some kind and some dangerous.”

“Natural weather?” he repeated, not knowing what she was talking about. “What do you mean?”

“In Equestria,” she explained, “the pegasi control the weather.”

“You have ponies that control the weather?” he exclaimed. “But how?”

“The floating city of Cloudsdale has a large factory that produces clouds and regulates wind currents. The weather teams clear out the skies and put clouds when needed.”

“Wow,” he said in awe, processing all that she had just said. “That’s new on me.” She chuckled for a moment, as did her friends. “And to answer your question, I didn’t make it out of the forest entirely unscathed. Those timberwolves ripped my chest up pretty bad, but it seems to have been healed already.” Her cheeks changed from their lavender color to a bright red.

“After I found you, I took you home and healed your wounds with my magic. I hope that was okay.”

“Of course it is,” he said with a smile. “If anything, you saved my life.” He went down on one knee, his head slightly below her eye level. “I owe you a great deal. If you hadn’t of found me when you did, I might not have made it.” He gulped hard, a cold chill running down his back as he thought of what could have been. “Anyway, I am grateful that you would help a stranger like me. Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

With a laugh, she said, “For now, I’d just like to talk with you. Something about you seems very interesting, Tinnidas.” Remembering she had not introduced herself yet, she stepped back to her friends. She pointed to the cream pegasus with a pink mane. “This is Fluttershy.”

That explains a lot. He nodded to her.

“This is Rainbow Dash,” the purple pony said after pointing to her light blue friend. Tinnidas noticed her rainbow-colored mane and tail, realizing how fitting the name was. He smiled at her. The purple one pointed to the pink one. “This is Pinkie Pie.”

“Nice to meet you, Tinnidas!” she squealed, a large grin on her face.

“The feeling is mutual,” he replied with a smile. The lavender pony then moved her hoof towards the white one with a rich purple mane.

“This is Rarity.”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” she said smoothly in a tone of elegance that reminded him of the nobles of Stormwind; however, her voice lacked the distinct pompous sound that they had.

“The pleasure is mine,” he answered, to which she smiled.

“Such manners, Tinnidas. Those seem harder to come by nowadays.”

“I aim to please,” he responded, finding her most charming.

The winged and horned pony moved on to the peach mare with a cowboy hat on. “And this here is Applejack.”

“Nice ta meet ya,” she said in a heavy rural accent. She extended a hoof, which he slowly took. She shook his hand, finding gripping it easier than expected.

“Lastly,” the purple one began, “I’m Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship.”

“I did not know I was in the presence of royalty, Princess Sparkle.” He saw her blush again, even harder than before.

“T-Twilight’s fine,” she sheepishly said, her ears folding to her head in a rather adorable way.

“Alright then, Twilight. It is an honor to meet you.” He was surprised that she did not use her title—unlike most royalty he knew on Azeroth. Wherever he was, society seemed to be immensely different. While it seemed better than what he was used to, that also meant he had no idea how to act.

“You can stay here in the library as long as you need, Tinnidas,” she offered to him. A surprised smile slid onto his face.

“You would do that for me?”

“What’s the point of being the Princess of Friendship if you aren’t nice to your friends after all?”

He chortled. “I suppose. Either way, thank you for all the help.”

These ponies consider you a friend rather quickly. It seems rather… naive…

“It really is nothing,” she mumbled, a slight blush appearing on her face.

“How large is the royal family here in… Equestria—if you don’t mind me asking?”

“It’s pretty small,” she said in a way he could not quite read. “The most powerful ponies in Equestria make up the more popular part of the royal family. There’s me, the Princess of Friendship; Cadence, the Princess of Love; Luna, the Princess of the Night; and then Celestia, the Princess of the Sun. Luna and Celestia raise the sun and moon every day and night while ruling mainland Equestria, while Cadance rules the Crystal Empire, which is made of crystal.”

Tinnidas’s jaw hung open from all that he had just heard. There were ponies powerful enough to move the sun and moon and an empire made of crystal? He was lost in a flurry of thoughts for a moment until he heard someone clear their throat.

“Are you alright there?” Twilight asked, looking a little concerned.

“I-I’m fine,” Tinnidas replied, looking down at her. “That’s just… a lot to take in, is all.”

“You’ve never heard of any of them?”

“Nope. Where I’m from, the sun and moon move on their own, and the weather occurs naturally.”

Twilight started to walk around in a circle as she thought. Her friends looked at her, recognizing the look on her face that meant an idea was forming inside her head. Tinnidas was able to identify it as well.

“You say you haven’t heard of those at all, but there is only one sun and one moon around our planet. There’s absolutely no way you haven’t heard of Equestria.” She stopped for a second, whipping around to look at him. “Does the sun always move, or does it move a lot when it rises?”

“It moves at a constant, steady pace,” he answered. “It seems I’m able to remember things about how the world itself works, at least.”

“That means there is only one possible reason for you not to know about us.” Twilight stopped suddenly, her face shifting. “This isn’t your world.”

“What?” Tinnidas returned.

“You showed up here yesterday, and you can’t remember anything from your past. The amnesia you have could—theoretically—be caused by your interworld travel. That would explain your odd appearance.” He raised an eyebrow. “You have no body hair besides on your head, only some type of smooth skin. You walk on two legs, you have bulging muscles that make you look like a predator, and your armor and sword do not match anything in this world. I think you are from another world.”

“Whoa, whoa, and whoa,” Tinnidas countered. “This is a lot to assume just from me not knowing about Equestria and its rulers. For all I know, it could be you trying to trick me—not that I think that.”

“It does seem rather rash,” Rarity said, siding with him.

“Thank you,” he came back with. He threw up his hands with a slight chuckle. “All I know is that I woke up next to some magical crystal tree with freaky gems on it in some random cave—”

“What did you say?” Twilight said, her voice turning firm. “About a tree?”

He paused, thinking over what he had just said. “I woke up in a cold stone cave, and I found a strange tree made of crystal that had six gems on it.”

“The Tree of Harmony,” she quickly said. She turned towards the door before shouting, “Spike!”

Tinnidas had a puzzled look on his face until he heard a light pit-pat of feet. When they reached the door, he looked in its direction, only to lower his head and find a tiny… dragon. It was purple with lime green spikes running along its body. For some reason, though, it lacked wings. From its size and features, he guessed it was still a whelpling—therefore still weak. Without a second thought, he reached behind his head and pulled out his sword. He gripped it with both hands, narrowing his eyes at the dragon.

“Step aside,” he commanded in a firm voice. “I will protect you from this monster.” The ponies did not move. Instead, they looked at him in shock.

“Spike is not a monster! He’s a dragon!” Twilight half-yelled.

“What’s the difference?” he dismissively said. “They are dangerous creatures, and while some are normal, purple scales indicate that he is either a Twilight Dragon or a Netherwing.”

“Maybe on your world, but Spike is my assistant,” she explained in a calmer voice.

“Assistant?” he deadpanned.

“Yes. I’ve raised him since birth. Dragons on Equus are different from the ones from wherever you are from. Spike is one of my closest friends, and he is not a threat to anyone here.” Tinnidas glanced at her and then back at this Spike. After a moment, he slowly lowered his blade before returning it to its sheath.

“I apologize for my outburst,” he said, “I am not used to dragons that look like you, Spike.”

“Well, I can’t blame you,” Spike said in his human-like voice. “Some ponies are still a little afraid of me.”

Twilight turned to her small assistant, her dire expression returning. “Spike, I need you to write a letter to Princess Celestia.” He quickly ran over to a nearby desk, pulling open one of the drawers and grabbing a scroll. He unrolled it, grabbing the nearby quill from its inkwell and getting ready to write.

“Tell her that I have encountered somepony from what I believe to be another world. He arrived in the Everfree Forest yesterday after appearing next to the Tree of Harmony. I healed him and am letting him stay in the Ponyville library.” Spike finished writing everything she had said, sealing the scroll in red wax and a horseshoe seal before breathing his green fire onto it. Tinnidas stared at the scroll as it instantly turned to dust and flew out a nearby crack in a window.

“You stay here today, Tinnidas. The Princess should arrive later.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” he hesitantly asked. “I don’t know what your leader will think when she sees me.”

“Don’t worry,” Twilight answered, coming over and putting a hoof on his arm. “Celestia is my mentor. She will listen to what you have to say, trust me.”

“Alright,” he quietly said. “I’ll wait for her to arrive. In the meantime, do you think I can get my items back?”

“Of course. Right this way.” She turned around and went over to the door. Tinnidas followed suit, taking a deep breath and hoping he was not being played.

Chapter 3: Of Certain Equine Princesses

“Here’s the storage closet where I put your things,” Twilight said, opening the door to the closet. Tinnidas looked inside at the somewhat dusty area, spotting his golden armor and his bag.

“Thank you for keeping these safe.” He went over to his things and knelt down, picking them up. He carefully pulled his damaged chainmail over his head, adjusting it onto his torso. After removing his golden gauntlets, he slid one metal sleeve over his arm and pulled it up to his shoulder. He attached one of his pauldrons to the flexible metal of the sleeve and then slid a bracer onto his arm, finishing his arm plating. He then repeated the process for the other arm before putting his gauntlets back on, completing his armor. Next, he picked up his satchel, opening it to find only a few things intact. He pulled out an empty vial and another filled with the dark liquid of a potion, glad it was undamaged. After putting it back inside, he slowly lifted his Hearthstone out of the bag, wiping off the pieces of shattered glass on top of it.

“What’s that?” Twilight asked, reminding Tinnidas that she was still there.

“This?” he said, moving the device into her view. “This is a Hearthstone.” She took a few steps forward, scrunching her face as she examined said Hearthstone. She noticed its strange appearance and the damage it had received, and as she got closer, she felt the magic resonating from it.

“Whatever that thing is, it holds powerful magic. I can feel it seeping out of the crack on its surface.”

“You can feel that?” Tinnidas asked, looking back at the Hearthstone.

“My horn, like a unicorn’s, allows me to sense the magical energy moving all around us. While my senses are more acute, we ponies can kind of see magic.”

“Interesting,” he mouthed to himself. “This thing lets me teleport to a set location, but it does need time to recharge. Sadly, I broke it when I was in the forest.”

“The magic it holds is almost different from what I’m used to. While it has similarities, there is something about it I don’t recognize. I would fix it if I could, but I don’t think I can.”

He sighed. “Thanks for the thought. I doubt it would work anyway, seeing as how I’m on an entirely different planet.”

“Don’t worry, Tinnidas,” she started, putting a hoof on his shoulder, “I’m sure the Princess will be able to figure this out.”

“I hope so,” he whispered, putting his Hearthstone in his satchel and slinging the bag over him before standing up.

“Sister,” Princess Celestia began, urgency in her voice, “we can’t wait to assemble a small army to meet Twilight.”

“But how are we supposed to protect ourselves?” Princess Luna returned with, making her sister sigh.

“We don’t even know if this creature is a threat, and arriving with an army might give them the wrong idea of our intentions. Remember, we want to talk with them—not scare them.”

“So we are supposed to charge in there without any support?”

“If this mysterious being is able to overpower three alicorns at once, then I don’t think an army would do us much better, sister. We should leave immediately and meet them before anything happens.” She stared into her sister’s eyes. Princess Luna nodded out of reluctance.

“We suppose, dear sister.” She walked to her alabaster-colored sister. “Let us leave for Ponyville.”

“Alright then,” Princess Celestia replied with a smile, opening her wings and taking flight, her sister following suit.

“I really hope I’m not being a burden to you, Princess,” Tinnidas said. Twilight gave him a look, to which he corrected himself. “Sorry. Twilight.”

“Don’t be silly,” she dismissed, waving a hoof. “Like I said before, it’s no problem. Getting to know you would be an honor, and offering my home to somepony who needs help is simply the right thing to do.”

“You ponies really are kind,” he said with a grin. “Let me help you with that.” He grabbed the teapot she was about to levitate, bringing it over to the set table in the center of the room. There were three teacups at the table, each with the setting of a spoon and napkin. He adjusted one of the six chairs at the table to make everything perfect for the guest that would be arriving. He looked around at the rest of the room, finding it similar to something he might see in a Night Elf’s home. It was the literal inside of a tree, which, of course, meant it had wooden walls. The inside had been hollowed out to look like a regular room. There were pictures on the walls, bookshelves, a set of stairs, a couple of tables, chairs, and even a kitchen. He found the treehouse to be quite comforting.

He went to take a seat at the set table, but almost on cue, Tinnidas heard a knock at the door. His head whipped around, finding Twilight already at the door and reaching for the handle. He took a slight gulp as he steeled himself to meet arguably one of the most powerful beings on the planet. He hoped he had not made a miscalculation trusting in Twilight.

What if she was fooling me? he thought. It would be all too easy, considering how helpless I currently am. She could bring me to her ruler, only to have me killed! I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into…

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face as the door creaked open, Twilight looking slightly up. Tinnidas did the same, the light of the sun blocking his sight. He squinted his eyes, trying to see the princess, but he could not.

“I wasn’t expecting you both to show up,” Twilight said, sounding more surprised than Tinnidas liked. He could hear Twilight escort what he guessed to be the two ponies inside, hearing her close the door as she did. As his eyes adjusted, he was able to see the two royals in front of him.

One was a dark blue, whose color resembled the night sky, with splotches on her body that looked like spilled ink. She had a fitter form than any of the other ponies, the contour of her muscles apparent, and her wings looked smaller compared to her body than Twilight’s did. There were pieces of what he gathered to be regalia on her body, their dark color matching her own. Her mane was similar to her body color, but it had a texture that looked identical to a starry sky. Also, her mane drifted in an invisible breeze like it was floating through the air. He saw a small black crown on the top of her small head and the somewhat unpleasant look on her face.

Tinnidas then looked at the other princess, this one the polar opposite of the other. She had a white coat that rivaled marble, and her mane was a mix of vibrant colors such as green, blue, purple, and pink. It, too, floated in an invisible wind. Her overall size was significantly larger than the other two princesses. Her head was almost exactly at his eye level. She had a thicker figure than her counterpart, but she did not look chubby. Her barrel had a more rounded shape, and her hindlegs had an extra thickness to them. The regalia she wore was a golden color, opposite the other. One of her more unique features was her eye color. While her counterpart had bluish-green eyes, she had light purple eyes—something he found intriguing.

One of the other unique features of the two princesses was their horns. Unlike Twilight’s, their horns looked like literal spears. The larger princess’s horn was a foot long, and it spiraled to the tip, which was incredibly sharp—unlike Twilight’s. Seeing as how she had a pike on her head, Tinnidas wondered just how much damage she could do in hand-to-hoof combat, finding it a chilling thought.

“So,” Princess Luna said in a strong, impatient voice before pointing at Tinnidas, “this is the creature thou spoke of?” Twilight nodded, turning to him.

“This is Tinnidas Geurin.”

“A most interesting name,” Princess Luna stated before stepping towards him. He stayed still, watching the Lunar Princess come up to him. She slowly circled his body, eying his form up and down like a hawk. Squinting her eyes, she saw the intricacy of the armor he was wearing—as well as his weapon. She went back to his front, leaning her head in.

As she got closer, he found himself looking into her emerald-like eyes, finding them magnetizing. She seemed to huff in his face, something he found more cute than intimidating. The deeper he looked into her eyes, the more he recognized the emotions she was hiding behind her seemingly unwavering performance. It was an emotion he knew well. How? He did not know, but it mattered nonetheless. He could see the fear in her eyes, something he had not expected to find from one of the rulers of Equestria. He pondered whether it was a fear that would make her falter, or one that would make her dangerous.

She continued to bore into him, almost as if she was trying to read him as he was her. Even if she could, he had no emotions to show. He had barely even felt anything since he awoke in that strange cave.

Finally deciding to break the pregnant silence, he cleared his throat.

“Good evening, Princess,” he greeted, trying to sound as sincere as possible. He noticed the short presence of disbelief on her face as she heard him talk, but her stony expression quickly replaced it.

“He speaks.” She broke their eye contact, raising her head slightly and looking upward. “I am Princess Luna of Equestria,” she announced, keeping her pose. Tinnidas debated whether he was supposed to make a gesture, but that question was answered when she looked down and practically commanded him to “Bow.”

Not wanting to anger her, he started to shift his legs, but he paused when he heard a giggle coming from the other princess. He gave her a confused look as she used a wing to cover her mouth, laughing into her feathered appendage.

“There’s no need for him to bow,” she said in her almost angel-like voice, removing her wing and taking a step toward him. “He is not one of our subjects.”

“That may be, but he is in our kingdom,” Princess Luna retorted, opening her wings in front of Tinnidas. While he knew it was a mere mental trick to scare him, seeing her wings that darkened his vision and her stern expression made him feel uneasy.

“I mean you no harm,” he told her, “if that’s what concerns you. I know some of the great power you possess.” He saw her eyes widen some as she realized how easily he had read her actions. Her wings snapped to her barrel as she went to her sister’s side.

“I must apologize,” Princess Celestia began. “I did not introduce myself. I am Princess Celestia, and this is my sister, Princess Luna.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Your Highnesses,” Tinnidas replied, bowing.

“As I said, there’s no need to bow.” With a smile, he rose back to his feet.

“Please,” Twilight offered, “take a seat.” She pulled four chairs out from the table, having the princesses sit down first. She took her seat, and so did Tinnidas. He saw that Princess Celestia did not have a cup, so he lifted his plate and stretched his arm over the table, holding it in front of her.

“Please, take my cup,” he kindly said, bringing a smile to her face.

“Thank you, Tinnidas,” she said back in her smooth voice that made him feel more at ease, “but I shouldn’t rob you of your drink.”

“I insist,” he warmly countered, giving her a smile of his own.

“Well, if you insist,” she teased, grabbing the white porcelain cup in her bright yellow magic and lowering it in front of her. “But let me repay you.” With a flash, another cup appeared in front of him. Tinnidas watched in awe as the gold-like energy dissipated, descending her horn to the base and sputtering away.

“It’s good to see both of you again,” Twilight said, lifting the teapot from the center of the table and pouring tea into each of the four cups.

“And we, you,” Princess Celestia replied. “Sugar, anypony?”

“Yes, please,” Tinnidas said, watching as she magicked a sugar cube into his cup. He saw it quickly dissolve in the amber liquid, grabbing his spoon and gently stirring the beverage. She gave herself a cube, mixing it into her tea. She lifted her cup, taking a small sip from it. He did the same, the vibrant flavors hitting his mouth. Its warmth washed over his body as he wondered why he had never had such exquisite tea before.

Princess Celestia wiped her muzzle as she gently cleared her throat. “Sadly, we’re short on time, so if you didn’t mind getting down to business, that would be great.” Twilight nodded.

“As I said before,” she started, “this is Tinnidas, who I think is from another world.”

“Is this true?” Princess Luna asked, turning her attention to him. Everyone else’s eyes fell on him as he set his cup down.

“To be honest, I have no idea. I would tell you if I could, but I don’t remember anything from my past.” The royal sisters pondered that for a moment.

Twilight spoke up, saying, “He woke up in the Everfree Forest yesterday—right next to the Tree of Harmony.” That got both of their attention. Princess Celestia, who had been stirring her tea, dropped her spoon, making a ringing noise as the metal hit her cup.

“That is… unsettling,” she cooly replied.

“He managed to survive in the forest long enough to make it to Ponyville, but a pack of timberwolves attacked him while he was there. I found him lying on the outskirts of town, close to death, so I took him home and healed him up.”

“Kind as ever,” the Solar Princess said in her motherly tone, getting a smile from Twilight.

“When he woke up, he seemed frantic and lost. As he calmed down, I was able to speak with him. It seems he doesn’t have any of his memories before showing up in Equestria. He also lacks knowledge about the world that he would certainly have if he was from our planet.”

“This is why you think he is from another world?” Princess Luna questioned.

“It is.”

“I thought you said he lacked his memories, so how would he know of the workings of the world?”

“That’s the thing,” Twilight said, looking at Tinnidas. “He remembers some things about how his world works, and in his world, the sun and moon move on their own, and weather occurs naturally.”

“Tell us more of your planet,” Princess Celestia said. Tinnidas glanced at his cup and then back up at her.

“My planet is called Azeroth, and it has four main continents: Northrend, Pandaria, Kalimdor, and the Eastern Kingdoms. It is inhabited by many races, such as dwarves, elves, tauren, orcs, goblins, gnomes, and humans. There are two main factions that fight with each other for control: the Alliance and the Horde.”

“Which side are you one?” Princess Luna asked, clearly trying to feel him out.

“I believe I was with the Alliance,” he answered. “Sorry, my memory is lacking. I sometimes remember things in flashes, but most of it is lost to me.”

“It’s no problem,” her sister said. “Just take your time.”

“Thank you.” He shifted in his seat, trying to think. “I am a human, and humans were the founders of the Alliance. I seem to remember serving its leader, Anduin Wrynn. If I remember correctly, I was a general.”

“A general?” Princess Luna repeated. “So you were a warrior?”

“I am,” Tinnidas answered, hearing the distaste in her voice.

“You say your planet battles for control?” He nodded. “What do you think that says about you?”

“Well,” he started, sighing, “it doesn’t paint me in a great light. On the one hand, I could have killed countless of the other faction to help the Alliance in the war. On the other hand, however, I could have protected my people. Even though we have two factions, we rarely get the chance to fight.”

“What do you mean?” Princess Celestia asked, hearing the sorrow in his voice.

“I remember Azeroth being a very dangerous place. While there were plenty of civilized creatures, there were many murderous, wicked ones. It seemed that there was always a threat to all life on the planet. The Horde and the Alliance would band together to help protect Azeroth from those threats, putting aside their differences to help stop their common enemy. One of our greatest foes was the Burning Legion.” Princess Celestia watched his expression turn cold at that name. His eyes wandered off onto nothing as he stared into oblivion.

After watching his motionless form for a moment, she spoke up.

“Just how dangerous were they?”

“They were a formidable force,” he answered almost instantly, snapping out of his memory. “They were a legion of almost endless demonic creatures from numerous worlds who served the Mad Titan, Sargeras. He and his Burning Legion laid waste to countless planets, destroying every one of them. It was only through the help of an old enemy that we were able to use their own power against them, a dark and powerful magic called the Fel, and fight them back. We took the fight to their realm, which meant we could kill the demons once and for all. It took all that we had, but Azeroth was able to defeat their leader.”

“That sounds horrible,” she concluded, feeling genuine sympathy for him.

“It was, and I’m glad I don’t remember more of it than that.” He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. “Could we speak of something else?”

“Oh, of course,” she replied, not wanting to upset him. “You said that you were a hoo-man?”

“It’s human,” he said with a chuckle which she shared. “Yes, that is what I am. We are not the strongest of the races on Azeroth, but our determination and wit are what helps us survive.” He raised his arm. “That and these rather useful hands,” he joked while moving his fingers.

“Those do seem most useful,” she observed while studying his digits.

“I have a question for you.” He took a small sip of tea, savoring the taste. “Do people ever call you horses?”

“Whorses?” she said half out of shock, an unbecoming blush coming across her face. Her sister looked like she had been thoroughly slapped. Twilight was also blushing.

“Yeah, horses,” he replied, unknowingly doubling down. “You look very similar to them; you just seem smaller and less muscular.”

“I’m sure you don’t mean that,” Twilight nervously chuckled. The confused look he gave her only made her worry more.

“You don’t see it?” He gave an unsure expression, deciding to continue. “Are you a type of horse?”

“Enough!” Princess Luna shouted, startling Tinnidas and scaring him all the same.

“I don’t understand. What did—”

“Silence!”

Panic raced through him as he watched her stand up from her chair, glaring down at him with eyes of rage.

“Thou DARES to insult us when we came to negotiate with thee?” He gulped.

“I apologize if I insulted you, but I don’t know what you’re talking—”

“Do not act like a colt!” Princess Luna shouted. “Thou calleth us lowly escorts!” Her eyes flickered white, her pupils shrinking immensely. Tinnidas steadied himself as he got ready to reach for his sword. “Such a slight against us shall not go without retribution!”

Glancing at the poor man and seeing his face of partial understanding, Princess Celestia snapped out a wing, blocking her sister from lunging at him. Holding her sister at bay, she used her magic to immobilize her for the moment.

“Everypony, please calm down!” She sighed, looking at her sister with scolding eyes. “He said he did not know what he did to offend us. It would only be fair for us to believe him.” She turned to Tinnidas, prompting him to explain himself.

“Once again, I apologize for offending you, but I don’t know what I did. You must forgive me.” Seeing the Lunar Princess’s eyes return to their normal state eased his panic. Her sister thought so as well, removing her wing. During this time, Twilight had been thinking of what Tinnidas had said and why.

“Tinnidas,” she began, drawing his attention, “how do you spell whorse?”

“H-o-r-s-e,” he responded, wondering what she was getting at. The sudden exasperated sigh that came from her meant something, especially when Princess Celestia did something very similar.

“I guess it was an assumption that you would use such a term so similarly to us,” the white pony admitted.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Well, the horses you spoke of are supposedly an ancient ancestor of us ponies, but we rarely ever talk about them. The more commonly used term that sounds identical is whorse, w-h-o-r-s-e.”

“Whorse?” he repeated, never having heard of such a word.

“It means… well—as my sister said—an escort of certain… promiscuous sorts.”

“Oh, I see now,” he mouthed in realization, suddenly understanding how awkward he had made the conversation. “I am so, so sorry for that.”

“There’s no need to apologize. It was us who made the assumption you would know what the term meant.” Tinnidas was moved by her kind words, apparent by the smile on his face. Princess Celestia turned to her sister, giving her a feigned smile. “It was our fault, right sister?”

“Of course,” she deadpanned in response. “We apologize for our…” She waved a hoof around, searching for the word. “...outburst.”

“It was simply a misunderstanding. Let us continue discussing what we were.”

“Ah, yes,” Princess Celestia began. “I think we have made our decision as to what we shall do about your appearance.”

“Oh?” She nodded.

“We will allow you to stay in Equestria and will protect you like one of our own. We will also let you stay here in Ponyville—if you would like. Twilight here will help you get acquainted with the locals—they can be real charming—and get you settled in. In the meantime, my sister and I will look into this ‘Azeroth’ that you speak of. If all goes well, we will be able to find a way to return you to your home.”

“Thank you,” he said purely out of gratitude, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. He returned the smile she was giving him, nodding to her and her sister out of respect. “I hope to honor your kindness, Princesses.”

“I’m sure you will,” Princess Celestia responded in a smooth tone. She stood up from her seat, her sister doing the same, and paused before leaving. “One thing before I go.” Tinnidas perked up.

“Of course. What is it?”

“I was hoping you would let me inspect some of your belongings.”

Tinnidas led Princess Celestia upstairs, taking her to the room Twilight had offered for him to stay in. It was the same room he first woke up in when Twilight had saved him. The bed was somewhat small, considering his size, but he could make it work. There was a brown dresser on one wall, pictures of Twilight and her friends hung around it; a nightstand by the bed; and a desk in front of the sole window in the room. He went over to the bed, sitting on its cushiony edge. As far as beds went, he thought it was one of the softest he had ever felt.

Princess Celestia looked around the room, trotting over to the dresser and looking at all the little baubles that decorated it. Her eyes found their way to the pictures, bringing a smile to her face. Old memories of her faithful student’s past were there. Some were from when she had just met her friends that would change the world, and some were more recent ones, such as the Summer Sun Celebration.

“Remembering something over there?”

She snapped out of her trance, turning her head and looking back at Tinnidas.

“I am, in fact.” She slowly went over to him, her head just about the same height as his. “Just reminding myself of the great pony my student has become.”

He chuckled. “Well, by my standards, she is exceptional. I mean, who would save some stranger’s life, take them to their home, and offer them a place to stay? Not where I’m from.”

“That’s my Twilight,” the princess said in agreement. His visage told her that he was thinking of his world. “I hope you’ll find Equestria to be a wonderful place. While it won’t cure your pain, it may ease it.”

“Wise words, Princess, but I’ve already gotten more than I deserve from you and Twilight.”

“You shouldn’t sell yourself short, Tinnidas.”

He pondered that for a moment. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” he began, getting a nod to continue. “Why do you have wings and a horn? Twilight does as well, and so does your sister, and all of you are princesses.”

“We are what you call alicorns. We can use magic, and we can fly. We also possess the physical strength of earth ponies, who have neither a horn nor wings. Alicorns are royalty, and that is why we rule Equestria.”

“I feel like there is a lot more to that story than you are telling me,” he teased.

“There is. I just don’t want to bore you. One thing I will tell you, though, is that Twilight was not born an alicorn. She ascended when she proved herself worthy of being a princess.”

He sat there for a moment, processing the miniature bomb she had dropped on him. His mind spun thoughts, wondering what Twilight was like before she became a princess.

“Anyway, what do you want to see first?” he finally asked, returning their attention to the matter at hand.

“Your sword, please.”

He reached behind his back, grabbed the handle of his blade, and took it out of its sheath. He carefully put it in front of him, putting two open hands on the blade and the handle, offering the sword to her. Her horn came to life, sparking with energy as she lifted it in her magic. She stared at it, examining everything from its length to its shine.

“It was crafted so… precisely,” she said aloud. “It is unlike anything I have ever seen…” She moved on with her observation, taking note of the overall size of the weapon. A sword of such a size could only be used by a creature similar in size to him. The next thing she noticed was the runes that ran along the center of the blade on both of its sides. The little engravings had a pattern to them, a sequence of characters repeating over and over again. What the sequence meant, she had no idea. What she did know was that the sword had magical properties to it. As she held it in her magical grasp, she could feel the sword’s energies pushing against her own. It was faint, but she could tell it was there.

“Your sword is… alien.”

“Are you talking about its magic?” She nodded, still focused on the blade. “Twilight mentioned something very similar. She said she couldn’t recognize the type of magic it was imbued with.”

“That’s just it,” she said, breaking away from the sword and lowering it onto the bed, “I may not know what it is, but I do recognize it as not being Equestrian. The magic in your sword has a different arcane structure entirely, pointing to it being from another world, or possibly another dimension.”

“I’m no mage,” he replied, “but I’m guessing that means it works differently?”

“Yes,” she answered with a grin. “Let me see your plating.”

He popped off his pauldrons, setting them on the bed. She picked them up, holding them in front of her face. She saw the same type of engravings on them as what was on the sword. The sequence was different, but they repeated—just like the others. Even the deepness of the carving seemed the same between the two items.

“I think one person made these—or gave them their magical properties at least.”

“Interesting,” he said, putting a hand on his chin. “My knee plating looks the same.”

“Do you know what they do?” she asked, curious as to exactly what powers the items gave him.

“I do actually—or at least some of what they do.” He grabbed his pauldrons, attaching them to his shoulders again. He picked up his sword, raising it sideways. She took the hint, taking a step back. Sure she was out of the way, he struck his shoulder, being sure to hold onto the handle. As the blade went down, coming within an inch of his pauldrons, the runes on his armor ignited in a golden color as a layer of identically colored energy appeared on top of his shoulder plating. His sword hit the barrier, every ounce of force it hit with being turned against it, causing it to almost fly out of his hand. Steadying the blade, he lowered it to his side.

“I was only half sure that would work, but it worked.”

“Well, work it did indeed,” Princess Celestia tittered, intrigued by the armor’s protective spell. Tinnidas got up from the bed, walking over to the window and looking for a way to open it. Spotting a latch, he undid it and pulled the bottom of the window up, cool air entering the room as he did. He lifted his sword, pointing its end out the window.

“What are you doing?”

“Just wait.” He closed his eyes, trying to recall how he felt in the forest when he was fighting with the timberwolves. He concentrated on his emotions, bringing back the sense of control he had when he put out his sword. He felt the same feeling in that moment, opening his eyes as he truly felt the sword. His mind became one with it for a flash as he gave it his command. An orange glow ran down the spine of the sword, flames following closely behind. A jet of fire shot out from the end of his sword, unable to burn anything.

“Wow,” Princess Celestia said out of awe. “I was not expecting that.” He sheathed his sword again, closing the window.

“I discovered that when I was fighting with a pack of timberwolves. It was definitely helpful.” He went over to the side of the bed, bending down and picking up his satchel from the floor. He put it on the bed, opening it and pulling out his damaged Hearthstone. He turned around, showing it to her.

“This is my Hearthstone.”

“Its magic is potent. I can feel it from here.”

“Well, it is damaged and leaking some of its energy, but it is a very powerful item. It allows one to teleport to a set location at will, as long as you let it recharge for about fifteen minutes.”

“No wonder I could feel its power. A spell like that would require a large amount of energy.” She took a closer look at the crack in its exterior, feeling how the flow of magic was disrupted within it.

“It broke when I dropped it in a cave, and I don’t know how to fix it.” He put it back in his bag.

“I can’t either. I may have a lot of raw power, but fixing that would require a far greater understanding of the workings of arcane energy than I possess. I really wish I could help.”

“It’s nothing,” he said with a wave of his hand. “By the way, it’s nice to have someone I don’t have to look down at.” That got a smirk out of her.

“Do you mean somepony?”

“Oh, that’s what you’ve been saying. Humans call each other someone, but I guess somepony makes sense seeing as how you’re all… well, you know.”

“Yes,” she chuckled. “It is nice for me too.” She trotted over to the door, glancing back at him. “It’s been nice meeting you. I hope my sister and I can find a way home for you.”

He nodded to her with a friendly smile, watching her return it before she turned away and went out the door. Looking outside the window, he realized it had gotten rather late. He pushed his satchel to the side of the bed, removing his sword and propping it against the other side. He took off his armor, putting the pieces on his desk before plopping down on the bed.

He let out a sigh as he thought about his current situation. It seemed he had made some new friends, but he still did not know who he was. His mind was blank, the only memories of his past appearing in occasional flashes. He hoped that the princesses would be able to restore his memory and help him get home.

As he continued to think about his new life, his eyes slowly closed. His body slowed as his senses faded, his conscience drifting off into sleep.

Chapter 4: Workhorse

Tinnidas gasped, forcing air through his mouth. Water was all around him, already up to his neck. He kept himself above the water as best he could, but there was no way out. The chamber he was stuck in had no way out, and the water was consuming everything. As his head touched the ceiling, he breathed his last few breaths, panicking as the bubble of air around him got smaller and smaller, the water going above his mouth. He heaved one large breath in through his nose as the water took him, trapping him in the giant, circular room he was in.

All light seemed to have faded, leaving him in a dark abyss as he felt his lungs start to cry out for air. He let a few bubbles from his lips as he sank lower and lower into the water. He looked around desperately, looking for anything to help him escape. Finding nothing, he felt his feet touch the tile floor. He let out the last of the breath he was holding, feeling faint from the lack of oxygen.

His eyes rolled around as he started to squirm, trying to get air in any way possible. Suddenly, the ground shook as he felt the floor below him shift. With an immense tearing sound, the floor below him ripped apart, splitting in half. A massive chasm opened below him, the suction instantly pulling him further down. A torrent of rushing water sucked him deeper and deeper as he struggled for breath. Everything turned black, and he could not tell if it was his vision or the area around him.

He felt his body slam into hard stone, a small sliver of light shining down from above him and onto his body. Everything else remained dark as night, but it mattered not. The force of hitting the ground knocked his resilience away, forcing him to breathe in. Instead of air, water poured down his throat, making him gag—only drawing in more water. Perpetuating the cycle, all while he suffocated, he found himself drowning.

He threw out his arms in despair, failing to grab onto anything. He felt his movements slow as he lost the ability to feel the water around him. His vision failed him, leaving him helpless. He seized up as he felt his demise quickly approaching. In the end, he stopped resisting. His struggle only added to his pain, and deep down, he knew he was doomed.

There was no escape.

His body was spread out on the stone, one final bubble rising from his mouth as he stopped moving entirely. He tried to ignore the agony he was experiencing, focusing on his—

A slow, deep chuckle echoed through the chasm, its very sound sickening him to his core as it seemingly came from all around. The laughter warped and twisted into a wicked voice that had such a deepness to it that the ground quaked with its very words. Like a thousand whispers bound together, it spoke.

“Only I can sustain you…”

Tinnidas gasped, forcing air through his mouth. He quickly stood up, only bringing on a headrush—but he welcomed it. He was glad to be out of the horrible nightmare he was just in. As he looked around, holding his head, he noticed the sun through his window as it shined into the room. He let out a groan, his head pulsing. To add to all his troubles, it seemed he was not a great sleeper.

He slowly got out of bed, propping himself up with an arm on the bed. He walked around it, grabbing his satchel and putting it on. He went to the other side, taking his sword and putting it in its sheath. Going over to his desk, he took a seat, looking out at the town he would be calling home for a while.

The first thing he noticed was the grass. It had an almost unnatural lushness to it, the sun reflecting its vibrant green color. There were similar-looking trees scattered throughout the town and other plant life that practically radiated green. All around the library, there were a number of buildings that looked like ordinary buildings. Sure, they were slightly smaller than normal, but they seemed almost human. The fact that they were so close was amazing to him. He had felt the same way when he learned that ponies spoke the same language as him.

Tinnidas turned around, heading out into the hall and going into the bathroom. He was amazed by some of the technology the ponies had, wondering if some of it was just magic. He cleaned himself up for the day, going back down the hall to the stairs. Running his hand along the rail as he went down, his sabatons clicked when they hit the wooden steps. He made his way into the kitchen, finding Twilight and Spike already there.

The dragon appeared to be making food, using a pan to cook something up above a flame. He slid the pan around while Twilight appeared to be buttering pieces of bread.

“Good morning,” he called to them, getting their attention.

“Good morning, Tinnidas,” Twilight said back, taking a plate of bread to the already-set table with forks and napkins. She placed it at the center, returning to the kitchen to help Spike finish up.

“I hope you’re ready for some eggs and bacon,” Spike announced, turning off the flame and moving the pan to a different spot on the stove. Twilight levitated a plate to the pan while he used a spatula to scrape out some eggs. She plucked a few pieces of bacon from a separate pan, putting them on the plate. She moved on to the next plate, repeating the process before doing it once more. She carried all three plates to the table with her magic, setting each one at the prepared places.

Tinnidas took a seat, taking in the food they had made. Of course, there was the bread on the table, and the plates had fluffy, yellow eggs and crisp strips of bacon.

“This looks wonderful,” he told them, picking up his fork.

“Thank you,” Twilight replied, Spike doing the same. He picked up a small chunk of egg, putting it into his mouth and biting off a bit of bacon. As he chewed the food, its flavors hit his palate. The nice, meaty taste of the bacon paired perfectly with the delicate taste of the eggs.

He found it odd that she cut the bread into pieces, but he could care less as he grabbed a piece, taking a bite. To his surprise and enjoyment, the bread was soft and slightly moist, completing the list of flavors he was receiving.

“Do you like it?” Twilight asked, noticing how fast he was eating.

He paused a moment to swallow, drinking some of the orange juice poured sometime during his enlightenment of pony food. It did just the trick as he wiped his mouth with his napkin.

“It’s amazing,” he answered. “Do you always make such good food?”

“It’s just some eggs and bacon, not anything special,” Spike said, not getting what he was so impressed by.

“This is just an average dish?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty common.”

“If this is just a starter, then what other glorious food awaits?” Twilight chuckled at his somewhat childish display. “The cooking here is vastly superior to what I remember from my world. I can’t wait to get more.”

“Slow down there,” Twilight said, putting a hoof on his arm. “You still need to meet the townsponies.”

“Of course.” She removed her hoof, letting him continue. He decided he would slow down to make the food last.

“The first pony I’d like you to meet—or re-meet actually—is Rarity. She owns a boutique in town and can probably make you some clothes.”

“It would be nice to have something to wear other than this armor. It can get pretty hot.”

“So it’s settled,” she concluded. “We’ll visit her after we finish eating.” It sounded like a sound plan to Tinnidas.

He continued putting down everything on his plate, Twilight and Spike doing the same. They quickly finished their food, Tinnidas taking the plates to the kitchen so they could be cleaned later. They got their things before heading out, Twilight locking the door before leaving.

Now that he was outside, Tinnidas basked in the warm sunlight. It was a bright morning with not a single cloud in sight, the sun shining down on all the creatures in Ponyville. Tinnidas also took in the fresh air, finding it much more pleasant than the air in the forest. It was crisp and not too moist, unlike the hot, humid air of the Everfree.

Looking around, he spotted ponies walking all around. Just like the ones he had met so far, they were all sorts of different colors. Some were gray, some were blue, and some were even green. He also noticed the strange marks that they all had on their flanks, just like with Twilight and her friends. The royal sisters had them as well.

Twilight trotted down the street, Tinnidas following closely.

“So what are the marks on your flanks? Every pony I’ve seen has one.”

“They’re called Cutie Marks,” she explained. “They represent what each pony’s special talent is. We get them when we figure out what it is that we like doing, and usually our talent reflects that.”

“No offense, but that sounds like a shackle,” he pointed out.

“A shackle?” she repeated.

“You only have one thing that you’re good at?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” she mused. “Our Cutie Mark only shows us what we are best at; it doesn’t decide what that is. We can also be good at other things that we enjoy, maybe just not as good as our talent.”

“Hmm. I guess that’s not so bad. It’s actually kind of helpful considering you’ll be able to know what you’re best at.”

“I like to think so. It’s the dream of every little colt and filly to get their mark, and they try different things to get it.” She giggled to herself. “It actually promotes trying new things and diversification of activities, which is supplemental to growth.”

“Yeah, that,” he flatly said, getting a chuckle from everyone.

As they continued walking, they started to get to the more lively areas of town, finding ponies wandering around that were doing their daily activities. A light red mare looked at Tinnidas, and he waved to her, but she recoiled and quickly trotted away. Frowning, he kept walking with Twilight. They came across more and more ponies, and despite his outgoingness, the ponies all seemed to be either repulsed or frightened by him. They would scurry away when they saw him, or make a face before turning away. Their reactions started to gnaw at him, his shoulders slightly slumping as a result.

“Don’t worry,” Twilight said, having seen what was going on. “They’ll warm up to you. You just have to give them time.”

“I hope so. I’d rather not be an outcast if I have to stay here for long.”

“Yeah,” Spike added. “For instance, look at me. I may be young, but it still took a while for the ponies to get used to me, and now they consider me a friend.”

Their reassuring words seemed to comfort him, at least for the moment. The three soon found themselves coming up to Rarity’s boutique. It had an interesting shape, similar to that of a round circus tent. The outside was decorated brilliantly, with all kinds of pastel colors and shiny bits on display to draw attention to the shop.

The door was equally as enticing, Twilight opening it and going through. Spike and Tinnidas followed, slowly closing the door behind them, the ringing of the bell on the door coming to a stop.

“I’ll be with you in a moment!” a posh voice called from somewhere deeper in the shop.

Twilight and Spike went up to the counter near the center of the store, waiting on Rarity. Tinnidas went around the shop, seeing for himself just how skilled of a seamstress the mare was. There were racks of clothes on the edges of the store where all kinds of creations were hanging. From slick suits to extravagant dresses, the shop had it all. While he knew little about clothing, even he was able to tell that the outfits were finely made. In fact, everything about the store seemed luxurious.

He walked over to Twilight and Spike after hearing Rarity’s approaching hoofsteps. She came around the doorframe that led to one of the back rooms of the shop, spotting who had come in.

“Oh! Twilight, Spike, Tinnidas,” she said while going over to the counter. “It’s good to see you!” Sitting down on the small stool behind the white counter, she asked, “What can I do for you?”

“Hey, Rarity,” Spike practically sang, his gaze solely on her.

“Tinnidas was hoping he could get some clothes since he doesn’t have any besides his armor,” Twilight spoke for him.

“Yeah, that would be great,” he added.

“Why didn’t you just say so?” she tittered, reaching below the counter and grabbing a measuring tape. “You just hold still and let me take your measurements, and I’ll get started right away.” She went around the counter, coming up to him. “I think it will be an interesting challenge to make clothes for a creature like you—Can you take off your armor, please?”

He nodded, removing his pauldrons, then taking off his gauntlets. He slid off his bracers and then took off his metal sleeves. He took off his leggings, leaving only his thin chainmail and undergarments on. Rarity got to work right away, moving the measuring tape all around as she scribbled his measurements down on a clipboard. She made him strike various poses, such as stretching his legs apart, standing straight and putting out his arms, and raising his arms above his head.

“What kind of clothes are you looking for, dear?” she asked while taking some more measurements.

“I was hoping for some simple outfits. Nothing too flashy, but I’d like comfort and lightweight wear. Oh, and I wouldn’t mind if you could make me a suit.”

“Of course,” she responded. “Whatever you want.”

After a few minutes of being examined, she pulled away, returning the measuring tape to where it was. She picked up her clipboard, making sure she had everything she needed.

“That should do it!” she exclaimed. “Come back in a week or so, and I’ll have your clothes ready for you.”

“How much will this all cost?” he asked, looking a little downtrodden. “I don’t exactly have too much money.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she cheerfully said. “It’s on me, dear.”

“Thank you so much,” Tinnidas gratefully said, amazed by her generosity. “It means a lot that you would do all this for me. I-I don’t know what to say.”

“What are friends for?” the white unicorn came back with, shooting him a smile.

“Thanks again,” he warmly answered, turning around and walking toward the exit. Twilight and Spike followed him, going through the door as he held it open for them. He slowly closed it before walking alongside the two, continuing down the street.

“I’m taking you to another pony I’d like you to see,” Twilight announced, taking a turn at a fork in the road. “You remember my friend Applejack?”

“The one with the hat, right?”

“Yep, that’s her. She works on the Apple family farm called Apple Acres. It’s been in her family for generations, and they have a large apple orchard that supplies Ponyville with all its apples.”

“Sounds like that might be a lot of work,” he replied, thinking of the farmers back on Azeroth. If his memory served him correctly, most of them would work long days to keep their farm running, barely making enough to survive.

“That’s actually why I wanted to take you to her farm. I want you to see how Equestria might be similar to your world. Maybe it’ll get your memory flowing, too.”

The three continued with their walk, the number of buildings along the way getting smaller and smaller until they finally reached the long pathway that led to the farm. There was a fence running along both sides of the path, and all kinds of trees and bushes were behind the fencing. Twilight led them down the dusty dirt path as they came up to a small open gate that they went through.

Ahead of Tinnidas, he could see the large barn where Applejack lived. It had a traditional barn shape with some additional sections added on. It also had red and white paint on the outside.

The two large doors at its front opened up, the same country mare that he met before coming out of the barn. They rushed up to her, Twilight waving a hoof to get her attention. Applejack spotted them, running up and meeting them halfway.

“What brings you three to mah farm?”

She still had the rural accent Tinnidas remembered.

“Spike and I just dropped in to say hi. We brought Tinnidas here so you could show him that ponies work hard, just like his people. I think it would be beneficial to understanding our culture, especially if he helped out.”

“Well, I could use the help,” Applejack replied.

“I guess I wouldn’t mind assisting.” Tinnidas added, “I don’t have much else to do right now.”

“Alrighty then. Follow me.” She turned around, trotting toward a wooden carriage. It was shaped like a large box, and it had two beams sticking out of its front that were attached to a curved, metal piece. She went under the metal, connecting herself to the carriage with a couple of straps.

“I’ll be back soon,” Twilight shouted to them. “I just have to run some errands.”

Tinnidas nodded, and so did Applejack. The country mare started to trot forward, pulling the weight of the carriage with her. Tinnidas followed her as she slowly led him to the orchard, which did not take long to get to. She showed him all the apple trees that had grown fruit, stopping the carriage and unhooking herself. She went to the back, pulling down a latch that made the back side piece flip down like a ramp. She grabbed some of the buckets from the wagon, bringing them over to a tree.

“Watch this,” she said, positioning each bucket below the tree’s branches. She turned around, rearing her hind legs up and breathing in. With an exhale, she kicked the tree hard, shaking the tree and causing a small piece of bark to fall off. A bunch of apples fell from the tree, most of them landing in the buckets below. She went over to the rest, picking them up and putting them in the least-full buckets. One by one, she loaded them into the wagon.

Tinnidas was impressed by the strength she had in her legs. Shaking a tree of that size would take considerable force—something she clearly had.

“Now let’s see you try it,” Applejack called, standing by the tree next to him. He went over to it, looking up at the dozens of apples nestled in its leaves. He went back to the carriage, grabbing five buckets. He placed them in the best spots he thought possible, stepping back and steadying himself.

“Here it goes,” he whispered. He took a slow, deep breath, pushing off from the ground with his feet. He ran towards the tree, jumping a few feet away from it and turning to the side.

He braced himself as he aimed his shoulder at the center of the trunk. As he hit, his pauldron activated its shield, adding to his force and reducing the blow to him.

The tree buckled as he went backward and landed on the ground. He saw apples fall from the tree, landing in the buckets. He looked back at Applejack, seeing a pleased look on her face.

“Well done,” she acknowledged. “Honestly, I wasn’t expectin’ that to work.”

“Oh, I’m just gettin’ started,” he confidently said, getting a chuckle from her.

“We’ll see,” she replied, watching as he loaded the buckets into the back of the wagon. “You think you can beat me at apple-buckin’?”

“What’s that?” Tinnidas asked, closing the back of the wagon.

“Apple-buckin’ is what we just did. You find an apple tree and hit it hard enough to knock out the apples.”

“Well, in that case…” He shot her a cocky grin.

“Ha!” she exclaimed. “If you think you’re so good, then why don’t we have a little competition?”

He put a hand to his chin, thinking her offer over for a moment.

“Go on.”

“We’ll each get our own wagon and our own barrels. We’ll see who can buck more apples in half an hour, and whoever does, wins.”

“Alright, Applejack. I’ll partake in your challenge.”

“Good,” she said. “Let’s go get the other wagon.”

She connected herself to the wagon again, strapping herself in before starting back the way they came while Tinnidas walked alongside her.

“Since we have a little time to kill, what’s your story?” he asked.

“Why?” she countered, wondering why he was interested at all.

“I’m genuinely curious,” he answered truthfully.

“Well, I’m part of the Apple family, which has been farming apples for as long as we’ve existed. Some of mah family are in different parts of Equestria, but mah closest family lives here at Sweet Apple Acres. Mah big brother, mah little sister, and mah granny all live in the barn.”

“So you survive by selling apples?”

“Not just apples,” she said. “We sell apples, apple pies, apple fritters, apple tarts, apple jam, apple cider—and that’s just to name a few.”

“Well, that’s a lot of apple,” he commented.

“Do you like apples?”

He sighed, remembering his lack of remembering. “I don’t know.”

“Well, that changes today—right after we’re done with our little competition. Speaking of…”

Tinnidas looked up, finding them outside the large barn where Applejack lived. She veered left, taking him over to another wagon.

“This will be the one you use to hold your apples.” She unhooked herself, telling him to stay before going into the barn to fetch a timer. When she came back out, she had a timer and a megaphone. She trotted over to him, setting the timer right behind the megaphone after setting the time.

“Ready?” she asked, getting ready to grab her wagon.

“Ready.”

They both shot into action, quickly attaching themselves to their wagon. Tinnidas had to fumble with the straps for a second, but he was able to make it work, starting to pull right as she did. They went to opposite sides of the orchard, looking for the best trees to buck. It was going to be a long, difficult, and tiring thirty minutes.

Tinnidas felt sweat pouring down his legs, his whole body drenched. The impervious heat of the sun continued to bear down on him, taking away his energy. Every step he trudged was a battle in itself, and he was already beyond exhausted. He ran toward a tree, slamming into it and grunting while clenching his teeth. He found his footing, watching as the apples from the tree fell into the awaiting buckets below.

He took a moment to gasp for air, feeling lightheaded. The sun continued to beat down on him, making his condition all the worse.

He slowly went over to the buckets, picking them up and carefully emptying them into the wagon. He then stacked the buckets together and set them in the back as well.

Just as he finished, the raucous sound of the timer ringing echoed over the orchard. He let out a massive breath, strapping himself to the wagon and starting to pull it the way he had come. While it was still a difficult task, he knew his pain was almost over.

He went over the small hump of a hill, spotting Applejack pulling her wagon to the barn as well. He made his way over to her, still breathing heavily.

“Are you tired?” she poked, getting a huff from him.

“We’ll see… who won… Applejack…” he said through ragged breaths, his cocky confidence still showing. He stopped his wagon where they had started, Applejack doing the same. She went over to the timer, pulling it away from the megaphone and stopping its ringing.

“Count up your apples, and I’ll count up mine. Then we’ll compare to see who won.”

Tinnidas got to work right away, counting up the exact number of apples he had managed to collect. A smile came to his face as he continued to count, finding his bounty quite large.

“Did you count ’em all yet?” Applejack asked.

“Just finished,” he said, putting down the last apple. “How many did you get?”

“Two hundred and forty-three.”

Tinnidas’s grin dropped as soon as he heard how many she had collected. She laughed in his face after seeing his dismal expression.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up.”

“How many did you get?” she asked from behind her hoof, trying, and failing, not to laugh.

“Two hundred and forty,” he admitted. Sighing, he slumped against the wagon, taking a moment to rest.

“Pretty close if I have to say so mahself.” He huffed in response.

“You’re one serious work—” he started to say, stopping to correct himself. “You’re one serious workpony.” She chuckled, savoring her win.

“You’re not too bad yourself—especially for being new to apple-buckin’.”

“Thank you, Applejack.”

The two sat on the ground, taking the time to recover from the work they had just put their bodies through. Tinnidas found himself regaining his strength rather quickly, while Applejack was still panting heavily. He started to feel the wet, uncomfortableness of the sweat all over his body. His breathing slowed, and he felt cooler. He glanced back at Applejack, still finding her lying on the ground and breathing hard.

It seems I have more endurance than these ponies, he thought to himself.

He reached over his head, feeling for an apple in the wagon. He grabbed one, lowering it in front of his face as he looked at it.

“This almost seems familiar,” he said, Applejack watching him. He opened his mouth, taking a large bite with a chomping sound. He was surprised to find a sweet mixture of flavors dancing on his tongue that he instantly remembered liking. He took another bite, enjoying the apple even more. Applejack watched him wolf down the rest of it, smiling as she saw him do so.

“I guess you like apples?”

“It appears so,” he said through a mouthful of apple. He finished chewing, swallowing down the rest and leaving only the core. He chucked the last of the apple as far as he could, watching as it landed in some nearby trees. He leaned back into the wagon, taking some time to relax.

After sitting there a moment, the two heard the light clopping of hooves as someone approached. Tinnidas stood up, spotting Twilight trotting towards them.

“Back from your errands?” Tinnidas asked. She nodded.

“How did it go?” she asked both of them.

“It went well, actually,” Applejack said. “We talked some, and we had an apple-buckin’ competition.”

“Oh?” Twilight chuckled. “Did you win?”

“Barely. I beat him by three apples.”

“Only three?”

“Yep,” Applejack replied. “He’s a strong one.”

Tinnidas walked towards Twilight, stopping to turn around. He put out a hand to Applejack, which she took with her hoof.

“It was nice spending some time with you. Wish your family the best for me, would you?”

“Of course,” she responded with a nod.

He turned around, walking to Twilight’s side as they set down the dusty path again. Applejack waved them goodbye, and they did the same to her before they went out of view.

“I’m hoping you learned something about ponies while you were helping out Applejack.”

“I did. Both of our kind put in hard work, especially with farming.” He scratched the back of his head, trying to think of something else. “…Uh, that’s about it.”

“That’ll do for now,” she said with a smile. “I wanted you to see some similarities between humans and ponies so you could fit in better.”

“I don’t know,” he said, sighing. “I feel like an alien here. To other ponies, I’m big, bulky—scary even. I don’t know who I am, I walk around in armor, and I have a sword. When we were walking through Ponyville, everyone was just staring at me—and it wasn’t only because of what I was wearing. Then, they turned away in disgust.”

“What? I didn’t see any of that.” Twilight stopped, putting a hoof on his side. “You just need to give them a chance.”

“What makes you think they’ll ever like me? I am just some creature to them.” His stature drooped, his head hung low. “It’s pointless.”

“I think there’s one other pony you need to meet…”

Tinnidas was still shaking, despite his best efforts not to. He could not shake the feeling of hopelessness he had felt within the Everfree Forest—the same forest he walked in now.

Twilight led him through the brush, guiding him down a worn-down path. Vines hung from nearby trees, and sharp thorns occasionally scraped across his armor. Being back in the forest reminded him of the sick, stomach-churning feeling he had as he was dying. A near-death experience is something that cannot be fathomed until it is felt. Such a sense of desperation changes a man—and that is what it did to Tinnidas. Never did he want to feel like that again. It was only due to Twilight’s help that he had survived. Otherwise, he would have expired on the ground, left as mere carrion.

“We’re here,” Twilight called, breaking Tinnidas away from his thoughts. He looked up from the path, seeing a strange tree with even more strange decorations on it. There were wooden tiki skulls on the bark and holes in the tree itself. He noticed a wooden door carved into the trunk of the tree, seeing light coming from inside the odd treehouse.

Twilight went up the miniature set of stairs leading to the entrance, raising a hoof and knocking on the door. Tinnidas stood back, hearing a few things moving from inside. He heard the distinct sound of hooves on the floor as the person inside came up to the door. It creaked open, revealing a four-legged creature. It had black and white stripes all over its body and grey and white hair in the shape of a mohawk. Golden bands wrapped around its neck and one of its legs, and thick, golden earrings hung from its ears.

Tinnidas recognized the creature to be a zebra, but this one was barely larger than a pony, and it had a Cutie Mark on its backside. Whatever type of zebra it was, it was not one he knew.

“Hello there, Twilight Sparkle, who is now a princess. What brings you to my home, perhaps business?” The zebra rhymed in an exotic accent that reminded him of the trolls; something Tinnidas found interesting.

“Zecora, this is Tinnidas,” Twilight answered. The zebra, whom he guessed to be Zecora, looked at him, staring him over.

“And Tinnidas, this is Zecora. She’s a—”

“A zebra,” Tinnidas finished. “I’ve seen her kind before… just not like this…”

“There are zebras on Azeroth?”

“Oh, yes. There’s all kinds of life on Azeroth.”

Zecora stepped down from her home, trotting over to Tinnidas.

“Nice to meet you. To my house, I greet you.” She stepped to the side, pointing a hoof to the doorway and inviting them in. Twilight trotted up the stairs and went inside, Tinnidas following close behind. Zecora closed the door behind them, the sounds of the forest cutting off.

Tinnidas looked around, finding even more intriguing decorations than there were on the outside. A number of wooden tiki skulls were mounted on the walls, and strange pouches hung from the ceiling. Lanterns also dangled in the room. There was a large shelf with a multitude of bottles and flasks on it along the wall, and a stack of vials was below them.

Most interestingly, there was a large cauldron at the center of the room with a fire beneath it. The fire pit was slightly below floor level, and the green ooze in the cauldron would sizzle every time a drop of it hit the flame.

“I brought you here so you could hear Zecora’s story,” Twilight said while coming up to Tinnidas. “You’d be surprised to hear that ponies didn’t accept her at first.”

“Really?” he asked incredulously.

“It is true,” the zebra in question spoke. “They did not trust me when in town I was new.”

“Zecora showed up in Ponyville, and everypony thought she was a monster, but after they got to know her, they found out that they actually liked her. Since she had strange clothing and lived in the Everfree, they thought she was some kind of monster. Eventually, they realized how wrong they were.”

Tinnidas was surprised by what he heard—both in a good way and a bad way. On the one hand, the ponies came to like Zecora over time, and maybe he had the same chance, but on the other, she was still an equine. She walked on four legs like ponies, she acted like ponies, she looked similar to ponies—but he was completely alien. His body proportions alone made him look like a natural predator to ponies, and his armor and weapons likely did not help.

While the ponies were able to accept Zecora, he doubted they would ever be able to accept him, especially if they thought she was a monster…

“She lives here in the Everfree Forest and mostly comes out for supplies for her potions,” Twilight continued, drawing him from his thoughts.

“Potions?” he inquired.

“She’s the only one I know that makes potions around Ponyville. She also knows this forest better than anypony.”

“Do you think you could help me remake a potion I have?” he asked Zecora, fumbling through his satchel and pulling out the one potion he had left. Zecora took it from his hand, swirling the dark red liquid around in its container. She dissected it with her eyes, trying to make sense of what type of potion she was looking at. After a moment, she broke away from it and looked back at Tinnidas.

“Yes, I could help you indeed, for what else to do for a friend in need.” She returned the vial to him.

Tinnidas took that as a yes, watching her turn around and trot over to her cauldron.

“I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to increase my strength for a short period of time.”

“Hmm,” Zecora hummed, grabbing a few things from her nearby shelves. “A most powerful magic. Mistakes, however, can be tragic.” She dropped a large wooden spoon into the cauldron, stirring some of the viscous substance inside.

“First, we must combine the ingredients, but the amounts are tedious.” She hoofed him six large leaves that had a greenish glow to them. Like rocks, cracks ran along their form. He tossed them into the cauldron, watching the mixture bubble. She then gave him three squishy items he could not distinguish. Without a second thought, he dropped them in, watching his creation bubble again, this time more violently.

“Now, we must mix it with the spoon, and the potion will be ready soon.”

Tinnidas started to stir the mixture, watching as the ingredients began to dissolve as its color changed to a red. The more he stirred, the darker it became until it almost exactly matched that of his potion. Zecora came over to him, setting three vials on a table she placed next to the cauldron.

“Now for the last step, before we bottle the potion,” Zecora began, about to finish before Tinnidas finished for her.

“We have to show our own devotion.”

“Very good,” she said, surprised by his knowledge and rhyme. “I did not think you understood.”

“Neither did I,” he whispered, tensing as he felt the feeling he was beginning to get used to of his vision fading, everything replaced by a similar room.

Everything except the man in front of him was blurred, but he was able to somewhat make out his surroundings. He appeared to be in an alchemy room, the numerous shelves of reagents giving it away. In front of the man was a table with different tools used by an alchemist, and he watched the man pour a strange liquid into a beaker. He then picked up a small, thin blade, sliding it across his palm. He balled his hand into a fist, letting his blood drip into the mixture. The blood seemed to mix in on its own, turning the liquid darker. He then poured the beaker’s contents into a vial, shaking it before putting a cork in it.

Tinnidas forced his being to move, making his way around to the front of the man. When he looked at him, he once again saw himself. As he did, the corners of his vision went black, creeping in as everything distorted before washing away. With a flash of brilliant golden light, he returned to Zecora’s hut, finding her staring at him in confusion.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked, staring at him as well.

“Yes. I-I’m fine, just… remembering something.”

“Well then, let us continue,” Zecora said, grabbing a blade similar to that of the one in his vision and lifting her foreleg before cutting her limb. She let her blood run off her foreleg and into the cauldron, her essence combining with the potion by itself. She then grabbed a funnel, putting it in one of the vials and bringing it near the cauldron.

Tinnidas grabbed the spoon, taking some of the potion and pouring it into the funnel, watching as it filled up the vial. He moved on to the next vial and then to the next as he ran out of potion in the spoon. He set it back down in the cauldron while Zecora corked the vials for him.

He turned to her, and then she gave him the three vials. He carefully took them, opening his satchel and putting the potions inside.

“Thank you so much for helping me, Zecora.” She simply nodded and smiled, happy to help.

“Is there anything else I can do?” she asked.

“Actually,” he said, “I was wondering if you could make me some healing potions.”

“Of course.”

Tinnidas smiled, glad to have found a new friend who was so willing to help him out.

“Discord,” Princess Celestia sternly said, “I did not summon you here to change the windows.”

The mismatched creature made up of the parts of multiple animals, called a draconequus, snapped his fingers, returning the majestic glass panes to how they were before his chaotic meddling.

“So boring,” he grumbled. Sighing, he asked, “So what did you call me here for then?”

“Twilight sent me a message recently that spoke of a strange bipedal creature that appeared in the Everfree Forest the day before that she healed and offered a place to stay. My sister and I went to investigate the strange creature that she thought was from another world, and we had tea with him. He claimed to be from a world called Azeroth, and said he was a human. He also possessed items that had magical properties unlike anything I’ve ever seen on Equus.”

“Your point is?” the now floating Lord of Chaos asked, holding his head up with his lion paw.

“My point,” she harshly said before calming down, “is that I suspect you already knew all of this.”

He lowered back to the ground, starting to circle around the princess.

“Such an interesting man he is, don’t you think?” He snapped his fingers, the image of Tinnidas’s armor and sword floating in the air. “And his equipment is out of this world.” He snickered for a second before adding, “Pun not intended.”

“Stop toying with me, Discord,” she demanded, growing impatient with him. “Did you have something to do with his appearance near the Tree of Harmony?” While he had been reformed, agreeing to use his Chaos magic only for good, he was still a mischievous being. It was likely not a coincidence that the man showed up near the Tree of Harmony just after they saved it from the wicked plants Discord had seeded there over a millennium ago.

Discord’s face seemed to contort for a second, but it went unnoticed by Princess Celestia. He returned his visage to normal before she looked back at him.

“Well, I can assure you that I had nothing to do with his appearance in our world. That is why I have been keeping tabs on him, seeing as how he is an alien from another planet and all.”

She huffed, which made him roll his eyes—literally. His eyeballs rolled out of his head, landing on the floor and sinking into it as his body rose from the floor, his eyes back in place.

“Just to prove my innocence, I will help you try to find a way for him to go back to Azeroth.” He put his hands together, his eyes widening, as he stared into her own eyes. “Is that proof enough?”

“I suppose,” she said, turning away. “Just stop looking at me like that.”

“So it’s settled then!” he cheered, floating back into the air. Princess Celestia started trotting away.

“What?” Discord called to her. “No ‘thank you?’”

She found herself rolling her eyes with a smirk as she went through the doors, magically closing them behind her.

The second the doors closed, Discord’s smile dropped. He returned to the ground with a flash, a claw on his chin.

“If I did not bring Tinnidas here, then who did?” He started to pace around the room as he continued to think. “I’m not even sure if I could bring someone between worlds, and if I did, it would take preparation. That then poses the question: who did?”

He whispered ominously, “And so the plot thickens…”

Chapter 6: Competition

Tinnidas woke up early, finding the sun just barely peeking over the horizon. He could somehow tell that it was going to be a good day, and that energy made him throw off his covers and sit up on his bed. He ran a hand through his hair, attempting to shape it back to normal. He stood up, walking over to the bathroom and tidying up some. Walking back into the main part of his room, he looked in the mirror at his freshly cleaned face. He then looked at the robe he was wearing. The silky blue robe he was given for his stay was incredibly comfortable, much to his delight. He removed it from his body, tossed it onto the bed, and put on the undergarments for his armor.

He then started putting his armor on, finishing with his gauntlets. He reached below his bed, gripping his sword and putting it in the sheath on his back. He looked in the mirror once more, finding his appearance worthy of a warrior. He decided to leave his satchel, seeing how he would not need any of the items during his performance.

He headed for the door, locking it as he went through. He found himself in the same hallway as the day before, this time with Twilight’s absence. Wasting no time, he made his way down the hall and to the stairs, where he went down and out to the outside world. He started the walk to the stadium where The Games were being held as he tried to mentally prepare himself. Maybe he had been a bit foolhardy jumping into a competition with some of Equestria’s best competitors, but he was a warrior after all. More than that, he was an Azerothian, coming from a place that had far more danger than the world he was currently stuck in. He could handle a few ponies.

The distinct sound of cheering ponies hit his ears as he got closer to the arena—something he was getting accustomed to. The guards recognized him as he approached, clearing the way for him. He went past them, giving a respectful nod as he did.

He traveled down the same hall as he had the day before, this time watching for any ponies hiding in the shadows. Fortunately, there were none. He reached the top of the stairs he went up, crossing over to a set of stairs that went down to the field. He went down them, spotting Shining Armor at the bottom. Coming up to the captain, he tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

“What can I do for you, Tinnidas?”

“I’m going to be competing in fencing. Can you point me in the direction of where to go for the event?”

“Of course…” the stallion returned with hesitation. “Just go over there.” He pointed a hoof at a small archway where other ponies waited.

“Thank you,” Tinnidas said, starting towards the archway. He stopped as he heard the captain’s voice again.

“Are you sure you want to compete in fencing?”

“Don’t worry,” the man confidently said, “I’ll be fine.” He continued forward, crossing the field and making his way over to the other contestants. A brown-colored mare with a blonde mane came up to him, holding a clipboard.

“How may I help you?” she asked in a somewhat condescending tone that Tinnidas ignored.

“I’m here to compete in fencing,” he explained, the mare looking at her clipboard.

“I don’t see anything for—Wait, I see you.” She flipped the papers on her clipboard back to the front. “It seems Princess Cadance put you in here last moment.”

“That she did,” he joked with a forced laugh. She did not seem amused, only adding to the awkwardness.

“Nevertheless, the show must go on.” She turned around. “Those are your competitors. In a few minutes, the matchups will be announced, and then you will go to the center of the field and stand on the designated X’s. Shining Armor will then explain the rules. Once the trumpet blows, you can begin fencing.”

“Sounds easy enough.”

The mare huffed, trotting away. Tinnidas decided to follow her, going over to the other ponies getting ready for the event. They were all unicorns, which meant he would have to face off against magical swords. That also meant he could get attacked at almost any angle if he was not careful.

Just as his doubts started to stir, trumpets drew his attention. Shining Armor stood at the center of the field, looking around at the stadium.

“Opening this day of the Equestria Games will be fencing. The first matchup will be Maneatour of Manehattan against Ironfist of Canterlot!”

Tinnidas looked to his left and right, seeing the two unicorns making their way toward Shining Armor. Maneatour looked about as bulky as Ironfist, but his coat was a pure white, contrasting Ironfist’s grey coat. They both wore armor that covered almost the entirety of their bodies. They lacked helmets, however.

“As you know, only hits to the body will count. Any hit to the face will count as a disqualification. The first to get the point wins the round. There are five rounds, and the pony to get three points first wins the matchup. The winners will face other winners until the champion is revealed.” Shining Armor told the two stallions, “Best of luck.” He then signaled the guards to blow the trumpet that started the match.

Tinnidas watched intently as the two stallions went in circles in opposite directions. They both seemed to be studying one another, neither wanting to make a move. After a pregnant moment, Maneatour made the first move. He sprinted forward, slashing to hit his foe. His attack was blocked, but he quickly whipped his sword, connecting with Ironfist’s leg.

“One point to Maneatour!” Shining Armor shouted.

Ironfist shook his head, getting back to his stance. The trumpet blew once again, and he rushed forward. He took a heavy downward swing towards his opponent, but Maneatour dodged with great speed, leaving an opening. Striking fast, Maneatour clipped Ironfist on the chest.

“Two points for Maneatour! One more to win!”

Ironfist roared, stomping over to his position. He swung his blade around, feeling anger going through him. He eagerly waited for the trumpet to blow, spurring into action as it did. He sprinted forward, the same as before, watching as his opponent got ready to block. He then rolled on the ground, going beside the vulnerable Maneatour. With a slash of his blade, Ironfist made sparks off of Maneatour’s back leg.

“One point to Ironfist!”

Ironfist went back to his spot, grinning. The trumpet blew again, and he let his opponent come to him. Maneatour approached, swinging his sword around in the air before preparing to strike. Ironfist moved his sword, deciding not to block but to strike first. His risk paid off as his sword hit Maneatour first.

“Two points for Ironfist! One more to win!”

Ironfist ground his hooves into the dirt, letting his anger take hold again. The trumpet blew once more, and the two stallions charged at each other. Almost like they were jousting, they lined up their swords with each other as they prepared to clash. Maneatour slid on the ground—a costly mistake. Ironfist reacted quicker than Maneatour thought possible, finishing the round with a hit to the chest.

“And Ironfist wins the match!” Shining Armor yelled. Part of the crowd cheered for their representative from Canterlot.

Tinnidas scratched his beard, studying his competitors. He kept an eye on Ironfist, but his main focus was on Steadfast of Cloudsdale. He tore through his opponents with ease, and the way he fought was worrying to Tinnidas.

“The next matchup will be Long Sword of Las Pegasus against Tinnidas of Ponyville!”

Tinnidas walked towards his spot, hearing the crowd cheer for him. It was something he never expected to hear, yet he heard it now. He glanced up to where the princesses were, seeing Twilight cheering for him. He also saw Cadance waving at him with a smile. He turned back to Shining Armor, stopping on the X.

Tinnidas took a steady breath as he waited for the trumpet. He looked at Long Sword, seeing an older stallion who lacked the agility needed for fencing. Confidence flooded through the man as he heard the trumpet, spurring him into action. He shortened the distance between his foe but still kept his distance. Long Sword went in for the first blow, but Tinnidas leaned back to dodge it easily. He then rolled out the way of another thrust, taking the opportunity to strike his enemy.

“One point to Tinnidas!”

He went back to his post, holding his sword in front of him. When the signal came, he slowly walked forward, keeping up his guard. When Long Sword swung, he was ready. He blocked the blow, blocking the other that came shortly after. He attempted a strike, but it was deflected—letting Long Sword thrust into his chest plate. He staggered back, catching himself from falling over.

“One point to Long Sword!”

Tinnidas decide to grip his sword with both hands, switching up his traditional style. Long Sword looked startled, which Tinnidas liked. The trumpet blew and he ran towards his enemy. He reared his sword, delivering a crushing blow that Long Sword was barely able to stop from hitting him. Tinnidas quickly switched to one hand, landing a swift slash.

“Two points for Tinnidas! One more to win!”

Tinnidas gave eyes of steel to his opponent, sending worry throughout the stallion. He knew he had gotten into his head, already having won half the battle. He swung his sword with a flick of his wrist, getting ready.

The trumpet sounded and Tinnidas slowly approached, bold enough to have his sword at his side. Long Sword slowly went forward, meeting Tinnidas. He struck out at the man, but Tinnidas simply leaned back, the blade going over his chest. Tinnidas then thrust his sword into Long Sword, claiming victory.

“Tinnidas wins the match!” Shining Armor yelled, nodding to Tinnidas. He returned the nod, walking back to the other contestants.

“That concludes the first round of matchups. We now move on to the second round.”

Tinnidas watched Ironfist win again, and then he was up for the second time. He faced an easy opponent, one he defeated in three quick rounds. He got to relax as the others fought it out until the competition progressed.

“We are now entering the semifinals. The first matchup will be Tinnidas of Ponyville against Black Hammer of Trottingham!”

Tinnidas sighed in relief, glad to be facing the easier of the three stallions. That also meant Ironfist and Steadfast would be going against each other. Black Hammer put up a fight, but he was ultimately no match for Tinnidas.

Returning to the sidelines, Tinnidas watched intently as Ironfist and Steadfast stared each other down, neither flinching under the other’s gaze. The trumpet blew, and they both went at each other. Their swords hit together as they did the same attack, Steadfast pushing his weapon forward. Ironfist was forced onto his back legs, which became a weakness when Steadfast pulled his sword away and hit Ironfist on the neck.

“One point to Steadfast!”

Tinnidas hoped Ironfist would win, leaving the easier of the two ponies left for him to face, but he suspected Steadfast would win.

The second round began, Ironfist holding back as Steadfast came forward. Ironfist quickly lunged out for a quick strike, Steadfast jumping back to avoid it. Steadfast then circled his foe before closing in. With a speedy attack, he barely managed to clip Ironfist before his foe could completely dodge.

“Two points for Steadfast! One more to win!”

Ironfist tried to funnel his rage into his horn, commanding his sword to move with him. Both stallions stepped forward to poke at each other, Ironfist having slightly longer reach to hit Steadfast first.

“One point to Ironfist!”

“It’s been a good match,” Steadfast boldly said, his voice deep, “but it must end.”

The trumpet blew, Steadfast closing the distance a little. Ironfist came forward, preparing his strike. Steadfast raised his sword like he was getting ready to counterstrike, but he threw his sword like a spear, ramming it into Ironfist’s chest and causing his foe to trip. Ironfist slid across the ground, stopping directly at Steadfast’s hooves.

“Steadfast wins the match! That concludes the semifinals. We now enter the final matchup: Steadfast of Cloudsdale against Tinnidas of Ponyville!”

The stadium roared, two sides clashing over which side had more support. Tinnidas could barely hear them at all due to his focus on Steadfast. He noticed Steadfast was adapting to each opponent’s style by taking some of their best traits and using them against them. It seemed to be a deadly tactic; one Tinnidas hoped to overcome through pure experience and skill.

He went to his spot, closing his eyes as he breathed. His muscles relaxed as he gripped his sword with both hands. The trumpet blew, and Tinnidas went forward. He reared his sword up, quickly approaching Steadfast. Instead of bringing his weapon down, he curved it to the left, knocking Steadfast’s shoulder.

“One point to Tinnidas!”

Tinnidas returned to the proper position, using only one hand for his sword to throw off his opponent. He waited for the trumpet to blow, slowly going forward when it did. He let Steadfast come to him, putting up his guard. For a moment, it seemed neither would move, but Steadfast eventually budged. He rushed Tinnidas, initiating a strike that the man was able to stop. He tried another, but that was dodged by him as well. Tinnidas swung, getting parried. He recovered quick enough to slash Steadfast before the stallion could react.

“Two points for Tinnidas! One more to win!”

Steadfast growled, spinning his sword around with his magical grip. He drove his hooves into the ground. He had watched Tinnidas fight, and now he knew how he fought. The remaining rounds would come solely down to skill.

The trumpet blasted, both contestants rushing at each other. Tinnidas prepared to strike, Steadfast doing so as well. As they both swung, their swords hit, bouncing off one another. Steadfast spun his blade, sliding it across Tinnidas’s chest.

“One point to Steadfast!”

Tinnidas could tell Steadfast fought differently than the other two rounds. He was trying to use some of his moves against him.

Tinnidas went back into position, rushing forward when the trumpet blew. He then made Steadfast jump back by thrusting with his sword. He intentionally kept his distance from the stallion, waiting for him to make a move. Tinnidas went for a counter strike when he did, but Steadfast knocked his sword instead. The stallion then drove his blade into Tinnidas’s stomach.

“Two points for Steadfast! The next point decides the match!”

Tinnidas walked away, clutching his stomach. The last blow he had taken had knocked the wind from his body, leaving him to cough as he forced air back in. However, if he were to beat Steadfast, he would need to focus.

He walked over to the X on the ground where he was supposed to stand, closing his eyes as he got into his stance. He took a deep, slow breath as he tried to relax his body. He then focused on his senses, listening to the idle noise of the stadium and the breeze in the air. He could smell that crisp air all around him as he felt the ground beneath his boots. He waited for what felt like an hour for the trumpet to blow, every second going by at an excruciating pace. When the trumpet finally did sound, he did not move. He kept his eyes closed as Steadfast charged toward him. He knew the stallion was cocky and ill-tempered and that he would therefore lose focus over time. He would use that to his advantage.

Tinnidas opened his eyes as he heard his opponent’s hooves get close. He saw Steadfast raising his sword high. He answered with a simple block with his sword as he sidestepped. While he could have struck at Steadfast, he likely would have been parried—and therefore vulnerable. Steadfast grounded himself again as Tinnidas walked around him. Steadfast lunged out with his blade, Tinnidas easily moving out the way.

Tinnidas then went for a quick slash, Steadfast barely able to catch the blow in time. He rapidly delivered another strike, just missing Steadfast. He had to roll on the ground to avoid the blow the stallion came back with. He rose to his feet, already having to put up his sword to stop another strike.

“Give in already!” Steadfast yelled, trying—and failing—to hit Tinnidas. He put out another cleave. “You cannot win!”

“And what—” Tinnidas caught Steadfast’s blade with his own. “—makes you think that?”

“You are merely a hulking brute, not a skilled fighter,” Steadfast returned with venom as he pushed his sword forward.

“But that’s where you’re wrong.” Tinnidas twisted his weapon, sending both of their swords down and to the left. He then kicked Steadfast’s leg with his boot, forcing the stallion onto one knee.

Steadfast made a desperate attempt at a strike, aiming directly toward Tinnidas’s leg. Tinnidas expected it, catching the blade with his sword and then flicking his wrist, sending Steadfast’s sword flying through the air. It then stabbed into the dirt, bending back and forth.

Tinnidas looked down at his opponent, who was trying to get to his hooves. Not giving him a chance for recovery, he pulled his sword back one final time before bringing it down upon Steadfast’s shoulder, creating a huge spark as he did.

“And Tinnidas is the fencing champion of this Equestria Games!” Shining Armor announced, the spectators screaming wildly.

Tinnidas looked around at all the ponies in the crowd who were cheering for him. They were all celebrating his victory. He turned his head, seeing Twilight’s friends jumping up and down with joy for him. He saw Twilight utterly roaring, which made him chuckle. After a moment of taking in the admiration from the ponies, he looked back to the field.

His eyes went downward, finding Steadfast still on the ground. He slowly walked over to the stallion, putting out a hand to help him up. Steadfast grabbed the hand with his hoof, pulling himself onto all four hooves.

Tinnidas let go of his competitor’s hoof, turning around to look back at Twilight, who was still cheering. He also saw Cadance clapping her hooves together for him, to which he gave her a bow. Raising back to his full height, he saw her eyes widen as her face turned to one of fear. He raised an eyebrow, just as he heard hoofsteps behind him. He turned his head, seeing a sword coming for his neck.

He threw up an arm, his hand impacting with the blade as it went through the leather protecting his palm and sliced into his hand. The blade managed to hit his armor in one of the few places he lacked both plating and magical protection, blood splattering onto his face as he stumbled backward. He tried to find his footing, seeing Steadfast quickly approaching. Adrenaline pumped through him as he sprung into action.

With his good hand, he reached over his head and pulled out his sword, taking a few steps back and pointing it at Steadfast.

“Don’t make me hurt you,” Tinnidas warned. His words meant nothing to Steadfast, who only continued toward him.

Tinnidas’s eyes flashed with yellow as his body acted upon its muscle memory. The runes along his sword turned dark green as he lifted his sword high. Taking one final glance at Steadfast, who was not relenting in his charge, Tinnidas brought his sword down upon the ground, unleashing the energy within the runes. The ground quaked as a crack went out from the end of the blade toward Steadfast. The land around the stallion tore apart as chunks of dirt erupted into the air. He was hammered by the earth and rock, getting knocked over and partially buried.

The stadium was dead silent, all eyes looking down at Tinnidas with a mix of emotions. He looked up at the crowd, seeing the ponies firsthand. He could tell that they were all shocked, but he could not tell what they were thinking. He looked back at the devastation he had caused, seeing Steadfast’s head poking out from the dirt as he tried to move.

His attention was drawn to the series of hoofsteps that were rapidly coming toward him. He saw a group of guards led by Shining Armor marching toward him. He carefully put his sword away as the guards came up to him.

“Please come with us to the castle,” Shining Armor said, his guards moving apart to let the man through.

“Of course,” Tinnidas replied, walking out of the stadium with the guards.

They escorted him outside, leading him down the road to the crystal castle where he was temporarily residing. He feared, however, that he would be staying there a lot longer than expected.

Tinnidas soon found himself being taken down a hallway that ended with a giant ornate pair of doors. Two guards opened said doors, revealing the throne room inside the castle. A carpet went from the entrance to the top of the small set of steps that led to the throne. Made of crystals, the throne had a beautiful and eye-catching design. His eyes were drawn, however, to the cotton-candy-colored alicorn sitting on it.

The guards left the throne room, closing and locking the doors behind them. After hearing the sound of the doors locking, Cadance stood up. She walked down from her throne, slowly coming up to Tinnidas.

“Are you alright?” she asked, her voice soft and calm.

“I think so. The guards patched up my hand to stop the bleeding.” He went down on one knee, moving his head up a little to look at her. “I want to apologize for what happened. It’s just Steadfast attacked me, a-and then I reacted, and…” He sighed, collecting his thoughts. “I didn’t mean for any of that to happen. For that, I am sorry.”

“You shouldn’t be the one apologizing,” Cadance responded calmly.

“What?” Tinnidas asked, confused. “B-but I damaged the stadium and almost seriously injured a pony. Why shouldn’t I be apologizing?”

“You weren’t the one who started the fight,” she explained. “Steadfast attacked you from behind after the match was over. You simply defended yourself. While you did damage the field, it can be cleaned up. You also stopped Steadfast without hurting him—hurting him too badly, at least.”

“You’re really not upset?” Tinnidas asked, shocked by how the princess reacted to his show of violence and destruction.

“Of course not. You are a guest here and are supposed to be safe so long as you are in my empire, but you were attacked and injured under my watch, and for that, I apologize.”

“Thank… thank you, Cadance,” he said, dumbstruck by her kindness.

“How did you even do that?” she asked. “I hardly ever see magic that strong that isn’t a spell.”

“While I don’t completely remember, I suspect that most of the equipment I arrived here with is enchanted,” he began. “My armor has some kind of protective barrier, and my sword has a few abilities.” He pulled out his sword, putting one hand on the blade and the other on the handle as he presented it to her. “The runes that run along the blade hold the magic, if I remember correctly. I’ve been able to shoot fire from it and break the ground like you saw, but I have no idea what else it can do.”

“How long is it going to take to repair the stadium?” he asked her, walking over to one of the nearby windows that overlooked The Empire.

“Only a few hours,” she answered, coming over to him. “Everything should be back to normal tomorrow.”

“Only a few hours?” He kept looking out, watching the massive crowd of ponies from the stadium spill into the streets.

“You can rest up for the rest of the day, and The Games can continue as normal tomorrow morning.”

Tinnidas slowly nodded, turning away from the window and walking towards the doors. He grabbed one of the handles, turning it and cracking the door open. He turned his head around.

“Once again, I’m sorry about my outburst.”

“It’s alright,” she replied, returning to her throne. “Really.”

Tinnidas went into the hall, closing the door behind him. He went through the castle, going to his room and lying down in the soft, cozy bed that awaited him.

When Tinnidas got up for what was the second complete day of the Equestria Games, but actually his fourth day in the Crystal Empire, he was met with a stinging sensation in his hand. After throwing off his covers, he looked at the bandage on his hand, finding it stained slightly yellow.

“Guess I’ll have to get this attended to some time,” he said to himself as he stretched his fingers out, feeling a stiffness in them.

He then got up, making himself presentable for the day. As he did, his thoughts returned to the Princess of the Crystal Empire. Despite all of his expectations, she seemed to enjoy his company. He found her quite the interesting pony; he just hoped she was not tricking him. However, the more he thought, the more he realized that he was already at her mercy. If she had wished, she could have locked him away, using his outburst at The Games as an excuse—but she did not. He was kept within his thoughts as he left his room and started down the hall.

Like the past two mornings, he headed outside to the stadium, entering through a special area for what he presumed to be important guests. He then climbed the stairs that led to the princesses, spotting the pink princess he had been spending time with. He joined her a few minutes before The Games were set to start, exchanging formalities with her before it was time for the events to start. They then both watched the games that took place, Tinnidas interested in the aerial relay most of all.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had been training hard for the event, and he wanted to support them in the race. So, he cheered for Fluttershy as she hit hooves with Rainbow Dash. He then watched Rainbow Dash bolt forward at incredible speeds, making up the time they were behind. He watched as she caught up to the mare in front, both of them speeding toward the finish line.

Rainbow Dash came in a close second, Tinnidas clapping and whistling nonetheless. He then sat back in his seat, waiting for the medalists to take their positions on the podium that was already set up. Cloudsdale managed to place first, Ponyville being second, but they had been very close in medals throughout The Games thus far.

Shining Armor trotted in front of the podium, saying, “Congratulations to all our medalists!” He then stopped and turned around, announcing, “And now, the anthem of—”

“And I shall do the honor of singing!” Spike shouted to the stadium, everyone clapping for him. Shining Armor went up to him, whispering something to him. After waving to the crowd, Spike continued. “Well, I know all the words to our anthem, and will sing them for you now, loud and proud, to the enjoyment of all!”

As the stadium cheered for Spike, Tinnidas turned to Cadance with a confused look.

“I didn’t know Spike was going to be singing.”

“Neither did I,” she replied, just as confused as him.

“I didn’t even know he could sing,” Tinnidas said, shifting in his seat. “Nonetheless, I am interested to see.”

“And now… um…” Shining Armor continued with a pause after a spotlight fell on him, “the Cloudsdale anthem, as sung by Spike!”

Tinnidas saw the two speak to each for a moment as they waited for the music to kick in. Spike then cleared his throat, the sound of brass instruments coming on a couple of seconds later.

“Oh, we’re the Wonderbolts and we’re super fast, and we’re from Cloudsdale which-is-a-part-of-Equestria,” Spike shouted and slurred in what could only be described as a mockery to singing, ending with a nervous laugh. “That we like best and we’re proud and we’re fast and we like it because it really has nice trees.”

Tinnidas recoiled from the harsh noise coming from the dragon, as well as the terrible timing. For a moment, he wondered if Equestria’s music was very, very different from the music back on Azeroth, but he glanced over to Cadance, seeing her cringing as well.

“Yeah, we love the town because it’s so cool and, and we like to fly really fast and everything like that,” Spike continued, his face redder than he could have ever imagined. As he looked around the crowd, he saw ponies appalled and in shock, only adding to his embarrassment. “I kinda wish this was over ‘cause it is… n’t… yet. Over… now.” He heard the chorus starting again, sweat pouring down him as he tried to recite what he had said earlier.

“Oh, we’re the Wonderbolts and we’re super fast and we’re cloud—from Cloudsdale. We like it there ‘cause it’s really nice and the trees are cool and I hope this is over now.” He heard the song continue, his heart only wrenching further. “And… it keeps going on, la la la. And we really love the town. So I wish that this song… was over now. Over… now.” The song reached its dramatic climax, Spike ending with, “Over… now…”

Tinnidas looked down at the dragon with his mouth agape and face stuck in a state of cringing. The only sound that could be heard was that of a baby crying; otherwise, there was utter silence in the stadium. He watched Spike slowly walk away from the center of the stadium and go towards one of the exits. The dragon disappeared, the medalists on the field returning to the rest of their team after seeing him go.

“Well, that was awkward,” Tinnidas said to himself.

The Games continued with a certain awkwardness in the air that no one wanted to talk about, but everyone knew what the awkwardness was from. Tinnidas tried his best to forget Spike’s “performance,” but it was near impossible. While he was not angered like some ponies from Cloudsdale were, he could tell just how embarrassing the situation was—especially for Spike. From what he knew of the dragon, he was somewhat shy, and he feared that the shame would only make him more so.

However, the show had to go on, and The Games did just that. The next event started after only a few minutes, everything continuing as planned.

“So…” Tinnidas started to Cadance, “what did you think of Spike’s singing?”

“What did you think of it?” she asked, perfectly deflecting his question in an innocent-sounding voice.

“It was… an interesting take on the anthem,” he responded, not really knowing how to word his thoughts nicely. “T-then again, I’ve never actually heard the anthem, so I don’t know how to gauge the singing.”

“I’m just messing with you,” Cadance snickered. “His performance was absolutely, well… bad, I hate to say.”

“I’m going to have to agree with you on that,” he said, pointing at her as he did. He instantly cringed from the pain that went through his hand as his wound reopened. He grabbed his hand as blood started to soak into his bandage. Cadance quickly got up from her seat, coming over to look at his palm. She magically pulled off the bandage—much to his discomfort.

“Did you ever get this treated?” she asked, seeing the blood and pus coming from his cut.

“I was going to soon… I just haven’t gotten around to it yet,” he admitted.

“You stallions,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Never want to go to the doctor.”

“Sorry,” he simply said back, watching as she closed her eyes and started a spell. Blue light went up her horn, a tiny stream going towards his hand. The energy from her magic seeped into his palm, closing his wound in a matter of seconds as his skin regrew and sewed itself back together. Her eyes opened, her horn returning to normal.

Moving his hand around and flexing his fingers, he saw just how effective her healing had been. He felt no pain in his hand at all.

“Thank you,” he said out of gratitude.

“Make sure to get your injuries checked out first next time,” she humbly replied, returning to her seat.

The two watched the rest of the day’s activities, returning to their rooms afterward. The next day was much more normal, but all unicorns had to let a disabling spell be put on them to prevent them from using their magic to help someone cheat. After that, there were no more disruptions to The Games. The day after that was just as normal—until the final event.

Chapter 7: Closing Ceremony

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Chapter 5: An Empire of Crystal

Tinnidas laid in his bed, contemplating the past few weeks he had been staying in Ponyville as his mind wandered. Each week was almost identical to the others in that he would stay cooped up within Twilight’s library and only choose to go outside every now and then. They were also similar in that any time he actually did go out, the ponies would be afraid of him. There were hardly any that would not cower from his presence—and most of them were Twilight and her closest friends.

In short, he had grown tired of seeing the ponies recoil from the sight of him. There was little he could do to change their opinion of him, but he still tried. He spoke at a town meeting, but that went horribly considering the number of ponies that thought he had gathered them into a trap so he could “feast upon them.” He helped repair a wall on a damaged building, but seeing him use a hammer so vigorously made them fear him more.

Their fear of him ultimately came down to him appearing like a predator. He was enormous compared to them, and whenever he flashed a smile, they could see his sharp “fangs.” He could not change how his body looked, and his armor was too important to simply give up. He was still new to Equestria and had no idea what horrors could be held within it.

Tinnidas sighed, sitting up and looking out from the window. Based on where the sun was, he guessed it was noon—which also meant Twilight would be back any minute. He slumped back into the bed, unconcerned about the inevitable scolding he would get from her for staying in bed so long. He hoped to avoid ponies as best as possible due to his current mood. The last thing he wanted was to get more looks from them when he already felt down.

Just as he predicted, he heard the front door open, listening to it creak as it did. The shuffle of hooves on the wooden floor downstairs and the locking of the front door told him Twilight was back from her errands. She went up the stairs, seeming to already know where he was. He shuffled to get to his feet, the door to his room opening before he could. Twilight’s purple head peered in, spotting him half on the bed and half off, his eyes still heavy.

“Just getting up?” she asked, pretty sure she knew the answer.

“No,” Tinnidas croaked, his voice still hoarse from just waking up.

“What did Applejack tell you about honesty?”

With a sigh, he got up from the bed, looking down at her.

“Honesty’s the best policy,” he mumbled, a most unpleasant look on his face.

“And Fluttershy?” she demanded with a raised eyebrow.

“Spread kindness like confetti,” he said, a little clearer that time as his eyes bounced around the room, half expecting Pinkie Pie to explode out of the closet. He had grown to fear that mare and her supernatural arrivals.

He leaned back and sat on the bed, preparing for whatever he could tell she was about to ask.

“Now, tell me why you’re still in bed at noon.” And there it was.

She went over to him, taking a seat next to him.

“I’ve seen this becoming a habit with you, and it worries me.”

“I want to go home,” he said flat out. “No offense to you or the princesses, but I wish to return to my world. I need to find out who I am if I ever hope to be normal again.”

“I don’t really know what to tell you,” she responded. “The one thing I do know is that the princesses will be coming by sometime soon to tell you how their search for a way to send you home has been going.”

“I hope they have good news because the ponies here don’t like me, and I’m doubting that they ever will,” he said, standing back up and stretching.

“You’re wearing your new clothes,” Twilight pointed out after seeing the purple shirt covering what was usually hidden by his chainmail.

“Yes. They are quite comfortable,” he replied.

“Have you tried wearing those instead of your armor?”

“Already did,” he dully said. “That’s why I’ve been in a worse mood these past few days. The first thing I did when I got them was go outside.”

“I'm guessing it didn’t help?” Twilight asked, fielding the question she knew the answer to.

“Not at all.”

“I promise the ponies will warm up to you. You just need to give them—”

“Time?” Tinnidas finished for her. “Your words and promises don’t seem to be making me feel much better, do they?”

“No…” she answered, lowering her head a tad. “I’m sorry.” She put a hoof on his back, saying, “Let’s just see what the princesses say.”

The long awaited day had come for the princesses to visit Ponyville and inform Twilight and Tinnidas of the progress in their research. Tinnidas had been anxious the entire day, eagerly awaiting their arrival. He had spent hours staring out his window as he looked for the princesses or a chariot in the sky, but he found nothing. He eventually decided to go outside and wait at the library entrance for them, but his plans were foiled when Twilight forced him to go inside and wait like a “civilized pony.”

So he waited in the library, deciding to read a book until they arrived. When choosing a book, he looked for something of actual value, coming across a history book. While it looked like it was made for children, or foals as he had come to learn, he read it, hoping to learn something of the world he was in. He did learn some basic things about the earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi, and he also learned about the windigos that once roamed free over Equestria. The last thing he read was about Princess Celestia having to banish Princess Luna to the moon for a thousand years, which he imagined was not as easy as the book made it sound. He would have continued reading the entire thing, but there were oddly some pages missing from it.

His thoughts of history vanished when he heard the front door ring, indicating the princesses’ arrival. He quickly rose from his bed, rushing to get downstairs. Twilight beat him to it, opening the door and saying hello to the princesses. Tinnidas straightened his purple silk shirt with his hands, making sure he looked presentable. He also tried to smooth his pants before stepping down from the steps as the princesses came in. He went over to Twilight, giving the princesses a welcoming smile.

“How have you been, Tinnidas?” Princess Celestia asked with an equally warm smile as she and her sister went over to the nearby table.

“I’ve been… holding up,” he replied, not going into the details of how he had actually been. He took a seat at the table, Twilight doing the same.

“Well, I truly hope you are doing well,” she said. “I know you would probably like us to get to the point of our coming here, so we won’t waste any more of your time.”

“Thank you,” he responded.

“Since your arrival,” Princess Luna began, “we have been trying to find a way to return you to Azeroth, and we even employed some… questionable help to do so, but we’re afraid we haven’t found a way to send you back.”

“What?” he lifelessly said, barely comprehending what they had said. Twilight looked at him, sensing the sadness that was quickly washing over him.

“To make things worse,” Princess Luna continued, “we learned it would be more difficult to send you home than we had first thought.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, noticing Tinnidas’s blank stare.

“We first thought sending him home would be like doing a teleportation spell, just a lot more powerful,” Princess Celestia said, “but we were wrong. We think that Azeroth is part of our dimension, just a different planet. The easiest way to send him home would require something to hone in on Azeroth.”

“Could you use something like his armor?”

“I’m afraid not, Twilight. We would need something with a magical connection with the world to send him back. His armor may have Azeroth’s magic, but it is only tied to itself. That’s not to mention the pure amount of power it would take to complete the spell to send him back.”

“And how much would that be?” she hesitantly adked.

“Without a link to Azeroth, we estimate it would take more energy than my sister and I combined…”

“W-what?” Twilight sputtered. “How? How is that even possible?”

“I do not know. All I do know is that—”

“I’m not going home,” Tinnidas faintly whispered, finally breaking his silence. Everyone looked at him, seeing his wet eyes and the small tear running down his face.

“We tried our best, but we don’t have a way to send you back,” Princess Celestia said, trying to comfort him.

“I appreciate all your help,” he said back, wiping his face of shame.

“I’m sorry we could not help you more,” she responded with a saddened expression.

“Thank you anyway,” he sighed. “I guess I need to face the fact that I will be staying here a lot longer.”

Princess Luna said, “We were hoping to give this to you as a parting gift, but we think it fitting to give it to you now.” Something appeared in the room with a flash of her horn, held up by her magical grasp. Tinnidas looked up, seeing the golden chestplate she was floating in the air. It looked almost identical to the armor he was wearing, with only a slight difference in details. It had the same shine as his armor did, maybe better even. She slowly lowered it down to the table, letting Tinnidas look at it better. It looked like it fit him perfectly, making him wonder how they even knew what size to make it.

Seemingly knowing what he was about to ask, Princess Luna told him, “Rarity gave us the measurements.”

“I’m thankful for your gift,” he said, “I truly am, but it will not help me here. The truth is that almost every pony I’ve met, or even seen, has been afraid of me. They see my alien nature and think I’m some sort of monster, and my armor only makes it worse.”

The princesses were shocked by what he had said, yet it did not seem entirely unexpected. While Tinnidas had previously made it sound as if things were normal—as normal as they could be—they both knew their subjects could be abundantly fearful at times.

“If it’s any consolation,” Princess Celestia began, “Princess Cadance of the Crystal Empire has personally invited you to join her at the Equestria Games.”

Tinnidas simply put his head down on the table, running his fingers through his hair. “The Equestria Games?” he asked, his voice partially muffled by the table.

“Indeed,” Princess Luna replied with a nod.

“And, pray tell, how would that offer me any solace?”

“Since you asked,” she began, “the Equestria Games are a set of athletic challenges that ponies from all over Equestria come to in order to compete. Medals are given to those who place in their event, and the city with the most medals at the end of The Games wins.”

“And this year,” Princess Celestia took over, “the Equestria Games are being held in the Crystal Empire.”

“The… Crystal Empire?” Tinnidas asked, his head rising from the table.

“Princess Cadance rules over the Crystal Empire, and she invited you to join her, as well as me, my sister, and Twilight, for The Games. I’m sure you’re wondering how the Crystal Empire could be any different from here, right?”

“I am.”

“The Crystal Empire was hidden from the rest of Equestria in a sort of stasis for a very long time, so its citizens are a little… out of touch with society. They still celebrate customs of old and would find somepony wearing armor and walking around with a sword far less terrifying than most ponies in Equestria—and I think it would be the perfect change of scenery you need.”

Tinnidas sighed. “I suppose I can go—” He pointed a finger at Princess Celestia. “—but don’t think I’m going to give my hopes up.”

“All I ask is that you give it a chance,” she responded. “I hope to see you there.”

“As do I,” Princess Luna added with a smile.

After a moment, Twilight said, “Thank you both for coming by.”

“Of course,” Princess Celestia returned. “I didn’t want to pass up on the opportunity to see my favorite former student.”

Twilight smiled, heading over to the door and opening it before waving both princesses goodbye. They waved back, going a few steps away from the library before spreading their wings and going into the air. Twilight closed the door and turned around, staring at the man still sitting at the table with a heavy look.

“Oh, Tinnidas,” she softly said, going over and taking a seat next to him. “I promise you’ll like this; I just know it.”

“As I told the royal sisters,” he dully whispered, “I’m not giving my hopes up.”

Tinnidas’s boots clicked on the ground as he walked down the halls of Canterlot Castle alongside Twilight, fully adorned in his armor—including his newest piece. When he glanced at the numerous guards lined along the hall he now walked across, he could see the fear even the Royal Guard had of him. Of all the ponies in Equestria, the Royal Guards were supposed to be the most steadfast, and yet they sweat when they saw him merely walking near them. He did his best to ignore their stares and instead turned his attention to the two alicorns waiting at the end of the hall. He put on a smile as he and Twilight reached them.

“My sister and I will ride in one chariot, and you two will ride in the other.” Princess Celestia pointed to the two golden chariots behind her. Tinnidas looked at the immaculate things, seeing the gems encrusted on their outside as he and Twilight got into the same chariot. The royal sisters got in the other, looking back at them.

“Are you ready?” Twilight whispered to Tinnidas.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he answered, Twilight then nodding to the other princesses. With that, Princess Celestia told the eight pegasi, four leading each chariot, that they were ready to leave. All eight sets of wings opened in sync, Tinnidas gripping onto the railing of the chariot as the pegasi lifted it into the air. With a few powerful beats, they were all on their way to the Crystal Empire.

Tinnidas looked down on the countryside as they flew across the vast land of Equestria. While its size held no comparison to Azeroth, its land was beautiful. Everything seemed rich with life, and everyone seemed to live happily. If only Azeroth could be the same way…

He noticed the air getting colder as they continued their trip, and he first attributed it to nothing, but he started feeling his body getting number as time went on.

“Why’s it so cold?”

“We’re in Northern Equestria,” Twilight answered him. “It tends to get pretty chilly up here. It’s only going to get colder when we reach the Crystal Mountains, but it’ll be over soon.”

Tinnidas huffed, crossing his arms against his chest to keep himself warm. “I don’t look forward to meeting this Princess Cadance,” he said, still looking out over the land below him.

“Why not?” Twilight squeaked, putting a hoof on his back. He turned to face her.

“I don’t want to meet another princess strong enough to kill me, especially when most ponies view me as a monster.”

“Don’t worry, Cadance wouldn’t hurt you when The Games are going on; it’d be too risky.”

Tinnidas gulped hard.

“I’m joking,” she chuckled after seeing his distraught face.

He turned back away. “That’s not funny.”

Twilight regained her posture as her laughter died down. “But no, you don’t have anything to worry about. Cadance is amazing, and I’ve known her since she was my foalsitter.”

“Foalsitter?” he asked before realizing what she meant. “Oh, yes. You must know her well then.”

“I do. She used to be my foalsitter, but now she’s my sister-in-law. Plus, we’re both princesses!”

“Sister-in-law? So she’s married?”

“Yep, and to my brother, Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard.”

“You never told me you had a brother,” he said, looking at her again. “And Captain of the Royal Guard no less.”

“I guess it never came up,” she said while putting a hoof to her chin. “Well, you get to meet him then! I think he’ll like you.”

He whispered under his breath, “If he’s anything like the other Royal Guards, I doubt it.”

He felt the chariot begin to rise as they reached the Crystal Mountains. He felt the tiny flakes of snow in the air land on him as they went higher. They soon reached the top of the mountains, finding a large, flat area of snow. Other mountains were in the distance, but the chariot headed towards the cloud-covered ground. Tinnidas squinted his eyes, barely seeing a giant crystal spire jutting into the sky. The chariot slowed as they quickly went down to the ground, breaking through the cloud barrier and revealing the Crystal Empire.

Tinnidas’s jaw dropped as he saw an entire city made of crystal. The exuberant sparkle of the crystal nearly blinded him as he looked down at one of the most magnificent things he had ever seen. At the center of The Empire was the crystal spire, which turned out to be an entire castle. The main roads extended outward from the castle, forming a snowflake pattern on the ground that went throughout the entire city. As they got closer to the ground, he could make out a number of small shops and houses, ponies out and about everywhere. He could also see the massive stadium where he guessed the Equestria Games would be held.

The chariot slowed before landing just outside the castle. Tinnidas let Twilight exit the chariot first, taking a second to look around again. He stepped down from the chariot, his boots touching the hard crystal beneath him. To his surprise, the ground made a distinct chime that only crystal could when he walked.

The blaring of trumpets drew his attention to the castle. He spotted an entourage of guards, whose fur was literally sparkling, playing high notes from their instruments. The line of guards parted, revealing two ponies. The first was a stallion who looked like one of the other guards except for his purple armor, somewhat larger size, and non-sparkling body, and the other was an alicorn who Tinnidas guessed was Princess Cadance. She was only slightly larger than the stallion next to her, and she seemed almost the same size as Princess Luna. As she got closer, Tinnidas could make out more of her defining features.

Her coat was bright pink, slightly lighter than Pinkie Pie’s, and her mane had purple, pink, and yellow stripes. She was thinner than any other pony he had seen, despite her being larger than most. Her regalia was not as grandeur as the royal sisters’, but it still made her look stunning. Golden horseshoes covered her hooves, and a thin gold band went across her chest. The most important piece was the crown atop her head, a purple gem at its top.

The two ponies, along with a few guards, came up to Tinnidas and Twilight, who had the royal sisters at their side. Tinnidas saw Princess Cadance’s crystalline heart Cutie Mark, as well as the stallion’s that was very similar to Twilight’s.

“Welcome back to the Crystal Empire!” Princess Cadance’s smooth voice called to all of them. Tinnidas put on the best smile he could, trying to appear happy.

“It is a pleasure to see you again,” Princess Celestia said, her sister giving a nod as well.

Twilight went up to Princess Cadance, a massive smile on both of their faces. She suddenly bent down, the other princess doing the same.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake,” they both said in unison. “Clap your hooves”—they hit their hooves together—“and do a little shake!” They ended their chant by spinning around and shaking their flanks, something Tinnidas found two princesses doing to be quite odd. He knew Twilight to be a more common-acting royal and wondered if this new one was as well.

“Oh, Shining Armor!” Twilight chirped, wrapping the stallion next to Princess Cadance into a hug. Tinnidas realized that the stallion was her brother and the Captain of the Royal Guard.

Twilight stepped back after a moment, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor turning their attention to Tinnidas. He kept his smile as they both went up to him.

“And you must be Tinnidas,” Princess Cadance said with a welcoming smile. “I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but most ponies shorten it to Princess Cadance.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Princess Cadance,” he replied. He was about to instinctively put out a hand, stopping himself before he did. He opted for a simple bow before returning to his full height.

“This is my husband, Shining Armor,” she said, gesturing to the stallion beside her. “He helps me rule over the Crystal Empire when he can.”

“A pleasure to meet you as well, sir,” Tinnidas said in a voice he recognized as his old soldier voice. He also found himself saluting the Captain of the Royal Guard out of muscle memory.

“While I’ve never seen that type of salute before, it’s good to see somepony with proper form,” Shining Armor complimented. Tinnidas felt his body relax after hearing what the stallion said.

“Please,” Princess Cadance said, “follow us inside the castle.”

Tinnidas started walking again, staying by Twilight’s side as he leaned down to whisper in her ear with a chuckle, “I’m still not giving my hopes up.” She chuckled back, trying to stifle her laughter as they continued walking.

The castle had a unique design to it, one that Tinnidas found most peculiar. The bottom of the castle was open except for the four legs upon which the castle rested. There was also a floating, blue, crystalline heart that was suspended in the air by two spikes. Tinnidas guessed some kind of magic held the heart in place.

The castle was built more like a raised hut than a castle, but it gave it a lavish look. Each of the legs of the castle had two doors that went inside, and he found himself headed toward one of the sets of doors. The guards at the doors opened them, letting the princesses and Tinnidas in. Upon entering, he saw two sets of stairs that went in opposite directions, both leading upwards to the main part of the castle. They went up the stairs, circling around to reach the first floor of the castle.

Like almost everything Tinnidas had seen in The Empire, the floor was made of crystal. A large table sat at the center of the room. There were bookshelves along some of the walls, as well as chairs and small tables for someone to relax. Princess Cadance led everyone to the large table, telling them to take a seat. Tinnidas pulled out a chair for Twilight, taking a seat next to her. He noticed just how shiny the table was, finding not a speck of dirt upon it.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I invited you to The Games, Tinnidas,” Princess Cadance said aloud. “I’ve heard about your more medieval aspects, and the Crystal Ponies come from a time one thousand years in the past. I also heard you might be stuck here for a while, so I thought this might show you that you can fit in.”

“Well, I’ve found your empire rather charming so far. Hopefully, the ponies here can be equally so.”

“I also have to confess,” she continued, “I really wanted to meet you. You are unlike anypony we’ve ever had in The Empire before.”

“I also look forward to getting to know you,” Tinnidas returned with a smile.

“I really think you’ll enjoy the Equestria Games, and I hope you’ll get some fun out of it.” Wiggling an eyebrow, she said, “Maybe you’ll even want to compete.”

He chuckled, finding the princess far more friendly than he had expected. “Probably not, I’m afraid—but I do thank you for the offer.”

“We assume we shall be joining you during The Games?” Princess Luna asked Princess Cadance.

“Of course. I do want Tinnidas by my side, however.”

That got a gasp from everyone in the room, including Tinnidas himself.

“Are you sure?” Shining Armor questioned. “No offense to you, Tinnidas, but we just barely met you. To have a near-stranger by the Princess of the Crystal Empire would be dangerous.”

“I can handle my own, Shiny,” Princess Cadance hummed. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“I assure you,” Tinnidas said, laying a hand over his heart, “your wife will be safe.” That seemed to be all Shining Armor needed, because he laid back in his chair with a nod.

Princess Cadance stood up. “Now that that’s all settled, we should get ready for your friends to arrive, Twilight. Everypony else, we’ll see you at The Games.”

With that, everyone split into different groups, Twilight saying goodbye to the royal sisters as they left. Shining Armor left to oversee the preparations for The Games, leaving Twilight, Princess Cadance, and Tinnidas alone.

“Spike should be arriving any minute.” Princess Cadance started towards the stairs. “Let’s go outside to greet him.”

“Spike?” Tinnidas inquired.

“You’ll see,” she ambiguously answered, trotting ahead.

Shrugging his shoulders, he decided to follow the two mares back underneath the castle. The three sat there for a moment, the floating heart catching his eye again.

“So what’s this thing?” Tinnidas asked, pointing to the shiny heart.

“That’s the Crystal Heart,” Princess Cadance answered. “It keeps the Crystal Ponies happy and protects us from the harsh weather outside The Empire.”

Tinnidas could tell a lie when he heard one, and he could tell the princess was lying. He could tell from just how cheery and high her voice suddenly became, giving it right away. Seeing as how he did not want to offend her, he decided to let it go—but not without taking notice. As he heard the sound of approaching hoofsteps, he turned his head, spotting two guards carrying Spike in a chair.

The poor dragon seemed frightened, and when the guards ran up to them, letting him down. he instead fell out of the chair, flopping onto the ground.

“Spike!” Twilight called. “Are you alright?

“A thousand pardons, O Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious,” one of the Crystal Guards apologized.

Pulling himself from the ground, Spike scratched his head before asking, “Huh? Who the what now?”

“Thanks for bringing Spike to us,” Princess Cadance told the guards, who turned around and trotted away. She wrapped a hoof around him before he could walk away. “It's okay, Spike. We'll have our hoofponies go back for your bags.”

“Uh,” Spike said as they started to head towards the castle doors, “can they hang back a second and tell me what's going on first?”

Spike soon found himself lying on a couch, getting fed gems while a pony fanned him.

“So the ponies here think I'm some kind of hero, huh?” He looked up at the mare feeding him gems. “More of the green ones, please? I like the green ones.”

“Last time you were here,” Twilight started, “you got the Crystal Heart to Princess Cadance in time to save this entire empire from destruction!”

Princess Cadance explained to Tinnidas, “That was when the Crystal Empire first appeared. We needed the Crystal Heart to protect us from the stuff outside The Empire.”

She turned back to Spike. “You are known throughout my empire as ‘Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious.’”

“Isn't that awesome?” Twilight exclaimed, walking over to the small balcony next to her. Spike got up from his couch, going over to the balcony. “You're a big shot here, Spike! See that?” She pointed down at a crystal sculpture of him holding the Crystal Heart. “That's you!”

“Wow,” Tinnidas said to himself as he looked down at the pristine sculpture. He had no idea that Spike was famous in the Crystal Empire. But to be fair, he did not know much about the Crystal Empire at all.

“This is why we all hope you do us the honor of lighting the torch at the opening ceremony,” Princess Cadance said. “You'd be the very first dragon in the history of the Equestria Games to do so.”

“Of course I'll do it! And—bonus—I can do it with my fire breath!” Spike let out a small stream of green fire, accidentally charring the leaf a stallion was fanning him with. He laughed nervously.

“Rest up, you three! I’ll see you tomorrow at The Games!”

Tinnidas tidied up his armor, making sure it was spotless. Looking in the mirror, he carefully drew his sword, inspecting it. Seeing a speck of dirt, he took a small, white cloth and rubbed it off. He angled his blade around some more, happy to find the rest of it clean. He put it back in its sheath, setting the cloth down on the dresser in front of him. Looking up at the clock on the wall, he realized it was time to go. He drank the glass of water next to him, setting it back down before heading for the door. He unlocked it and then went out into the hall.

Closing the door behind him, he looked down the hall, spotting Twilight coming out of her room at the same time. She instantly spotted him, waiting for him to reach her. She started along the purple-ish pink carpet on the floor, Tinnidas walking next to her.

“Are you ready to watch the Equestria Games for the first time?”

“I suppose,” he replied. “I am a fan of competition. This will likely be no different. I’m not too excited about facing more ponies, though.”

“I know they haven’t been too nice to you in the past, but the Crystal Empire has been gone for a thousand years. The ponies here would still think you aren’t a pony, but you’d fit in with their culture. They’re still trying to get used to the modern world.”

“As am I. The fact you have so many luxuries is astounding.”

They went down the stairs that exited the castle, finding themselves feeling the crisp air. Twilight led the way, taking him through the streets of The Empire. Tinnidas walked tall, having given his hopes up—despite his intentions not to. He hoped this place would be different, hopefully, more accepting of him.

As he went through the streets, the Crystal Ponies instantly spotted his hulking form, but they did not recoil like he was afraid they would. No, they instead smiled—however awkward it was—and gave him a wave. He smiled back, nodding his head to say hello. Tinnidas’s steps became more confident, giving him the boost in attitude he needed. The Crystal Ponies actually seemed to tolerate him. Their princess even seemed to like him. Maybe the princesses were right; maybe the Crystal Empire would be a good place for him.

The two exited the city streets, a massive stadium coming into view. It was built in the shape of a hexagon that resembled a gemstone and was at least a hundred feet high. As far as stadiums go, it was the largest Tinnidas had ever seen. There were ponies everywhere, all of them waiting in line to get into the stadium. He could see some with crystal coats while others had normal ones. He also saw some ponies that looked more like the traditional horses he knew from Azeroth. All of them had come to the Crystal Empire to watch the Equestria Games.

“I guess this is a pretty popular event,” Tinnidas whispered to Twilight.

“Ponies come from all over Equestria to watch. The Games last a few days, and almost every city in Equestria competes to get the most medals. I’ll be rooting for Ponyville, and I think we have a pretty good shot at winning the whole thing this year!”

“They’ll have my support as well then,” he told her.

Twilight looked up at him, smiling. He returned the look before looking back ahead, entering through an archway into a separate entrance into the stadium. Two Crystal Guards were waiting, both moving out of the way for them. As Twilight and Tinnidas went past, the two guards turned, closing the entrance after they went through. They went down a dimly-lit hallway, the end of the hall diverging into two paths.

“Princess Cadance should be waiting for you down the right path,” Twilight told Tinnidas.

“Are you not coming?” he asked.

“My seat’s on the left side, but I’ll still be near you.”

“Alright. I’ll see you soon then.” He waved her goodbye, watching as she went to the left, disappearing out of his sight. Tinnidas started down the right side, finding the hallway even darker than the last. The hallway was also very quiet, the only sound being the metal clicking of his boots. He saw a faint light at the end of the hall, spotting a set of stairs there. He kept on walking, excited to talk more with Princess Cadance.

That thought disappeared from his mind as he heard the sound of magic activating. He whipped his head around, his reaction too slow to stop the magic flying at him. It connected directly with his neck, throwing him through the air against a wall, pinning him. Two Royal Guards stepped out from the shadows, watching him struggle against their magical grip.

“We’ve got our eyes on you,” one of them hissed, taking one step closer to him.

“You best leave the princesses unharmed.” The other guard thrust his spear forward, stopping it right at Tinnidas’s throat. “Or else we’ll make sure you never get the chance to again.”

“Do you understand?” the first guard snarled.

Tinnidas nodded, trying to get air into his lungs. The guards’ horns deactivated, their spell stopping. He dropped to the ground, barely catching himself from slamming his head on the stone floor. He gagged, getting much-needed oxygen as he coughed. Eyes red, he looked down the hall at the two guards who walked away snickering, feeling rage flow through him. He balled one hand into a fist, the other reaching behind his back for his sword. He gripped the handle, slowly starting to pull it from its sheath. His eyes narrowed as he stared down his prey, about to—He stopped himself, not knowing what he was thinking.

Getting hold of himself, he carefully lowered his sword back into its sheath before standing up. He rubbed his neck, watching the two guards leave the hall. He shook his head, feeling it throb. He laughed at himself, finding it funny that he believed things were perfect, even for a moment.

“All good things must come to an end… I guess.”

He took a minute to collect himself before continuing down the hall. He found his posture again, plastering on a smile as he ascended the stairs. He started to hear the roar of thousands of ponies cheering. The sound got louder and louder as he got closer to the top of the stairs, finally hearing it clearly as he reached the last step. He looked down, seeing the large field beneath all the seats. Just like the stadium, the field was shaped like a gemstone.

He turned his head, seeing Twilight and the royal sisters sitting in majestic chairs that had their Cutie Marks at the top. He spotted Princess Cadance, making his way over to her. She saw him approaching, smiling as she gestured towards the chair next to her. While it was not as splendid as hers, it looked rather comfortable. He squeezed through the undersized rows of seats to get to her, taking his place in the seat beside her. She turned her body to face him, leaning over one of her legrests to look at him.

“What took you so long?” she asked. “I thought you and Twilight came here together?”

“We did. I just took an extra minute before heading up here,” he answered, not mentioning his encounter with the guards.

“Well, I’m glad you came.”

The sound of trumpets rang through the air, everyone turning their attention to the field.

“Ooh!” The crowd cheered loudly, waving their flags around. “The ceremony is about to start!” she said to him.

“Now,” Shining Armor shouted from the field, “please welcome the delegation from Ponyville!”

Tinnidas watched as two fillies put up a circular hoop with the banner of Ponyville on it. Another filly burst through the hoop while riding a scooter, Rainbow Dash flying out past her. Fluttershy came out, and then a large, bulky stallion came after her. A grey mare with a blonde mane came out last as some of the crowd roared for their town. Tinnidas could see Twilight cheering just as much as her friends, chuckling as he watched her display.

The filly on the scooter put Ponyville’s flag into the ground next to the others, scooting away to join the rest of the delegation. More trumpets rang as Princess Cadance leaned toward Tinnidas again.

“Spike’s about to light the torch.”

“I forgot to ask what the torch actually is,” Tinnidas said back to her.

“The Equestrian Torch is lit each time The Games is held to begin the competition. I wanted Spike to do it for us this year.”

Tinnidas looked down at the grandeur torch that looked more like an arcane artifact, watching as Spike slowly climbed the ladder to the top of the torch. The crowd quiet, Tinnidas watched the tiny dragon rear back, but he did not see any fire come out of the dragon’s mouth. Tinnidas leaned forward, squinting his eyes to see better.

“What’s wrong?” Princess Cadance asked aloud.

“I think he can’t light the torch,” he whispered to her. “Something must be wrong with his fire breath.” For what seemed like eternity, Spike stood at the top of the ladder, trying to light the torch.

She turned to one of the nearby guards, saying, “Somepony go down and help him!”

Tinnidas recognized the guard to be one of the ones who attacked him in the hall. He felt anger flood through him again as his face contorted into a look of hatred, but he took a deep breath and slowly calmed himself. He looked back down at poor Spike, watching him struggle. Then, the torch instantly burst into flames, and the crowd cheered once again.

“Let The Games…” Shining Armor shouted to everyone, “begin!”

Tinnidas turned to the princess. She leaned her head down to hear him.

“I know I have a reputation of being a dangerous monster,” he started, “but I want you to know that you’re not in any danger.”

“You don’t have to prove anything to me, Tinnidas,” she kindly whispered back. “Your reputation doesn’t matter to me, only what you do.”

“Why, thank you, Princess Cadance,” Tinnidas said, genuinely smiling.

“Please,” she said, “call me Cadance.”

“Thank you, Cadance,” he repeated, saying just her name that time.

Tinnidas looked back down at the field where ponies gathered as they got into positions. A fence had been set up along the field, and ponies had started putting on armor. Shining Armor stood atop a platform, a formation of guards behind him. With the blast of some of their trumpets, the stadium listened to him.

“As always, the first event shall be jousting!” he shouted, the crowd anxious to watch. “In the first round, we have Flintlock from Appleloosa going against Sir Hoofington of Canterlot.” The two ponies grabbed their lances from their helpers and started trotting over to the fence.

“My bet would be on Sir Hoofington.”

Tinnidas rubbed his chin as he looked down at the two ponies. One seemed bulkier than the other, but he knew that was not always an indicator of who was stronger. He also knew jousting required precision, not just muscle.

“My money’s on Flintlock,” he told Cadance after a moment.

“Really?” she asked in shock. “Sir Hoofington’s been the champion for the past three years, and he’s the favorite to win. You think Flintlock has a chance to win?”

“Indeed I do. He may look thin and old, but I know a fighter when I see one.”

“I guess we’ll see then,” she finished with, leaning forward in her seat as she looked down at the two ponies getting into stance. The stadium went silent as everyone waited for the horn that would start the joust to blow. Sir Hoofington wore an arrogant smile as if he knew he was going to win. Flintlock, on the other hand, had a focused expression as he stared down his opponent. He ground his hoof into the ground as he found purchase. His eyes narrowed in on Hoofington’s chest as he took a deep breath.

The blaring sound of the horn went through the air, both Hoofington and Flintlock shooting into action. The earth ponies charged toward one another, lifting their lances to aim. Tinnidas watched in suspense as the two ponies came within striking distance. Hoofington kept his aim, his lance headed towards Flintlock’s chest. Flintlock slowed his charge, causing Hoofington’s strike to go in front of him. Flintlock then pushed his own lance the last of the way, slamming into Hoofington’s face guard. The reigning champion stumbled back, his legs giving out as he collapsed to the ground, his lance bouncing on the dirt. Flintlock slowed, prancing the rest of the way to the other end of the track as he heard the crowd cheer for him. He removed his helmet, giving it to his helper.

“Wha… H-how?” Cadance sputtered, dumbfounded by what she had just witnessed.

Tinnidas snickered, finding the princess’s face quite amusing. Seeing her jaw hanging open as she sat with wide eyes brought a smile to his face.

“I told you,” he practically sang.

The two laughed together for a while before they kept watching the competition for the rest of the day, commenting about everything happening. From the outside, it would look like the two had known each other for years, but that was far from the truth. The events went on for hours until Shining Armor gave the guards a signal to blow the day's closing notes.

“Thank you all for coming to the first day of the Equestria Games! Tomorrow will open with fencing.” He then delivered one last message to the crowd. “Have a great rest of your day!”

Tinnidas stood up from his chair, Cadance doing so as well. He walked with her as they exited the stadium, thinking the entire time. Once they got outside, he stopped, Cadance stopping as well.

“Do you think I could fence in The Games tomorrow?”

“You want to join one of the events?”

“Yep,” he answered with a nod.

“I know you wear armor and all,” she said, “but are you sure you want to compete with some of the greatest fencers in Equestria? I said you might want to compete, but I didn’t mean something so dangerous.”

“Trust me, I know what I’m doing,” he answered her.

“If you say so,” she whispered, continuing their walk. They both reached the castle, which was where they would go separate ways.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” he asked, actually looking forward to spending more time with the princess.

“Of course,” she happily replied. “I wouldn’t want to miss your performance.”

“Well, I’ll see you then. Have a great night, and tell Shining Armor I wish him my best.

“I will,” she finished. She started toward one of the sets of doors, waving Tinnidas goodnight. He waved back, watching her go out of sight. He quickly went inside and to his room, surprised not to find Twilight. Despite it still being somewhat early in the night, he decided he would get some rest. Besides, he would need it the next day when he showed Cadance just how skilled he could be with a sword.

As he laid down in his bed, his mind wandered back to the two guards who assaulted him. They were fools to meddle with something much more dangerous than them…