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Chapters

Prologue: A cackle in the dark
Chapter 1: A Brush in the Woods
Chapter 2: Nightmares

Prologue: A cackle in the dark

If you're going through hell, keep going.

~ Winston Churchill

The draconequus sits on the throne of the abyss he calls home. He shifts in his throne uncomfortably as he lies there waiting for the chance of escape from his eternal prison.

“Another day in this wretched prison. Carelessly thrown in here like a broken doll to the dogs.” The beast summons a bottle and drinks it dry. “ A princess of peace and harmony condemns me to be locked stone, twice! You'd think she’d at least be more original the second time.” He let’s go of the bottle as it evaporates into thin air. “Well at least she left me some powers, but peering into Equestria seems more of a punishment then a gift. It only let’s me see how utterly boring the world is” He raises his hand. “But I might as well check what my little ponies are doing anyways.” As he waves his hands in a spherical motion an orb of purple energy appears. The misty ball clarifies into a picture of a group of fillies playing in a field. “Life as always, boring, nothing interesting ever happens without me.” He stands from his chair and it disappears behind him. “I do not deserve to be here! I am Discord!” The orb picture changes to a town being ravaged by freak natural disasters. “ This is closer to what my world would be like, but noooo Celestia had to keep everything ‘normal’, and what’s worse I’m only here because of her lackeys. Six little ponies, Weak and feeble, not only resist, but overtake me as well! I am the god of chaos, not a weakling to be defeated! I will not stand for this! I will escape this infernal rock!”

With the anger of his imprisonment festering in his mind, he contemplated a way out. “I’m the god of chaos and I can’t even get out of a statue!” He summons a table and slams his fist into it causing it to creek and whine. “The idea I could be held down in stone is implausible. Nothing is escape proof.” Then an idea emerges into his mind. “If I can’t break out of my prison, maybe I can break into a new world?” With a crazed sneer plastered on his face, he takes his claw in rips through the air.

A portal of blue light opens where his claw was a moment before. “You think you can hold me down Celestia. I’ll be back, and this time with a few new friends” With that he steps through Laughing maniacally.

*********

“ Are you mad?!”

“Why yes I am.” Retorted Discord calmly.

Five ponies and Discord are standing in a ruined castle as if holding a meeting. They surround a table with various nonsensical document strewn across it, as if a baby had smacked a keyboard with a writing program running.

“We covered this a few minutes ago, Heinz.” sighed a gray stallion with his hair in a bun to the white unicorn. He was growing tired of the silence that they sat in, and was glad to speak.

“Ich weiß, du und wissen der Mensch. Es war für Betonung.”

“What did you say to me, German?” The black unicorn was agitated. He felt that talking so none understand is as bad as insulting him behind his back, and for all he knew he just did.

“If I didn’t fight alongside your kin I'd kill you where you stand.” Heinz said getting into his face.

“I’d like to see you try.” The gray unicorn levitated two katanas in a battle stance in preparation for Heinz.

The stark white unicorn stepped back a bit from the samurai. He hadn’t had expected him to retaliate so, severely.

“Don’t be killing each other now,” The deep voice of the American marine rang out like thunder, “ Although I might want to kill this german as well.” He said with a sarcastic smile.

“Quit the act. We all know you're a cowardly traitor.” said the Samurai shortly.

The green earth pony took a step back, but still replied, “Well at least I don’t keep my hair in a girl’s Braid.”

A purple pegasus flew just above the army pony, “What’s wrong with women, you pompous jarhead,” the she retorted as she started to fly above the round table. She really enjoyed her newfound wings. They granted an amazing feeling of freedom.

The stallion with the bright red mane, Heinz, shifted slightly to find something to say in the ever growing insanity, but his train of thought was derailed by the draconequus .“Will you all shut up! You’re all going to give me a migraine.” Everypony turned to Discord.

“Not till you explain what’s happening.” The ex-CIA pegasus said flying up to Discord’s face. “Like what these marks on our butts are.”

“Those are cutie marks and for future reference that is your flank” He said while picking up the pegasus and dropping her back into her place. At his current size he stood about four times as tall as the rest of the ponies in the room.

The black unicorn looked discord in the eyes and said “And what are these ‘cutie marks’ .”

Discord looked to the misfit group of soldiers, questioning why in the world he picked them, “They are, Mr.Daichi, your talent. Every pony has one, but I haven’t the time to explain further”

The entire group looked up to him in disbelief. All they had been doing for the last hour was nothing. He acted as if he had too much time.

Heinz decided it was time for answers. “So why are we here in the first place?” demanded the german.

“You did see me rip you out of your normal dimension and time and put you into this place right?”

Heinz’s anger was festering, but he held it back. He understood full well that who or whatever this thing was it was immensely powerful. He was the equivalent of a god here and the way he put he was one. The god of chaos and madness and Heinz very much enjoyed his sanity, “I meant why you did that.” He said holding back a yell from the idiotic dragon thing.

Discord looked towards Heinz. “Oh that. Well you’re here to wreak havoc. You see I really hate this place.”

“Then why are you here.” grumbled the American.

“Oh shut up, Hugo! He meant the world not the castle. You really are an idiot aren’t you Hugo” Shouted the pegasus. She then proceeded to ask another question. “Secondly, where are we?”

Discord flicked something from his finger as if bored of the conversation. “This is the origin of my demise.”

Hugo scratched his head, “Well ,that’s a little cryptic.” said Hugo looking extremely confused.

Discord looked angrily at the less than bright american.“This was the last resting place of the Elements of Harmony. Fabled items of power. Sent me to a prison of stone. Ring any bells”

The group surveyed the old, broken down castle. “This is where the Elements of Harmony were kept?” asked an even more puzzled Hugo. He hated riddles, jokes, people who make jokes, and clowns. This thing was a combination of all those thing.

“No, Hugo, this is where they were hidden. This would be the last place you would look for such fabled items of power.” answered the purple pegasus appalled by hugo’s ignorance.

“You are correct, Flare” says Discord finally feeling like he picked at least one intelligent mind.

The final pony looked out from his deep purple hood and began to speak, “Can we end the pleasantries?” sneered Vex “and tell us why the hell we’re here”

“Be respectful in front of your commander” barked Daichi.

He looked to the samurai “I didn’t volunteer for this, and I don’t follow you ‘honor bound’ leadership code. I’m a mercenary. A hitman. What I do is kill for coin. ” Vex looked back up to Discord “Just tell me what to do, I’ll do it then put me back. That’s all I want. Being in a place filled with brightly colored, magical ponies,” He said the last word with disgust, “ doesn’t quite fill me with, what’s the word, glee.”

“To answer Vex’s question,” Discord said ignoring the last half of vex’s speech, “you are here to raise an army. Then proceed to take control of Equestria. Try to keep most towns in one piece, no point in ruling when everything is destroyed.” He chuckled, “You each will command your own army or work by yourselves. I truly don’t care how you do it just get it done.”

Flare looked at him suspiciously, “what's the catch? With your type of power you would have done this by now.”

“Well you’ll have to deal with the ponies who defeated me, witch is no easy task.” He burned with the memory. “but you will have the Knowledge and the technology from each of your times, and you lack my one flaw,” Discord paused, “my weakness to harmony. I am literally the embodiment of all things chaotic. There for harmony, my opposite, is the only thing capable of subduing me.”

“And how are we to ‘raise an army’?” questioned Heinz.

“Well that is entirely up to you. Be it dark, underhanded, or just plain evil I don’t care. Actually I would encourage it”

Vex looked up to Discord smiling at himself and the plans he now held in his mind “Well this should be fun”

***

A chill runs down the Princess’ back, as she feels some type of disturbance. Something unnatural. Something that shouldn’t, no couldn’t be.

She looks to Luna at the far side of the throne room distress on her face. “Luna do you

feel that?”

Luna seems to be snapped out of a trance. She shakes her head “Yes, I do. It’s strange”

Celestia tries to interpret the wave of energy but it seems otherworldly, completely alien even to her.“I can’t tell what it is, can you?”

“No. That alone is” She pauses to think, “unsettling”

Celestia nods to her sister.

Before more could be said the massive throne room doors burst open. A sweaty brown earth pony comes in. He seemed to have run all the way up for even his green tie was drenched in sweat.

“ Celestia, Luna! We have bad news!” he pauses huffing. “I thought I was is shape” he panted under his breath.

Celestia looked to the pony before them amused, but the feeling quickly fades, “Yes Doctor, we know something’s wrong, but what is even beyond us” They had gotten used to the Doctors outbursts. He always seemed to be around when there was trouble. He was like a magnet to disaster, or disaster was a magnet for him.

A smile creeps on the Doctor’s face “Well I might be able to help” He turns his head to the door. He stops and calls “Ditzy come in here.” He looked absolutely bubbling with knowledge, trying to hold it in for the right time. The princesses had learned that his favorite pastime was babbling about things most didn’t comprehend.

The light gray pegasus walks in with a scroll of paper in her mouth “Hmf mumf mumf” She spits the scroll onto a table. “I mean, yes Doctor.”

“Thank you Ditzy” The Doctor rolls out the sheet of paper and waits for the royal sisters to get close. “A trans dimensional rift opened and closed itself right about here” pointing to a dot on the map. “and here” Pointing to another place. “This boggles my mind. This should be almost impossible” He say’s this almost to himself. He looks back to the princesses. “A trans dimensional rift is basically a hole where a pathway between two dimensions are formed. Not only is that extremely hard to do, but also dangerous if not done correctly. It’s like the dimensions are like a big thing of glass and the rift is made by throwing a rock through the glass. Eventually it shatters, but you could go around the glass. That takes such an immense amount of energy it’s almost impossible, but whoever did this did that. Whatever we’re up against is very powerful.”

Taking a closer look at the map Celestia realizes something. “It opened in the royal garden, and” she stops “the ancient castle”

Luna looks to her sister confused “Why would they open at the castle, sister?”

Pondering this herself she answered “I don’t know. It would depend on what they’re doing”

The doctor clears his throat “There is still more. You see the one in the garden opened first. Three hours later the second appeared. After they opened they closed themselves up almost instantaneously, after of course the beings passed through.”

“Do you know who, or what did this Doctor?” asked Luna

“Um” He pauses embarrassed “No. I did do a scan though. They appear to be ponies, but have subtle differences. One of them however matched no description of magical creatures or ponies I could find. They don’t make sense because ,If my hunch is, right they shouldn't even exist in this dimension.”

“Go on Doctor what’s your guess?”

“Well you know I’m not from here, right celestia” He seemed to be beating around the bush. Unsure whether to tell them

“Yes. It’s not hard to tell”

“Well I’m not even from your dimension”

“Go on”

“I’m from a place where the common evolutionary path was, well to be blunt, apes.”

“Apes?” asked Luna

“Yes I said apes. Hairless sentient apes. Much like ponies actually. Asides from different shapes and the lack of magic you and them are very similar”

Celestia pondered on this “I see, but If they are like us what is the threat?”

“Not all of them are peaceful. Unlike you they are prone to war and bloodshed, but they always found a way to survive.”

Luna was puzzled by all this. “So how did they get here. Obviously it’s possible because here you stand. Also if there apes there, why ponies here”

The doctor thought about the questions. “Well I’m a pony because of something called regeneration. My TARDIS scanned the surrounding area found the most earth like planet and well basically downloaded your genetic structure into my D.N.A. Why they are ponies, though, is beyond me. How they got here is also a mystery. It would take tremendous power to do it. Is there any being on this planet that strong?”

A sudden realization struck Celestia. She knew who it was. “Luna get the guards, I think we’ll have problems soon.”

***

The doors once again crash open to the throne room. A dark gray pegasus, almost the color of storm clouds, limps into the room. His left, hind leg, chest and face are all cut. His black mane ruined by the wind. “Celestia...” He falls to the floor before finishing.

It took a minute to register what was happening. She walked over to the stallion “Thunderclap, you overworked yourself again” Celestia concentrates and heals him with her magic. “Thunderclap what happened?”

Thunder's eyes open. He’s weak but the magic was still flowing through him, giving him strength. “Baltamare has fallen”

“Fallen, fallen to who? Who would attack us?”

He feels stronger now. The magic of the alicorn was strong. “We don’t know, but they had strange weapons that let even earth ponies attack from afar. it was an absolute massacre. Only are best pegasi and unicorns could even touch them.”

Celestia looked sadly at Thunderclap. “it worse than I thought.” She puts her full attention back to Thunderclap. “Thunderclap have you regained your strength?”

He stands and taps his once injured leg on the floor. “I think so”

“Good, I need you to lead a war party into the Everfree”

“A war party? Why? We haven’t had a war in equestria for over a hundred years.”

“I’ll explain later. Just be prepared for more of the soldiers you fought before”

“Yes ma'am. I’ll assemble the party”He trots away with determination in his eyes.

Celestia walks to the window and looks up to the bright moon. She sends a flare up. Several minutes later Luna flies down to the balcony.

“Yes sister, you needed me?”

“ Luna I have discovered what has truly happened. The ponies who came from ‘another dimension’ were here for conquest.”

“But there were so few of them. How could they do any harm.”

“They must have recruited some ponies, but the fact that there were so few means that not all of their kind wanted to do this. Which sadly only improves on my growing suspicion.”

“What are you suggesting sister?” Luna asked hoping it wasn’t what she thought.

“We are going to bring one here. We do not stand a chance alone. We do not know are enemies”

Being confirmed in what she really already knew, she started to protest “ No this is a bad idea. Bringing one of them here will just strengthen them! We can’t trust the pony we bring here.”

“We will take one with sympathy. With a good hart. Most importantly a strong will. For I fear he’ll need it. He will be the only person who can teach us to defend against, or even use their weapons.”

“You are right sister, but I still don’t like it. I fear for the worst”

“I know, but we must do it. We are the only with the power to do it.” She sighs “Sister join our strength.”

They cross their horns and they start to glow. They rise floating to the ceiling. Gathering their strength they let out a beam of gold light. They both fall panting. The spell took most of their combined strength.

Luna panted “Where did you send it sister?”

Panting she answered. “To a place where he’ll find guidance.”

Joseph Malburg:

one thing that i thought u could do is maybe put a little more detail on the group of evil guys like people wouldnt even understand who they are really.

Joseph Malburg:

_Marked as resolved_

Joseph Malburg:

_Re-opened_

Joseph Malburg:

basically by that i mean theres little discription in the antagonists.

Joseph Malburg:

preeeeety nice i suppose

Joseph Malburg:

there are 1 or 2 spelling errors and some wrong words like "witch" instead of "which" but other than that its pretty very nice

Chapter 1: A Brush in the Woods

Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.

– C. S. Lewis

I came skidding to a stop in a brightly lit forest. My mind felt mushed and smashed like you if you had just got off a particularly fast amusement park ride. I tried to think where I was only a moment before. It seemed so distant, like a dream. I could remember farther back. About a week before I had taken a family outing to a restaurant, but I couldn’t remember anything about today or yesterday.

Still groggy, I try to stand. I was able to for a second, but my balance fails and I fall backwards.

That’s strange why can I stand. Maybe I’m just dizy. I rolled over, and I saw a hoof, where my hand should have been. “Gaa! Where is my hand” I sit up mind racing. Hooves! Maybe, no that’s ridiculous. I look at my feet hoping it was a trick. Maybe I had imagined it. I check my feet and to my dismay they were also hooves. In shock I let out a whiny. I cover my mouth. “Good Lord, I’m a horse!” I try to stand with my new legs, but they spread apart like a newborn foals. I fall once again. Who knew standing could be so hard? I try one more time and I get it. Wobbly, but it will do for now. Then I realized something strange. I could still talk.

I let out another whiny “Okay I’m a talking horse in the middle of the forest. Maybe its a dream. That’s it, just a dream.” I was muttering like a madman by then.I bend down and bit some skin on my leg. I felt the pain, but didn’t wake up. I felt like I was in a mixed up Gulliver's Travels.

“You have got to be kidding me. This has to be a dream! This is impossible” I wobble over to a nearby stream and look in. I see a deep blue unicorn, with a blond mane looking back at me.“I’m a unicorn! And a blue one at that. Good thing I like blue, but still how does any of this make sense.”

I decide I might as well treat this world as real for the time being. I walk in a circle till I feel a bit more sucur on my legs. Once I do I walk further into the woods.

I wasn’t completely lost. I knew a thing or two about surviving, all be it from Survivor Man. I was walking down stream. If there was any intelligent life nearby they’d be down stream, I just hoped they didn’t eat horse. I didn’t, however, know too much about horses. I knew they were herbivores and they were fast, but other then that not much.

I felt a distinct sense of pride when I got a rhythm about walking with four legs. It was funny, I thought I was going mad, but found pride in walking.

The woods were silent aside from the occasional bird chirp. Everything seemed brighter than it did back in the real world, like life here was fuller. The leaves were greener, the flowers brighter. My mind came back to me when I stepped on a branch.

I look up to see a clearing in the woods. Once again the grass was greener there then in my world.

Suddenly a crash a lightning broke through the silence. I heard shouting and what sounded like gunshots. What’s happening. Hoping no one sees me, I ducked under a bush and watched the battle. I saw more ponies fighting each other. One side with spears and melee weapons. The other clothed in modern kevlar armour and guns. They were still losing.

Pegasi, or at least what I thought were pegasi, would swoop down and attack them in close range. The unicorns casted magic helping them, or harming the enemy.

It was,honestly, an amazing spectacle. The unicorn magic running across the field making a beautiful rainbow of colors. The pegasi made trails of various things as they fly, but this was a battle no matter how you put it. There would be death, but I digress.

My mind was scrambled. I was bewildered by the things taking place before my eyes. More of them! Where am I? My mind was a mess with questions and no answers.I look up to see a pegasus on a storm cloud.The dark gray pegasus stomps on the cloud electrocuting many of the opposing forces. He had a righteous anger in his face.

“You will not conquer us! We will defend against you vile ponies!” Jumping from the cloud he lands a sturdy kick to one unicorns jaw. “Die you bastards!”

The flame in his eyes was truly terrifying, but behind the face I saw horror as well. He didn’t want to kill, but he knew he had to.

One unicorns levitated a small Glock and fired hitting his leg. The armour absorbed some of the shock, but still went through, “Gaa!” He lets out a scream, but keeps going, “Keep fighting men! Kill these invaders!”

He was strong, incredibly so. He still fought even though he was injured. On top of that he fought with the same, if not more, zealous anger. It was truly a spectacle.

I felt a sudden urge to help them. I didn’t know why. I mean why should I have helped him. I didn’t know him, he was just a pony in a world I still thought a dream.

I get up anyways, but stop myself. Don’t go out there. You’ll get killed. I continued to argue with myself. But I have to do something! No you don’t. just let them die. I decide to ignore my, most likely, correct self and help.

I see one of the fallen soldiers glock. I concentrate my energy. If they can levitate things I can too. It flew to me, surrounded by a blue aura. I was absolutely astounded by it. I had just used magic. I was filled with a type of child like glee, but it fades as the battle jolts me back to the real world.

I collected myself and aimed a careful shot. It rips through one of the unicorns chest. The glee was gone.

Good Lord I just killed someone. I really wasn’t a soldier or a fighter and at that moment I knew it wasn’t a dream. The closest thing I had ever done to being in the military was that I had been in the coast guard for a year.

My heart pounded quickly. A steady thump thump. I breath deeply and slow down my heart. I take my second shot, this time they noticed.

An enemy soldier shouts to his companions “We’re being flanked!” There attention was diverted, but sadly to me.

The gray pegasus, apparently the commander of his side, shouts out “We have reinforcements prepare to charge!”

Good lord what have I done. I see a lance about as long as my body lying next to me on the ground. I levitate it to my side. To my surprize it collapses into itself. I flick it with my magic and it extends again. Tapping it on a small stump I find it’s completely solid. “I guess magic can do more then levitate things”

I collapsed the lance. Levitating two things was like me trying to multitask. Your focus needed to be completely on one thing to use it well. I wait for the word from the commander.

“Charge”The battle was on. I set off running into the heart of the fray. My mother always said I lacked a sense of self preservation, I found then she was right. While running through the underbrush I trip and roll into the middle of the fray. I meant to be there, of course, but in a more composed manner.God damn it. I still can’t walk correctly.

A green pony, supposedly one of the invaders, was fighting a soldier. With a quick motion the he whips the soldier with the butt of his gun. The soldier falls unconscious, the attacker then turns around and stomps on his skull. My stomach turned as red splatters around the area.

He then turns to me. Raising his gun, which was held in his mouth. “Well hello. You don’t seem to be with either side, do you? Well It really doesn’t matter my order are to kill everypony” Aside from his voice being muffled you could understand him quite well. He looks back to me “Ahem. Now I’ll kill you quick. But don’t feel bad at least you're getting the honor to be killed by the great commander Hugo.”

I scoot back still not standing. “Why do you want to kill me? What have I done to you.”

“Nothing” he gives me an evil looking smile.

“Then why kill me?” I doubted my arguments would change his mind, but they would buy me time.

“I need to kill you because I was ordered to.”

I levitate the glock to the back of his head while we were talking. I smiled to myself. Now I’ve got you. I tap his head with it.

He whips around with a quick kick, knocking the gun out of my grasp. I needed to think fast. I look to my side and see my salvation. All I needed was a bit of time.

I used my lance and sweep his feet out from under him. His gun was also knocked out his mouth, but to my surprise he kicks up with ease.

He smirks and says “Nice try, but”

I interrupted him “You’ve still lost”

“What?” He looks, but it was too late. The gray pegasus gave him a flying kick with his hind legs, sending him reeling.

“You!” He stopped mid sentence and looked around. His entire squad was dead. Seeing his defeat he ran.“I’ll be back, and I’ll win next time.”

The pegasus flies after him, but Hugo kicks him square in the jaw. The commander is sent back doing an aerial flip and skids to a stop. “He’s got quite a kick” He smiles as he wipes off a bit of blood off his mouth.

A single unicorn approached and stood at attention. The gray pegasus nodded to his soldier. signaling permission to speak “Commander Thunderclap, do you require assistance with your wound sir?”

He looks to his leg as if he had never noticed the bullet hole in his armor “That would be wonderful.”

The unicorn walk off, probably finding the squads medical team.

Thunderclap stood up, and looks to me “And you.” His tone had dramatically changed to one of frustration, as he glared at me angrily. “You almost got yourself killed! The last thing I need is a dead civilian. That is a nightmare of a report. Not to mention your family and friends. The reason we’re here to keep civilians out of the fight.”

I back up finally standing, but gather myself and bark back, “I was trying to help, and I did.”

“How so? We had the battle under control.”

“Your ‘reinforcements’ that was me. I distracted their leader while you killed his men and I killed two of them myself” My words made my mouth go numb. I still hadn’t fully came to grips with my actions.

“Okay, I’ll give you the fact that you helped, but why are you even here? The Everfree is dangerous when we’re not fighting a war” What looked like a doctor came over. He wore a white doctor's coat and green tie. He removed the bullet and wrapped his wound. The bullet wound was quite shallow.

Thunderclap barely flinched. He was calm and strong. Like a statue. I still marveled at the ponies strength and endurance.

The doctor walked a bit and called to a light gray pegasus “Come on Ditzy, lets tend to the rest of the patients.” A gray pegasus followed behind him her eyes looking in different directions.

Thunderclap turns back to me. He looks at my side “A lance and shield.” He stops to think. “I see. Your cutie mark means bravery. To do what you just did it would have to be, or your extremely stupid.”

I look at him puzzled “My what?” I was already confused and his comment only gave me one more question.

He seemed more confused than I was “You don’t know what your cu-”

“Thunderclap! An urgent message from the Princess. I’m sorry, but it couldn’t wait” A soldier had suddenly interrupted our conversation.

Thunderclap nods to him and turns to me “I’ll be a moment. meet me in my tent in about half an hour, so we can continue our discussion.” He looks to the soldier who had interrupted us “ You’re on babysitting duty. Make sure our guest doesn’t leave.” With that he walks down to a crimson tent, that was put up surprisingly fast.

***

I just killed two people, or should I say ‘ponies’. How did I do that? I’ve never killed before, nor did I ever expect to. My mind was still racing with thoughts like these when an blue unicorn walked to my side.

“Okay sir, Thunderclap is ready to see you”

I was wondering that he had called me sir. I had only just gotten there. Maybe it was just normal practise. “Um, yes I’ll be there in a moment” Okay here I go. I walk into the crimsoned tent and sat on a small cushion. I was determined to get answers.

I cleared my throat nervously.“Hello commander Thunderclap. Permission to speak freely.” I tried to be respectful. I guess asking for permission was silly. I mean, I wasn’t part of their military.

He sat in silence. He was looking me over, which was honestly uncomfortable for obvious reasons.

I took this time to examine the pegasus as well. He was larger than most of them, all of it muscle. Along with that his wings were larger as well, as if adapting to the extra wait.

“I could see that you are not from around here Mr. ?”

“Aren Martin”

“Well, Aren, where are you from?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you”

He smirked as if he knew something I didn’t “Try me”

I wondered whether or not to tell him. I find that it really couldn’t hurt. “Well I’m from,” I stop pondering how to say it. The conversation was quickly turning very uncomfortable for me “Well honestly a place nothing like here.” I was dodging the question. I really didn’t want to talk about it.

“How so?”

“Just very different. A different world altogether. A different shape too. We aren’t ponies there. We do have ponies in the world though, but they’re not intelligent like you”

The news doesn’t even phase him. He just nodded and said “Okay. Well I believe you”

I didn’t expect him to believe me. I thought he’d call me a lunatic and throw me out. I’m honestly glad he didn’t “Say what now?”

“I believe you”

“But why? I mean I’m telling the truth, but it is a tad crazy. I barely believe it myself”

He smirks and says “I have my reasons”

I look at him suspiciously, but I decided to trust him. “Well what do I do now? I’m a fish out of water here.”

He looked at me “Well you're going to do what you think is right. you’ve got a whole new world of opportunities, literally.”

I look at him like he’s the crazy pony. “Alone, in the middle of the woods. I’ll be a bear’s lunch and what the heck do you mean ‘do what you think is right’ this isn’t some child's story book”

“Not quite.”

“What do you mean ‘not quite’. I couldn’t survive here without any guidance. I wouldn’t make it a few days in the middle of nowhere with little direction”

“I mean I’m going to come with you. It would be inhospitable to leave your guest to prepare his own food, so to speak”

“What? Why? You have your tropes to take care of. I couldn’t let you abandon them”

“No I don’t. These men were specifically assembled to fight the invaders in the Everfree. Each one is a trained soldier and commands their own squads.”

“The Everfree?”

“The Everfree Forest, it’s a place where ponies don’t rule. It’s wild, something rare in Equestria”

“Equestria?” I felt like a child just coming to school for the first time. It was degrading.

“You really don’t know anything, do you”

“I got here, I fell a few times then I found you. I’ve literally only been in this world for all of a few hours.”

“Okay,okay I’ll give you a rundown of the basics. We live in Equestria, most of our residences are ponies, we have some zebra and donkeys. Everyone has a special talent shown by their cutie mark on their flank. It most of the times becomes their job, sometimes their pass time. You for example have a lance and shield, most likely meaning bravery. An example of your cutie mark not being your occupation. Mine, however, is a thunder cloud standing for my skill with the weather and the manipulation of it in combat, making me a captain of the guard. We have three types of ponies, earth ponies, good with the land, strong and hardy. Pegasi, With wings and have the ability to manipulate the weather. We are also the fastest ponies if we can use our wings. Then we have unicorns, which is what you are. They can use magic, generally based on their talents. Some can use all magic. Then we have alicorns, there are only three known alicorns in existence, Princess Celestia, she raises the sun. Princess Luna, she raises the moon. Luna and Celestia are sisters. Then there is Princess Cadence. She is the niece of Celestia.”

The information came very fast and the question my mind registered was a very stupid one “So she’s Luna’s daughter?”

“I don’t know.” He stopped and thought for a moment, “Anyways, the princesses live in the royal city of Canterlot. Many pegasi live in Cloudsdale. There is also Ponyville just outside of the Everfree.”

“Okay I think I understand. Where are we going next?”

“Well I don’t know. This is your story. You chose the next step.”

I stood up and walked outside the tent.Where am I to go. Well I need to learn more of what’s happening, so I guess Ponyville is our best bet. Coming to a decision I call to Thunderclap “We’re going to Ponyville. I need to learn more about what’s happening.”

“Well then let’s go! Follow me and I’ll lead you through the forest.” He burst out of the tent and gallops down the road. He chucks a bag behind him landing at my feet.

I sigh and say under my breath. “If he going to be this enthusiastic the entire time I’m going to end up strangling him. Can I do that with hooves?” I run into the forest catching up with Thunderclap.

***

We were steadily walking through the undergrowth as a question crossed my mind. “Why didn’t your troops have guns?” It seemed a fair question. They obviously weren’t primitive, I mean I saw a modern doctor just a little before.

“Well we don’t know how they work. The first time we saw them was when those ponies attacked Baltamare. Their completely new to us”

“Well I know how they work.” Suddenly the truth hit me. “these guns they’re from my world. I’m from the place that they come from, at least some of them.”

“I see. Well you at least seem well enough. You did help us, so I trust you completely, but you said you knew how they worked?”

I pull out the gun I found on the battlefield from my pack. “There’s a trigger you pull that fires a gun” I pointed to the trigger on the gun. “It must be hard to fire without magic. The kick must be strong enough to break your teeth. It is possible though”

Thunderclap picked it up with his mouth and shot it with his tongue. He dropped it back on the ground. “ I can handle the buck. It tastes a bit funky though”

I let out a little laugh at the fact he said buck rather than kick. “Okay. We should keep moving.” I levitate the gun and shake it off before putting it into my bag.

***

We were nearing the edge of the forest now. I could see the town in the distance. It was small, but welcoming. “Is that Ponyville?” I inquired.

“Yes it is. There we can get some sleep and food. Maybe some help”

“Help with what? I’m on no real mission here. I’m just like a lost child in a Walmart”

“Well whatever you’re here for and by the way what’s a Walmart. Is it like a Trotmart”

Putting aside the Trotmart comment, I was very tired by him being cryptic “I don’t know what I’m here for. I don’t even know how I got here.”

“What I know is that you’re here for a reason, even if you and I don’t know what. Things don’t just don’t happen, especially something so strange”

“You think so? I’m not really big on destiny”

“I do. Now lets stop babbling and get going, I’m hungry and I heard that the café here sells good food. Maybe I'll have a hayseed sandwich.”

We walk slowly towards the town. It was about noon by now, we had spent a night in the forest. Thunder said we were lucky to find a clearing, or we’d have problems with monsters. I hadn’t believed about the monsters until later when I heard the howls of what he called ‘timberwolves’. By his description I really didn’t want to get into a fight with them.

By then we were at the town entrance. “Where do you want to go first Thunderclap.”

“I was thinking to the sandwich shop. It’s called ‘la sandwicherie’. That name always made me laugh because it means ‘the sandwich shop’. So simple but when in a different language it sounds so elegant.”

“Well a sandwich sounds nice to me. Where is it?”

“It’s just down the road, do you have any money?”

“What do you think? I’ve only been here for a day and I don’t even know what your currency is”

“Good point” He delves into his bag and pulls out a small sack. He holds it out for me to grab. I levitate it up to my eyes and look in. I see small gold coins.

“You use gold coins as currency?”

“Yup. They’re called bits.”

“Bits. How many does a sandwich cost?”

“About five or so”

I look into the bag and see about forty ‘bits’. “Well thank you for the money.” Slightly uncomfortable with the gift I follow him. Why is he so generous? Why did he believe me? It doesn’t make sense! I don’t trust him. If somebody told me they were from a land of magical ponies I would call an asylum, let alone trust him. My mind contradicted my actions, but I was strangely drawn to fallow Thunder.

We reach the shop, Thunder motions towards the outside tables. “We can sit out here”

I hadn’t paid attention to the weather, from what I could tell it was probably late summer. “All right. That sounds good” I sat on the cushion and wait for the waiter. “What do we do next, Thunder? I feel like I have to do something about this war. It’s just a strange urge to do something”

“Well then do something”

“You’re not being helpful”

“I can’t tell you what to do that is up to you. Aren I understand you feel like you have to do something, I knew that from the first time I talked to you. Not just anypony would rush into battle like you did. I can’t tell you what your next step is. Like I said this is your story”

The waiter came then. “May I take your order sirs?”

Thunder was first to speak “Yes. I’ll take some haybacon and a muffin.”

“And you sir”

“I’ll take” I look at the menu. “I’ll take the HLT”

“And what would you like to drink?”

Thunder answered first again “I’ll have some orange juice”

Looking at the menu once again I answered “Um. I’ll have a glass of milk.”

The waiter left with the order in mouth. “Hey thunder, do ponies have clothes” I was

wondering because I really wanted some. He had taken off his armour last night and never put it back on, so I assumed clothing wasn’t very common. I had seen a few ponies wearing hats, but not many.

“We do, but we mostly only wear them for special occasions or it’s necessary. Some ponies wear clothes often others barely ever. It’s a lot about personal taste. The town has a boutique if you want to get some clothes.”

“That would be great” I smiled uncomfortably

The waiter came back with our order and said “Here is your orders sirs. That will be ten bits total.”

We both handed him five bits each and started to eat. Slowly I took a bite of my sandwich. Not bad. I didn’t think hay would be this good. I started to stuff myself realizing how hungry I was with a whole day without food.

“You like that don’t you, Aren”

“Yes. I didn’t think I would like hay. It’s not something we eat where I come from. We feed it to the animals that we” I stopped myself right there. Horses were herbivores, so telling him we eat animals might be a bit strange.

“Your mind was probably altered slightly when you came here. Making you more pony-like. Basic things like your tastes and hormones”

“Lets not get into that discussion” I would have rather not gone into the pony hormonal structure.

He smiled “All right then”

We finished our meal and I thought about our next move. “I think the boutique sounds nice.”

***

We had arrived at the small blue building that was the Ponyville Boutique. I knew a boutique was a mare’s clothing store, but Thunder had informed me they provided very nice male clothing as well.

There was a single gray unicorn at the front desk reading a magazine and chewing some gum. She looked up from her magazine and looked us over, only to return to reading it. “Miss Rarity is out at the moment hun, but you can look around. See anything you like tell me and I’ll ring you up.” She spoke with an old New York accent, something that sounded like the sixties.

Thunder nods as I went off into the racks of pony clothing. I found a nice red cape just long enough to leave me feeling secure. It still let me run with ease. It was perfect, it covered me without limiting mobility.

We paid the mare at the front desk and left with a grin on my face. After I had put it on I realized how soft it was, but with that little diversion I was back at square one. I had no idea what next. “Unicorns can do magic, I mean asides from levitation?”

“Yes, what about it”

“Well I don’t know any magic besides levitation, which from looking around everyone, I mean everypony, knows very early.”

“Your right, so what’s your plan”

“I learn how to use some more advanced magic. The question is where and how”

“Thats a good idea. There is a library in town. The unicorn there might be able to help. She know quite a lot of magic and has a lot of books that could help.”

“Well then let's be-”

A mares scream in the distance had cut me off. Thunders ears shot straight up, like a dog listening for a kill “You may want to hold that though it looks like we have trouble.” After he said that, Thunder flew up to get a better look.

“What do you see?!” Ponies were gathering in the street looking for the source, while pegasi stared in shocked aw.

“Not again! We have more soldiers! Their coming from the forest! Damit, not here! This town is full of civilians!” At this point he was yelling at the oncoming soldiers.

The news moved fast and the crow quickly swelled into a panicked frenzy.

“I thought you had killed them all!” I was constantly being pushed and shoved by the crowd. I was barely able to stay in one place.

“So did I! Where are they coming from?! They look different this time, and I can’t see Hugo” His eyes never left the approaching mob as he was talking.

“I don’t know? What I do know is that we have to help the town’s folk!” Without waiting for a reply I gallop off to fight. I’m mad. I have officially crossed the line of insanity! I’m running lance in hand, or in hoof I should say, to the rescue of some type of damsel in distress! I’m not a knight in shining armour! I look back to see Thunder catching up to me. Well at least I have help. “Come on Thunderclap, we’ve got a town to defend!” A righteous flame burned in my heart, as I ran.

“Aren! Behind you!” Thunders voice rang out with urgency.

I turn around only to see a frying pan smash into my face. I fall limply to the ground, in my last seconds of consciousness I heard a yelp of pain from Thunderclap.

***

I wake up, but stay quiet. I hear a battle raging in the distance, but I also hear a voice. It was a mare’s voice.

“I’m sorry for what happened, I thought you were one of them” The voice was very sweet, and had a type of natural seduction to it. Like a siren, for all I knew it could be.

“No problem, but I have to say your a crack shot with that magic you used” The second voice was Thunder’s!

What is this! He’s chatting it up with the pony who smacked me over the head! I let out an unintentional moan.

“Oh I think sleeping beauty is awake over there” I hear rattling, then I see Thunderclap walk over. He started to speak in an intentionally childlike voice, “Wakey wakey sleepy head” He dumps a bucket of ice water on me.

“Gaa! God damn it Thunder! You didn’t need to douse me with water!”

“I know, but what fun would that be.” He looked out the window and his smile faded. I could tell he was being defensive. Hiding behind humor. I could thank Doctor House for that diagnosis. I had enjoyed House back in my world it was the closest thing to a soap opera I watched.

“It would be better for me.”

He snapped out of it and looked back to me “But not for me” A weary smile came back on his face.

“Are you two done?” It was a sweet voice. Even when harsh.

“Just let them fight it out” This one was a boys voice, maybe about his late teens early twenties it had an air of arrogance to it. I was probably only a few years older than him, considering I was only twenty-five.

“We really don’t have time for that” The mare came back. “We were pressed for time waiting for him to get up. I voted for dragging him on Thunder’s back

The tone of the boy’s voice became very somber “I know, the town is being raided and we were told to get out.”

Remembering what had happened before I was knocked out, I interrupted. “Is everypony in the town safe?”

Thunder was the first to respond and answered me “ Yes. They all evacuated. The guard is handling the fight.”

“Well then what are we going to do?” I stand up. I was pretty wobbly, but I manage to stay on my feet. “I can’t just sit here”

A flame red unicorn walks in. “Well you’re not sitting are you?” He lets out a laugh at his own bad joke, his black mane moving as he throws his head back, the yellow streaks shifting out of place. “By the way I’m Ember the pyrotechnician. I deal with magic with fire. A showstallion really”

I look at his flank and see what looks to be a flame dragon on it. I walk closer and ask “So you can control fire?”

“Not just control it. In a way I am it.” He lets out a breath and with it comes fire. “You see? It’s like we co-exist in the same body.” His smoky eyes twinkle with his words. He must have found the relationship mesmerizing.

Thunder steps in “These two are unicorns, brother and sister.”

Finally the last unicorn walks in. She was a magenta color, with deep purple eyes. Her crimson mane was smooth and beautiful. My eyes wandered to the flank where I find an open book with strange symbols on it. “What does your name?” I asked looking towards the mare.

She clears her throat “I’m Shimer.” She walks further into the room.

Still confused by her mark I ask “What does your cutie mark mean?”

She sighed and began to speak, “It means magic, and understanding. I have the ability to quickly learn, and understand just about anything. That includes magic. I’m a scholar. I was going to be moving to canterlot soon to start a class of advanced studies in the school of magic.” She turns back to us. “that is until a war broke out. From what I hear canterlot’s on high alert, being the capital.”

The itch to help came back over me like a wave, “We need to do something! It’s driving me mad standing here, chatting away while pe-, no ponies, are dying.”

Shimer turns to me “I’ve told you already the guard is handling it”

We hear a loud boom, something like a bomb going off. then a crash. We rush to the window only to see town hall fall to the ground. I look to shimer “They seem to be handling it real well”

Chapter 2: Nightmares

I have had dreams and I have had nightmares, but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams.

- Jonas Salk

We all rush out the door of the shack. “Now you agree with me” I continue running “All it took with the destruction of that building!”

We had quickly grabbed our thing before rushing out, apparently Ember and Shimmer had packed in preparation for me to awake.

Shimer looks at me following close behind, “Oh shut up! I don’t want to hear it” She looks to her younger brother, “Ember Get up there with thunder and scout ahead!”

Ember turns to her and yells “Yes ma’am!” He gets a running start and jumps. he lets out a call “Come Ash!”

A phoenix flies out of the woods. Shimer casts a spell on the bird, enveloping it in a pink light enlarging it. It flies directly under Ember and catches him in the air. The two were about the same size, only the phoenix was larger.

I looked jaw wide open. “You two have a phoenix?!”

Shimer answers me “It’s not mine. He won’t listen to me at all, but he’ll follow Embers every order.”

All I could say was “Wow, that’s amazing”

Thunder spoke astonishment on his face, “I agree completely, how’d he tame it?”

Shimer answers “He found it in the everfree and it just clung to him.”

“Enough chit chat” Shouted Ember as he flew a bit faster. “We have a town to save” The bravado in his voice was obvious. I wasn’t very comfortable letting him go ahead.

***

We were close now. We could hear the fighting. There were screams of pain. We could see Thunder and Ember returning. Embers enthusiasm was completely gone, all that was left was fear and pain. Thunder was by his side, his face somber and depressed.

Ember jumped off Ash as it shrunk to its normal size. He ran, tears in his eyes, to shimer. “It’s gone. Almost all of it!” The sobs continued. It hurt to look at him. Under all the bravado, Ember was still really young, all of us were except Thunder. It was different for me though. It was like being on the outside looking in. I saw every thing they did, but it was distant and alien for me.

Thunder completes the thought of the crying unicorn, “The town was leveled, every one who was in there is either dead or dying. There’s nothing we can do now, but run”

I growl in anger, “They were making an example. Kill everypony, destroy everything. Mass destruction to strike fear in the hearts of the people and leaders.” I was in new york on nine-eleven. It was a family trip to my grandparents while I was in school. I knew what scare tactics were.

Shimer collapses onto the ground crying. “No! It isn’t true! Our parents were in there! Fighting for the guard! They can’t be dead!” She moved towards the town, “I have to go and help them!”

Ember stopped crying, but you could see the strain in his face. He was trying to be brave for his sister, “Shimer! Stop. They would want us to be strong, and they would want us to live. The best thing we can do now, for them and for us, is to leave and wait for another day.”

I was feeling cold and heartless. I knew people, or ponies rather, were dead, but the feeling just wouldn’t come. I was never was one to cry at movies, to me it wasn’t tangible. I remembered a face tough. The mare at the boutique, then the waiter at the shop. Then the feelings came. I knew they were real, but everyone else was just as real as words on a page. Two dimensional, but the ponies I saw they were real to me.

I step in holding back newfound tears, “Shimer, he’s right. We have to keep moving, after we find safety we can split ways if you like.”

Thunder joins in comforting her, “They did take P.O.W.s. There’s a good chance your parents are still alive. Assuming the surrendered”

Shimer’s crying eases to gasps of air “No. I’m staying with you. I need to help. I’m strong, I was trained by one of the best minds in Equestria” She paused breathing heavily, “Ember you need to get to our grandparents in appaloosa, you’ll be safe there”

Ember turns to, her still in each others arms “No. I’m staying. I’m a grown stallion. I have, or I should say had, my own house. This is my decision and I chose to stay”

Shimmer nodded without saying a word, tears welling up in her eyes, “Ember please I don’t want to lose you too.”

Ember put on a fragile smile, “I don’t want to lose you either, and in my mind the best way to protect you is to be with you.”

Shimer squeezes hard making Ember gasp for breath, “Oh why do you have to be so stubborn, Ember.”

I turn to Thunder letting the two of them work out their problems, “What’s next?”

“I think It’s time to take a visit to Canterlot.”

“Why? What do we need to do their?”

He turns his back to me “We need to form a real team. And I know the two people we could use.”

“A team, why? I still haven’t decided to help you, Thunder.”

“Okay then, maybe the princes could help you home, if that’s still what you want.”

I knew he only wanted me there to rook me into helping, but I guess a part of me did want to, “Alright then. To Canterlot.”

We set off down the road avoiding the sight of the watch outside what was once ponyville.

***

We were several miles from ponyville by now, we had be moving quite quickly for the past two hours. I fish through my bag to see what was in it. I found some emergency food and a small square of cloth bound by twine. I could see Thunder with one, He undid the string and the square inch of cloth expanded rapidly into a sleeping bag. Everything in this world apparently is magic. I do the same with my sleeping bag.

Ember lights the fire and starts to cook some lettuce, and potatoes. After mashing the potatoes, he scoops them into lettuce shaped into cups. He hands one to each of us.

“Here you go. It’s simple but will do.”

We all thank him and eat in silence.

***

I fall asleep, but even my subconscious is out to get me. I fall into a nightmare. I see the ponies I killed. Evil voices calling “Why? Why did you kill us?!”

“You were killing innocents!” The place was dark, completely black. The figures were a ghostly grey.

“You are not God! You do not hold the power to decide who dies and who lives!” The ponies were approaching slowly, their mouths plastered with a mad grin.

“You Hypocrites! All you did was kill and murder! I heard what you did to those ponies in Baltamare, he told me.”

The ponies snickered, “ Who? That deceitful pegasus Thunderclap! Half of what he says is a lie and the other half isn’t entirely true.”

That shook me, what if I was being lied too. I didn’t trust Thunder to begin with. He seemed to have his own agenda, and I was the best candidate to fulfill his goal whatever it was. “Maybe,” I stopped, “Maybe you’re right,” A fire lit inside my heart, “But that does not excuse you! You and who ever you serve attacked a small town full of normal ponies, not soldiers! That’s not warfare, that is terrorism!”

“You still think you’re fighting for what is right? You don’t have the full story. You don’t know the truth!”

“Nothing excuses what you done.”

The ghost scoffed, “What we’ve done? What about you! You killed us!”

I back up, but am stopped by an invisible wall, “You deserved it! You were killers!”

“Did our families deserve it? our foles, our spouses? Every action has a consequences and here’s yours!” the forms jupt on top of me biting into my skin, sinking deep into my flesh. The only thing I could remember was pain.

***

I burst up in a cold sweat. My mind is racing, my body shivering uncontrollably. I look up and see Thunder watching me as he sat by the fire. Shimmer and Ember were both sound asleep. My eyes drifted over to Shimmer and I stop staring for a little too long at the sleeping form.

“It’s finally caught up to you, hasn’t it?” My attention quickly moves to Thunder, his blue eyes were staring into my own telling me he’s been through this himself. “Killing another pony is always hard, but it get’s easier. That’s something I’m not very proud to say.”

“Does the pain go away?”

He looks at me sadly “No it doesn’t, but it fades, Like a scar. It fades, but it’s still there.” He turns to the fire. “I can remember the faces of every pony I’ve killed. No matter how long ago.”

I walk to his side sitting with him. “That is” Looking for words to comfort my ‘friend’ “so sad”

He looks at me again. “I don’t need pity, I know what I signed up for. You, however, just found us. You shouldn’t even be involved, but you. You just wanted to help and got sucked into this mess.”

“I wanted to be involved. I wanted to help you. You needed me”

He looks at me. Straight into my eyes. “You didn’t need to do anything. We would have won without you. All you did was save us time.”

His words hurt. With them I lost all of my importance. Now I was just another pony in this God forsaken univers. Unneeded. Unimportant. Anger welled up in me I was shouting. “What about you! You believe me for no reason to my knowledge! You have told me barely anything about yourself and have basically left me to wander by myself!”

His expression doesn’t change as he stares at me calmly. That only angers me more.

“You saying ‘this is my story’ maybe it is, but you should be there to guide me when I need it, at least if you a true friend.” I hear our companions waking and soon my rage turns to them. “And you two! Both powerful unicorns! Why didn’t you help! That town could have been saved if you were there!”

Shimer opens her mouth, but I cut her off. “There is no excuse for what you did, or should I say didn’t do! I shouldn’t even be here! I belong at my home! Not in a land of magical ponies! I’ll find my way home! By myself!” I knew it was impossible, and the fact I was acting like a toddler, an entire world to search by my self for someone, or something powerful enough to send me home. It simply couldn’t be done, but anger and strain makes you do stupid things.

They all stare, like I was a beast. Scared wide eyed, all except Thunder. He look with only disappointment, and that made me burn. It made me fester, almost to the point of attack.

Thunder's voice rang out cold and rebukingly “Well you wish to leave, then leave. According to yourself you don’t need us. Find your own way back to your world. Leave this one to die.”

May rage grew only more. I charged, but I didn’t even get close to Thunder. He flew like lightning landing a blow to my legs. I flip and rolled until I hit a tree nearby. Knocked out cold.

***

“Come on Ditzy. We have a job to do.”

“Yes Doctor.” The grey pegasus Thinks a moment and asks a question “Hey Doctor. Why don’t we just stop the war our selves?”

“Because I don’t know what happens in this dimension. I’m only helping because I was asked by Princess Celestia.” He looks back to his companion “Besides It’s nice to take a back seat sometimes, you know not have the entire pony race in my hooves”

“But it’s still unlike you to not be directly involved.”

“Ditzy. I have lived nine hundred years, in over a dozen different bodies, not counting this one. You don’t know everything I do. Sometimes indirect help is just what the world needs.”

“I see Doctor. So what exactly are we doing”

The Doctor turned to Ditzy once again while approaching the underbrush. “We are keeping an eye on our friend Mr. Aren. Making sure he doesn’t make any dangerous mistakes.”

“But isn’t the point of this to stay out of the direct contact.”

He rethinks his sentence. “My definition of indirect help is direct help without anypony knowing.”

They hear I fight in the distance. “Ditzy come to the underbrush” The pegasus runs over. “Stay low, don’t get noticed.”

They can hear ponies in the distance arguing. “You saying ‘this is my story’ maybe it is, but you should be there to guide me when I need it, at least if you a true friend.”

“Ditzy thats Aren! Get down” While moving the leaves rustling drown out some of the conversation.

This time a different voice “Well you wish to leave, then leave. According to yourself you don’t need us. Find your own way back to your world. Leave this one to die.” There is a charging and a crash as Aren hits the tree right next to the Doctor.

They hear them speak again “Shimer, grab his gun.” A magenta unicorn envelopes the gun in a light pink aura and pulled it to herself. to herself. “Now we need to leave. Lets go.”

The Doctor waits for them to leave then gets up. “Come on Ditzy we have some work to do.”

***

I moan in pain. I sit up and look at my leg. It wasn’t broken, barely bruised. Thunder wasn’t trying to hurt me, but why. I stand my left hind leg buckles, but holds. “Gaw. It still hurts though.”

I look around, and see what looked like a makeshift fire place about three feet away. The fire had been doused and you could still see some embers in the dawn sun.“Well they didn’t move me.” I step forward, but I hear a crumpling. I lifted my hoof to reveal a small note. What’s this?

I levitate the paper to my face. It was handwritten and looked speedily done.

Do you think you could live with what you’ve seen here? Do you think you could return?

The letter was unsettling, but I doubted it was from Thunder. At this point he would be long gone. He probably flew to Canterlot, which I assumed was the large castle on the horizon.

I think about the letter. Who could write it. Maybe it wasn’t for me, but that doesn’t make sense it fits me too well, but as far as I knew only thunder knew my story. It all just doesn’t add up.

I see another note near the campfire. Laying under a rock. I cautiously move towards the note and levitate it to my face.

Do you still deny what you need to do? No man could just leave when they have the power to help, at least no man worth knowing.

The words stung, but they were true. Deep in thought I ponder my next action. I can’t go back to find Thunder. Even if I manage to find them what would they say to me. I just vented all of my anger on them. I couldn’t go back, but without them I’m just lost in a world in peril.

I found it strange that the note used the word man but,my thoughts are broken before I could think about it too much. There was a soft sobbing in the distance. I listen closer and I hear a faint voice. “Mother, Father run away. Get out of there. Get to safety.”

The voice was only a boys. I walk towards it and find its source, a small Ember sleeping on the grass. I whisper “It will be alright” to his ear, and his subconscious seem to understand as he eased with my words.

***

Embers eyes open slowly. He turns them and spots me, as soon as he does he nearly jumped eight feet, and I mean literally, apparently the laws of physics are a bit more lackadaisical here. “Aren!” He said surprised. “How did you find me?”

I looked at him and let out a little laugh “You were talking in your sleep, but I have a question for you. Why are you here?”

He stands and shifted on his feet back and forth. “Well, um, Thunder told me to watch over you to see when you cooled down. He said you needed time to think about what to do next.”

I smile wide and happily “Well I’ll tell you what’s next, we go to Canterlot!” While he was sleeping I spent time thinking. I wasn’t into destiny, but the chances of me just falling into a world of ponies with magical abilities were low to say the least. I was convinced that someone or something wanted me here, I just didn’t know why. All I knew for sure is that their world was being attacked, possibly by humans.

A smile widens on Embers face to. “So you’re staying?!”

“That I am, Ember. That I am.”

The small boy jumps for joy, and I took all the strength in me not to follow suit. Oh how happiness is contagious. He saw something in me, perhaps it was hope, I only wish it is not misplaced. “Come on Ember it’s a long walk to the capitole.”

He looks at me happily. “Not really.”

I look at him quizzically “What do you mean? I can see it, but were on a plain and the capitole on a mountain. To get there will be a bit more than a skip, hop, and a jump.”

The young man smiled and said simply, “Thunder is friends with the princess”

“Wait what?”

Before he could answer he took out what looked like a walkie-talkie and spoke in “Two for direct transport the the testing chamber.”

A voice came over from the other side “Affirmative, direct transport commencing.” There was a bright flash of gold light.

***

“And then the monkey stole his liver!” The pony breaks into hysterical laughter, but abruptly stops, “Okay, anywho let's get back to the task at hand”

I stand dazed from the sudden flash, as my vision clears I see what looks to be a lab. All of our ‘team’ was there and what looked to be a mad scientist in a lab coat, and the pegasi equivalent to a bodybuilder, his muscles slightly bigger than Thunder’s and a wide frame. “Where am I?”

Thunder looks at me “Aren so you’ve decided to help us after all. This is the Canterlot laboratories. This is the good Doctor Gearbox, many ponies call him Nuts and Bolts, for more than one reason.” He points to the scientist earth pony. He had gray body and a white mane very mangy, only adding to his mad scientist look.

I look at him “Hello I’m Aren Marks”

He runs over to me and shakes my hoof vigorously “Hello Mr. Marks! I heard your story. A very, and I mean very, interesting tale it was” I try to remove my hoof from his grip, but can’t seem to get it loose, “It’s not everyday a trans-dimensional tourist pops into the Everfree.”

“Gears, he’ll need that hand for fighting.” Thunder's voice was commanding, as usual.

He looks down to his hoofs, “Oh yes, very true.” He lets go and raised his tinted goggles up to his forehead revealing red eyes.

Thunder spoke again “This is Jack” He points to the large pegasus. His body was a dark tan color, whilst his mane was brown. “He’s very powerful, but a bit of a knucklehead. His stubbornness has almost gotten me killed over a dozen times.”

He glares at Thunder, then turned to me “Hello Aren. Nice to meet you.”

“Um. Hello Jack. Will you be joining us?”

He looked at me as if I were an idiot. “Yes I am and so will the wonderful Dr. Gearbox.”

I looked at the Doctor. He looked so frail and old. How could he help in a fight. “ He’s coming too?”

The Doctor looked at me angrily “Yes I’m coming. I’m not the strongest of you, but I’m the smartest. You’ll need a strategist. Besides my tech will help me fight if the necessity arises, I do plan on staying back for,” He paused looking for the right words, “Technical support.” His face suddenly turned delighted “Oh by the way I have a gift for you Mr. Martin”

He started to dig in a drawer and pulled out a small, well I didn’t know. It was a crimson color. It had a canister rounded on one end and screwed into the device. The cylinder glowed a faint purple. There was a small outcropping on the top of it that after about an inch up it jutted at a ninety degree angle where the canister screwed in.

It had a long cylinder that looked like a barrel coming out the front. The body looked like a gun, trigger and all. Then it hit me It was a gun, but none I’ve ever seen. The doctor turned back to me. “ This is the Magical Energy Pistol MG-32, or as I like to call it the ‘M.E.P’.”

For a genius he’s bad with names. I think I’ll stick with MG-32. I look at the gun quizzically “ So how does it work?”

Gearbox turned to me “ Simple. It is just a pistol run off magical energy. After a while the power will refill itself by tapping into the latent magical energy of the plants and animals around it.”

Happy the onslaught of words was over I let out a sigh, but it was too soon. The doctor turned back to me from the gun and said “ I have one more gift for you Mr. Martin.” He digs in his drawer and pulls out an old dusty book. “ A book of magic. Shimer will help you train.”

Wait I get to train with Shimer. My stomach felt strange, like it was filled with air bubbles. Then I figured out why. I’m not. Oh damn it I am. I think I fell in love with a pony. A pony! That shouldn’t be possible. Maybe the change effected my natural hormones.

I had never been good with girls. Never had a kiss, but I had never really wanted one. Never found someone. I always wanted to wait for the right person. That ‘right person’ did come once. We were close friends and I had wanted to go further for a long time, but by the time I had the nerve to ask her out she was already dating, I didn’t think It last, but a year later they were married at nineteen, and had a strong relationship till the day I popped up here. That question put a strain on our friendship, not too mention putting me in a state of depression for a month, and it eventually collapsed. That was when I was still in school. I think the reason I never went for another relationship is I didn’t want it to fail like my last try had.

I realise Gears was still talking and missed some of it “I’m sorry Gears, can you say that again?”

He looked slightly aggravated “ Yes I can I said you will be training with Shimmer and Ember with you magic. You’ll train with Thunder and Jack for hoof to hoof combat, and weaponry.”

I look down. I’m the only one on this team without a skill. I felt useless, but a question interrupted my thoughts. “Hey, Gearbox how did you make MG-32?”

He looked at me again and said with a sigh “It wasn’t a completely unique invention. We took a model from the enemy forces. They ran on an energy we couldn’t create, so I modified it to work off magical energy. If you find any more of their energy weapons I might be able to modify it.”

“Wait I thought you didn’t know how guns work?”

Gearbox smiles, “It was simple really. After the battle some of the survivors were smart and salvaged some weapons as they fled from Baltamare or returned from the Everfree, unlike our Thunder over here,” He glared at the pegasus, “It wasn’t hard to deduce how they fired. The guns that used physical ammunition were easy to work out. The two energy weapon we received were a different story,” He points to a gun in a glass case surrounded by schematics and drawings. “I’m using the one in the case to study and the second one I changed the energy source to magic and called it good,” He picks up the gun and hands it to me with his mouth, “Will you do the honors.”

I levitate the gun and fire, but it failed. When I pulled the trigger there were only a few sparks and some smoke out of the baral.

The doctor quickly took the gun back. “Oh no. I was afraid of this,” He quickly ran to the desk near the other energy weapon and began muttering to himself while busily drawing and prying apart the failed experiment.

“Ahem. I think it’s time we head out. Celestia already set a mission up for us. We are to take back Ponyville. We’ll meet a squad in a camp about a day's walk north. We have four days to get there. I would suggest you spend your day in town, well just that in town. Get some food and supplies. Train a bit. The barracks is south of the courtyard. Also Stay together. We’ll be heading out on the third day. Me and Jack have some catching up to do. I suspect Gears will be staying here, so you three don’t get lost.”

***

“So what next?” We were standing outside the lab door. Thunder and Jack had just left down the hall.

Shimer looks to me “We train”

If I only knew what her idea of training was. She acted like a drill sergeant, and worked me till I could barely stand. I was so weak by the end of it I couldn’t even levitate my bag. Worst part was throughout the training Ember just sat there and smirked.

I trained from When we got to the barracks to 7:00 P.M. then we ate a small super and trained till nearly midnight.

“Okay Aren, I think that’s enough. Head to sleep.”

With a grateful sigh I walked into the barracks and fell into a cot, but that was short lived.

“What are you doing Aren!?”

Shimmers voice was loud and made me jump. I look at her angrily “Sleeping”

“Not in there! Out here, on the ground, with only a sleeping bag!”

Confused and dazed from fatigue I ask “Why?”

She looked at me like I was an idiot, why did everypony do that, and said “Because that’s what you’re going to do for the next several days.”

Groggy and tired I walked outside. I try to lay my sleeping bag out but am too tired to levitate it. Shimer smirks, and she helps me. Ember laughs at the spectacle. “Already too tired to open a sleeping bag.” In his laughter he falls on his back off the wall he was sitting on.

I ignore him. “Thank you.” I was shaking severely, but let out a small laugh. The pain was excruciating. Using magic drains you body and mind. The worst part was I only learned three spells from the old book.Raising a protective shield, Shooting lighting which was, in all honesty a blast to do, and a stronger levitation spell. I could carry a lot heavier things with my magic than I was able to before.

Once Shimer opens the sleeping bag I settle into it. The material was soft and warm, and my tired body was very eager to sleep.

Shimer had set her sleeping bag very close to mine. It was within an inch. While she was setting it I saw her plot and quickly looked away. I really didn’t want her to think I was a perv and I was positive I was bushing.

When she finally got into her sleeping bag, after she had bumped me several time causing me to blush brighter, she said a soft good night with her head turned from mine.

“Good night”

I heard Ember holler from the barracks where he had chosen to spend to sleep, “Good night”

I quickly drifted to sleep and into another nightmare.

This time it wasn’t the ponies, but me back on earth. It started happily with me and my friends. I would relive moments I had long since thought forgotten. Then the memory of my old friend came. Her rejecting me and my sad state afterwards. The happiness that was once in the friendship was gone. As the happiness left the friendship, so to did it leave my dream. I started reliving the worst parts of my life. They played over and over in my head till I was shaken awake.

***

“Aren wake up!” Shimmer was shaking me awake while Ember and Ash stood by her looking at me with a worried expression.

My eyes fluttered open. I was drenched in sweat when I was awoken. The sun was just barely over the horizon. I looked to Shimer, her face was covered in worry. I wondered what had happened to do that.

“What happened” I mutter slowly.

Shimer worried face quickly turned to anger, “You were talking and kicking in your sleep that’s what! It was bad, we thought you wouldn’t wake up!”

Ember began to speak, “You were having a nightmare and a bad one. We were trying to wake you up for a good ten minutes.” He looks to Shimer, “ My sister here thought you might not wake up.”

Shimmer spoke next, “As soon as you went to sleep you started to roll around. I hadn’t thought much of it and move my sleeping bag a few feet away.” She stops and points to her sleeping bag that she had indeed moved, “Then you moan, quite loudly. You were flailing around, talking to yourself,”

I had no idea what to say. It wasn’t every day you wake up to people thinking you were in some type of coma. There was an, awkward silence, each of us waiting for the other to talk. Till Ember spoke.

“Maybe we should let him rest” They started to walk away to the other side of the courtyard.

Several minutes passed before I got up. When I did, I went straight for Shimer. Ember was in the barracks where, I assumed, he was sleeping. “I’m sorry Shimer” Really didn’t know what to say and apologising was the only way I figured I could help. It didn’t.

She turns to me, “What are you apologising about! Dreaming? You scared me, but that’s not your fault. The only other thing you could be apologising for is my parents,” Her voice got angry, “ and I don’t need your sympathy!” She got quiet again looking into the pavment, “Can you just leave me alone. Go see Thunder and Jack”

I really hadn’t known what I said to her to make her go off on me, but I didn’t question it. I did what she said and headed up to the castle. It occurred to me I didn’t know where Thunder was, so I did the next best thing. I picked up my saddle bag and went to Doctor Gear Box.

I remembered the way from walking out the day before, or at least that’s I thought. I got lost in five minutes. I had ended up climbing several sets of stairs until I was in front of large ornamental doors. I walked up to the large doors. They were the size of the doors you would see to the entrance to a large cathedral.

I pushed on the doors and they creaked as they slowly opened. Anypony in there knew I was coming. When I managed to get in the room I was greeted by two large ponies.

They both had pegasus wings and unicorn horn. I assumed these were the alicorns Thunder had told me about. One was a stark white pony with a flowing rainbow mane. The other was black or dark purple, I wasn’t sure which, with an astounding mane. It was like looking into the stars. It was floating by itself as it moved the picture would change slightly. They were both obviously mares.

The black one was seated on a large pillow off to the side of the center of the hall. The white pony was standing at the center of the massive hall.

An awkward silence fell over the room as the two alicorns looked over me.

“Maybe I should go.” I start to walk out the large doors when the black alicorn began to speak.

“Halt unicorn! Wait so we might speak” She spoke with an old english accent. It sounded like something from the colonial era.

The white alicorn spoke immediately after her, “She means to tell you to stay. My sister is still readjusting, right sister?” She turned her head to her sister.

“Um,” She paused with another awkward silence. “Yes I am readjusting.” She cleared her throat and began to speak with the same accent, but with more modern language, “My name is Luna, princes of the moon and the night, my sister is Princess Celestia. Her domain is the day.”

Celestia waved me closer with her head, “Come over here Aren.”

I didn’t move, “How do you know my name?”

celestia smiled, “Thunder told me who you were. I have been waiting for you to wander in here,” She walked to and faced a nearby stained glass window. The scene it depicted was a dragon holding marianettes. She spoke again, “Aren, I need to do something. The world is falling out of balance and I don’t know if I can stop it. That’s why I need people like you, the brave, to fight with me. What I need you to do is find out who’s behind this war. Who would threaten my people. I have an idea of who it could be, but if I’m right the world is in grave danger. I can tell you something. You attract the right people. Thunder, his strength is only second to his will. Jack, he could run through a brick wall without flinching,” She smiled to herself, “in fact he did once. Then you have Gears, the finest equine mind on the planet. I know Shimer and her brother Ember, fine students of my finest pupil. Aren, I know you’re lost and confused in more ways than one, but trust Thunder he’s there for you and for me.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond. I had just been given an order from, how Thunder had described it, a god on earth. I only managed a small, “Yes ma’am”

Celestia turned back to me, “You should go see Gears. I think he fix that contraption of his.”

Luna stood from her cution. “I will lead you to him.”

***

We were standing at the door to the laboratory when Luna levitated me a metal zippo lighter.

“Take this” She said, “It’s artificial dragons breath. Burn any paper with this it will be sent to me. Use it to report back to my sister and I. If you discover anything that could be important don’t hesitate to send it to me.”

I took the gift and stowed it in my brown bag. “Thank you,”

She didn’t say anything more. She proceeded to walk back to the main hall.

I turned to the metal doors of the laboratory and walk in. When I finish pushing the heavy doors I’m greeted by Gears busily working at his desk. He doesn’t seem to notice me as I walk into the room.

I tentatively said hello, not wanting to disrupt his work.

The haggard doctor looked up at me and smiled, “Oh hello Aren, I’ve been wanting to see you for a while now. I’ve been working on the MG-32 for a while now and I think I’ve finally have it operational. It took me almost all night to fix it. I found out the power converter was malfunctioning. Without it the weapon won’t accept magical energy and will short out.” He looked back to the pile of paper covering his desk and started sifting through it. When He finally came to the bottom he produced the gun in his hands, “Take it. From my calculations it shouldn’t fail again.”

I carefully took the gun from his grasp and tucked it into my saddle bag, “Are you certain Gears, I’d rather this thing not explode in my face in a fight.”

He looked at me with a worried smile, “Well,” He put a lot of ephesus on the well, “there is a ten percent chance that the power converter will fail and cause a catastrophic failure. In which case you have a very large and very expensive grenade on your hands. If it starts to give a high pitched sound I’d suggest you throw it,” He gave me tired smile, “I think I’m going to get some sleep, I’ve pulled to many all nighters lately,”

Gears didn’t particularly reassure me about the gun. I’d probably rather go at somepony with a stick than it at that point. Not wanting to get lost again, I put aside my manly pride, which I really didn’t have much of at that point considering I was a pony, and asked for directions. I was instructed where Thunder was and how to get there. He was near the barracks where I had slept, waiting for me to begin combat training.

***

When I got there I found Thunder, Ember and Jack eating a hearty serving of scrambled eggs.

Thunder looked at me and smiled “Aren your back. We can start training now.”

I looked at the food and my stomach began to growl. I realized I hadn’t actually eaten anything that morning. “Wait can’t I eat first.”

Thunder smiled “No. You’re going to have to earn your food.”

If I thought Shimer was bad thunder was worse. He took immediately stood and rushed at me. I, instinctively, ran for my life.

Thunder continued to chase me, “Oh come on you sissy, stand up to me!” He took to the air and landed in front of me. I didn’t have time to stop and tumbled into Thunder.

I was on my back laying on top of thunder who was laughing hysterically. He managed to speak through his laughter, “Nice landing Aren, I give you a ten!” He went back to laughing.

I flipped over ignoring Thunders joke. Thunder managed to get up before me, he was still chuckling, “Okay lets try that again, but this time don’t run like a baby.”

He charged again, I was prepared that time, but it doesn’t mean I won. He jumped just before he reached me and tripped up my hind legs with his wings as he landed, leading me to fall again.

I got back up, “You know for an instructor you're not doing much instructing”

He smiled at me, “You know for a unicorn you’re not using much magic”

“Wait you want me to use magic, I figured that’s kinda cheating”

“All’s fair in love and war, and this is war”

Thunder charged again, but instead of jumping he went for a slide attempting to knock out my legs.

I raised my magic shield, but he could adapt faster than I could. As soon as he saw its crimson glow he flapped his wings and propelled himself straight up. I gripped his wings with my magic, keeping them stationary. He started to tumble to the ground, but he was too strong for me. He broke my hold on him and started flying towards me.

With little time to react, he headbutted me in the chest. I stumble and fall, my chest writhing in pain.

After a few moments I stand shankly. Thunder comes up and braces me with his wing while he walks me over to the fire, “I think you’ve earned your breakfast.” He lead me slowly to the fire where Ember was eating his eggs. Thunder set me down and started cooking.

Soon after he started cooking a question came into my mind, “Wait you guys eat eggs. I thought horses were herbivores.”

Thunder snickered, “We are, kind of. We’ll eat eggs when they're not fertilized. There is no actual animal life in the eggs,” He came over and served me a large plate of scrambled eggs. I wolfed the eggs down with gusto, leaving my plate empty in less than a minute.

After the meal we go back to training. He explained to me that the first fight was just to see where I was. The training afterwards seemed, so much worse.

He would teach me a series of punches, ducks and kicks and make me practise them over and over. One after another he would teach me a technique he say that saved him multiple times. After several hours of gruelingly boring training was over, Thunder put up a challenge.

“Aren I want you to fight Jack, If you can last five minutes in a fight with him you get to eat supper, but if he knocks you out you’re going to go hungry tonight,”

I stared at him blankly, “You think I could last against him?” I point to the ripped pegasus who had been aiding in my instruction from time to time, “You are absolutely mad! He could rip me to pieces!”

Thunder laughed, “I don’t think he would, but you have to be careful. There are two major mistakes you can make in battle, underestimating your opponent, but overestimating them is just as bad,”

“Honestly I think you're overestimating me, Thunder. I can’t beat him,”

Thunder smiled, “That’s not what I’m asking, all I want you to do is survive for five minutes,”

“Fine Thunder, but if I die it’s on your head,”

“Good, now wait I need to get someone,”

***

Jack and I were standing facing each other about fifty feet apart. We were waiting for Thunder to return. I had removed my saddle bag and placed it next to me.

Thunder soon returned with a gray unicorn by his side, “Okay are you two ready?” Jack and I nodded, “Well then, private raise the shield!”

I looked to him distress on my face, “Wait, what!?” It was too late, a bubble shield formed around Jack and I, giving us a large dome to spare in, “Oh come one Thunder! Is this really necessary.”

He voice was muffled, but he answered, “Yes it is. I don’t want you to spend 5 minutes running. I want you to actually fight.”

I felt like crying, I was going to die in a bubble.

“Get yourself ready, I ain’t holding back!” Jack voice rang out and echoed in the large bubble.

“This is going to hurt,” I sighed and faced the behemoth pegasus.

Jack jettisoned towards me at break neck speed. He closed the gap in between us in less then a second, luckily I had time to duck. After flying mere inches from my head, he did a full loop and landed in the center of the arena. He stretched out his wings and as he did I noticed a glint of silver light. My eyes strained trying to see what was on his wings, what I saw surprised me. Set on the edge of Jacks wings were thin blades.

“You get a weapon! That’s hardly fair.”

Jack snickered, “Like Thunder said ‘all’s fair in love and war, and this is war’, but it’s not like you don’t have anything. Check your bag,”

I looked to my side and found my bag just on the edge of the force field boundary, but still inside. Out of my bg I produced my crimson and white lance. I flick it out to full size. The large weapon was lightweight and solid.

I was wary about using my lance, for fear of harming Jack, “Jack I don’t want to hurt you,”

Jack smiled, “I know you don’t, but a weapon is used for more than just attacking,” He didn’t wait any longer, he flew to the top of the arena and dived towards me. This time I lunged inwards towards the center of the ring. Jack landed with a crash and a pile of dust merely inches from me.

Out of instinct I threw Jack into the arena wall with my magic. When he hit the wall he let out a grunt of pain. He fell face down into the dirt. While he was recovering I scurried to the far end of the arena with my lance.

I looked out to Thunder with pleading eyes. He called out a muffled by the shield, “four minutes left,”

four minutes, lovely. In four minutes I could be sliced up into several hundred pieces.

By the time Thunder finished Jack was back on his hooves preparing for another charge. He once again went head on. I ducked like the first time, but I also brought up the butt of my lance into the stomach of Jack.

The surprise made Jack lose his focus and flew into the magical wall. With a thud he fell back first into the ground. I could here Ember cheering me on in the background.

Needing time to think I summoned up a barrier of my own over jack. The bubble was barely able to fit Jack and restricted his wings. Jack was flailing wildly trying to break the dome of magic. Slowly cracks appeared in the crimson field.

My plan was to buy time to think, but the concentration required to keep the magic alive left little room in my brain to think. With each pound on the shield a pain in my head would swell.

Eventually Jack was able to escape. When the shield shattered the pain in my head subsided to a light headache.

I could hear Thunder yelling into the ring, “Only two minutes left!”

I had only to survive for a bit longer. This time I charged Jack. With my horn set straight towards his chest, I wasn’t worried about hurting him, I knew he could dodge it.

Jack jumped and landed right behind me as I came to a stop. I turned to him lance in my grasp. “Alright Jack in less than two minutes I’ll be the victor.” I was more confident now than before, less afraid. “What will you do now?”

Jack grind, “No weapons no magic.” He slipped the deadly sleeves of metal from his wings. I followed suit and dropped my lance.

I was the first to move lunging straight for jack. With a prideful ease he dodged my atack. As I fell into the dirt he stepped a heavy hoof onto my back crushing the air out of me.

“You won’t win I assure you. You may be my friend, but I hate losing.” Jack was slowly putting pressure on my back creating a slowly rising pain.

I coughed barely able to breath with my lungs being compressed against the ground. The landscape slowly faded out, being consumed by a darkness. I was barely able to breath and the pain was nearly unbearable. The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was the shield falling.