Pyroneus Dawnlight: The Gatekeeper of Worlds

Chapter Two

A Crash, and a Surprise

I awoke with a start, prepared to fight my way out of a cage, and I was surprised to find that not only was I not bound and locked away, I was on a soft bed. I looked around, still cautious of my surroundings, and sighed as I realised this was somebody’s (very well-kept) home.

Who on earth (no pun intended) would take me in?

My question was answered in the form of a pink-haired human in an off-yellow jacket and a green skirt with a trio of butterflies (was that what they were called?) on her right hip, who just happened to walk in at that thought.

“O-oh my,” she said, clearly startled that I was awake. “I didn’t think anyone could wake so soon after a fall like that.”

Her skin was a yellowish color, similar to her jacket, and I could see she possessed feathery wings as well, folded neatly behind her. Her eyes were a gentle tropical blue color, and she looked at me, showing concern in her face.

Definitely haven’t been asleep long.

I didn’t say a word at first, preferring to avoid contact, but when I tried to get up (and failed), I began to struggle against an invisible bond.

Hmm, not so invisible after all, I guessed, because it turned out to be my right forearm, wrapped in a hard white cloth of sorts and tied to the bed post.

“Oh here, let me!” she said, sounding a bit louder than before (she wasn’t very loud to begin with). I prepared to have my arm unbound, but she instead pushed me back down onto the bed.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING.” I stated, and I clearly frightened her, she ducked away, stating in a near whisper that she was just trying to adjust my ‘cast’.

“RELEASE ME!” I bellowed, and at this point, all she could do was squeak in response. She shakily went to undo the strap holding my arm in place, and then a very determined look ventured into her eyes.

“NO.” she stated. She wasn’t yelling, but it was a very determined voice, commanding even. She stared into my face; I could tell that this stare would normally place any creature within her will.

Some kind of magic? No that can't be right...

Unfortunately for her, I was not controllable. I said nothing, returning the stare. After a moment, her expression softened and she returned to her more subtle state. “Ummm, Twilight said you needed to stay here until she could speak to you……..”

Twilight? Who is that?

I sensed a magical barrier was also holding me here. Of course, even though it was one of the most powerful shields I’d ever encountered (and that is saying something), I could break it with ease. I chose against it.

I suppose I’ll play along until I determine just who this ‘Twilight’ character is.

“I have to go tell Twilight you’re awake. Promise you won’t leave before she can talk to you?” She was attempting to be commanding again, but she must have exhausted herself the first time, she almost sounded like she was begging.

This one is a bit unpredictable, I thought to myself, but I don’t think she’d hurt anything without good reason. Very strange.

I gave a petrifying glare, but nodded once, and she left the room, flying off somewhere outside. Now that she had left, I was able to give myself a once over, and it appeared my leg had indeed broken, though I knew it was already stitched back together after the insane fall I had just been through. I decided I had best just lie still and wait; the sooner the bone fuses and I heal fully, the better.

I had a chance to take in my surroundings once again, but I chose against it, pondering how someone so timid could have possibly been brave enough to step within a mile of me, much less have brought me here and cared for me. She had a very motherly feel about her, almost like she cares for anything that moves.

How is that possible? She was shaking after I raised my voice….. I couldn’t wrap my head around it, however much I tried. “Maybe she-”

My thoughts were interrupted as I sensed a teleport spell. A moment later, with a loud POP, the woman had returned, teleported by a purple-skinned woman with lavender streaks in her hair, a speckled blue-purple shirt, and a star on her dark purple skirt. She had a subtle air of genius that surrounded her, the kind that tells you when someone is eager to prove they know more than you do. I realised immediately this was who had cast the barrier around me, noting the small horn above her eyebrows. She looked at me with great interest, but stopped to speak to the other girl.

“Thank you for informing me of this Fluttershy, I need to speak with him alone for a moment.” She nodded and left, her shoulders relaxing, glad to be out of room I was in. “Well, you certainly scared everybody, falling from the sky like that. I thought you were a meteoroid considering how quick and illuminated you were. I was surprised when I arrived at the crash and Fluttershy told me she found a man under all that gravel and dirt. I had Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, AND Fluttershy help me and Rarity carry you. You're... unnaturally heavy when you’re asleep. We barely made it back here, and I was sure the bed would just collapse under you.”

Of course I am heavy, it’s so no one can move me by themselves.

“I’d certainly like to know how you survived entering the atmosphere. And where you came from. Oh, and if you’re wondering, you’ve been out for about a day.”

Great, a whole day, like that matters to me, I’ve got all the time in the multiverse. Hopefully the rest won’t be spent listening to this woman pester me.

“Can you even speak? Fluttershy was too scared to tell me what, if anything, you had said. Poor girl, she’s so timid…..” She trailed off, waiting for a response.

I graced her with one. “Yes, I can speak, and yes, I did speak to her. I told her to release me from this bed; not that I needed to ask, I could easily have left as I pleased. Not even a shield as powerful as this one you’ve cast could hold the likes of me. I stayed because I was intrigued as to who could have been so bold as to drag me all the way back to their home, and I wished to meet the creature that cast this shield.”

Her expression turned to one of shock as she realised I knew about the barrier. She regained her composure and said, “W-well, I figured you weren’t going to be held by just a few straps here and there. I learned that when my levitation magic wouldn’t lift you more than an inch. So what are you doing here? Why did you fall from the sky?”

Always questions, this one. “Do not take my answering two of your questions as invitation for more," I said, an icy edge creeping into my tone."If you simply can’t live without knowing, I was on your satellite, defending it from destruction, and I fell because I let my guard down.” I paused a moment and then said, as sarcastically as I could muster, “Any more questions?” At this, she looked a little annoyed; GOOD, now she knows how I feel.

“YES, A FEW,” she snapped, “I am in close contact with Princesses Celestia AND Luna. As such, it is my responsibility to point out these strange events. And just WHO are YOU?!”

Wait for it.

“Wait, did you say our satellite? As in the MOON?” Bingo, we have a genius.

“Yes, I did; and as for who I am, I am the protector of the multiverse, and I would suggest you not raise your voice to me again.” I sat up. “Remember, there is nothing keeping me in this bed, and if you’d like me to KEEP answering questions, I think it is time you answered my own.”

She stared at me for a moment, then with an air of obvious annoyance she said, “Fine, what do you want to know?” I bit through the rope holding my leg up (and inconspicuously showing my sharp teeth), and began.

“First, where am I? Who are these Princesses you talk about? And who are you and your friends? You all seem to be more than average Equestrians. Answer these questions, and I will tell you who I am, within reason.”

It’s not that I couldn’t tell her everything; it’s just that some things are not meant for humans (or any creature for that matter) to hear. She seemed relieved I had asked so little.

Ha, I could’ve been a lot worse than that.

There was something special about this group; I could sense it, and I wanted to know as fast as possible what that was.

“Okay,” she began after a few moments of deliberation, “You wanted to know where you are. Well, obviously you’re in Fluttershy’s Cottage, but to be more precise, you are at the edge of the Everfree Forest, near the heart of Equestria, on the planet of Earth. I figured since you didn’t know the Princesses, you might wish to know what planet you were on. As for who they are, the Princesses are our rulers, the bringers of day and night and the keepers of order in the land. Celestia raises the sun at dawn and lowers it at dusk to make room for Luna and her moon. I can tell you she will be very grateful to you for protecting it. As for me and my friends….”

She launched into a tale of her arrival in the town of Ponyville, her meeting of her dearest friends, her discovery and use of the Elements of Harmony against a wicked creature known as Nightmare Moon, and later the Draconequus Discord (my eyes widened: I knew that name very well). After that, she retold their battle against the changeling queen, Chrysalis, who had impersonated the bride-to-be, Princess Cadence. I was most surprised at these revelations, I hadn’t heard the Elements mentioned in over a thousand years. Now here I was, speaking to the Element of Magic herself.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover?” No kidding…..

“Well, is that a good enough answer for you? There isn’t much more to tell really……” I had been contemplating all of the information she had presented to me; she had been finished for longer than I had thought.

“Yes, I believe I’ve heard enough, but there is one more thing I must ask: Show me to where I crashed, and tell your friends to meet us there. I don’t much like repeating myself.”