Adaptation Under Pressure
Author's Note
This is a part of the Jest Days of Christmas, where I update something every single day of December. Go check out the link for the full list and check back everyday for a new update!
Arrival
“What's going on? Where am I?” You ask, your head twisting left and right as you look out over a plain you definitely hadn't been on a second earlier.
All around you spreads a wide grassland dotted occasionally by trees hills, and bits of scrub as well as the odd creek. One thing you do not see, however, is any sign of civilization. No tire tracks, houses, or signs of habitation whatsoever. The land is pristine, perfect, and utterly untouched.
“Greetings champion.” An unnaturally smooth, feminine voice whispers. “I’m sorry to have called you like this, but I’m afraid my situation is a dire one.”
You spin on your heel, fists raised, only to immediately drop your arms when you truly look at the being before you. Your first realization is that this woman is tall, unnaturally tall considering the fact that you were six-three in life. Even still, she towers over you, likely standing at around nine feet tall, thin to boot, her pale flesh pulled tight over her bones. Her long flowing red hair cascades down her back and nearly reaches her hips while her bangs are cut straight and orderly across her forehead.
Her deep blue eyes seem to catch you and pull you in, their navy depths drawing your attention. Only after giving your head a shake are you able to look away from her eyes and down to the rest of her body which is draped in a fine white dress. The dress itself seems oddly plain, the soft fabric without ornament or adornment, and though it added to the woman’s unnatural beauty, it didn't stick out in its own right.
It was only at this point did you realize that she wasn't human, as on her forehead grew a long white horn the same shade as her unnaturally pale skin. You open your mouth to speak but find your words dying on your lips when you notice that not only does she have a horn, but she also has a pair of enormous wings growing from her back.
The feathery appendages are massive and sport long white feathers that seemed slightly out of place at first glance. It was at this point that you shake your head and stumble back a step, the full weight of what's happening suddenly hitting you.
“I’m dead,” you mutter weakly. “Fuck this sucks.”
The woman sighed sadly, her shoulders sagging and giving you get the sense that she feels guilty for something, though you know not what. “You are and you are not.” She declared. “I’m afraid it's rather difficult to explain in terms you will understand.”
“It was a heart attack wasn't it?” You ask. “The doctor always told me to take better care of myself, but did I listen?”
That manages to break the woman out of her funk, at least for a moment. “No, actually, you were not brought low by a heart attack or any earthly malady for that matter.”
“Wait… When you say earthly malady you don't mean I was killed by aliens do you?” You ask, incredulously.
“In a manner of speaking,” The woman replies, cringing slightly. “I made an arrangement of sorts with an entity who promised me a champion capable of saving my world, and now here you are.”
“Wait, so I’m not dead then?” You ask, scratching your head. “This is confusing.”
“It's simple really.” She begins. “Your body was killed, your soul and mind were not destroyed and were instead transported here. From what the merchant told me your earthly body cannot withstand traversing the space between realities, unlike your mind and spirit.”
“Okay…. Wait, hold on, I’m getting isekaid? Really?” You ask.
“I don't know what that means,” the woman admits.
“It's… you know what it doesn't matter,” you sigh. “Continue.”
“Right, well I’ve made a deal with the merchant who provided me with you. He said that your new body will be related to the item you chose from his stand,” she explained. “I do hope you chose something powerful, as I’m afraid the task I lay before you is not an easy one.”
You think back to anything that might relate to what the woman was talking about, only to come up with nothing. Then, just when you’re ready to give up, a flash of memories suddenly explodes into your mind, leaving you baffled, and enraged in equal measure.
“Godamnit,” You yell, stomping your foot. “I just had to get that statue of Kerrigan.”
“Kerrigan?” The woman asks, leaning closer. “Are they a warrior of some kind?”
“I guess you could say that she's from a video game,” you begin. “She ruled over a race called the zerg before ascending to godhood,” you blink. “Wait, does that mean I’ll become a god?”
The woman shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid the merchant said that although your form will not be very powerful originally, it will grow stronger over time and that said form will be related to the item, and may not be the item itself.”
“I better not be a zergling or something.” You mutter, crossing your arms over your chest.
“I’m afraid you won't know until you are reborn in Equestria.” The woman added.
“Okay then, I guess I’ll worry about it later. So, what task or whatever do you have for me?” You inquire.
“My planet, Equis, is going to be assaulted in exactly a year and a day by a force beyond the comprehension of its denizens,” the woman declared. “The ensuing war will wipe out all life on the planet, and usher in an age of absolute darkness. I cannot let this happen.”
“So what do you want me to do then? Raise an army?” You ask.
“I leave the exact strategy up to you, though I would recommend trying to ally the races and convince them of the threat’s validity,” she begins, only to frown. “Though I doubt you will be able to truly accomplish a feat of that magnitude in such little time.”
“That does sound difficult,” you mutter mostly to yourself.
“I must apologize for this,” the woman began, her eyes growing misty. “The man said he would bring me a worthy champion, but refused to say if they would come willingly or not.”
“Hey, it's alright,” you whispered softly. “You were just doing what you could for your world.”
“I don't have much power left, but I promise that if you succeed, I will have the strength to send you back,” she exclaimed.
Her tone was honest, but not exactly the most confident.
“Let’s… cross that bridge when we get to it. What can you tell me about this force?” you ask.
“I believe they are called… Tyranids by their victims,” she murmured. “I can sense that they have consumed many worlds, and have a deep-seated malice for nearly all living creatures.”
“Tyranids?” you exclaim. “That's… not going to be an easy feat.”
“You know of them?” she asked, surprised.
“If they are the same ones from fiction, yes,” you admit. “They are a hyper-advanced galaxy-spanning threat that has taken down empires whose people numbered in the trillions.”
“Oh… oh no,” she muttered, falling to her knees. “My ponies. How… how will they survive this?”
Seeing such a kind person brought low by the weight of terror makes your heart sink and you go to her. A hand on her shoulder, you squeeze reassuringly, flashing her a hopeful smile.
“The merchant said your warrior would be able to win, right? So that means there is still a chance,” you whisper.
“Y-yes. That's right,” she echoes. “Defeat is not certain. Not yet.”
You assist her back to her hooves, and though she remains slightly unsteady, she stands tall once more.
“Great. Now, is there anything else I should know?” you ask her.
“Oh yes!” her eyes light up. “I have strength enough for a single boon, one that I hope will be enough to turn the tide of this coming war.”
“What kind of boon are we talking about here?” you press.
“My little ponies and I are connected on a deep level. What happens to me, happens to them, and through this bond, I can give them a little… boost,” she begins, her tone somewhat hesitant.
“Like, what exactly?” you continue.
“If you give me the knowledge of your world, my ponies will in turn rapidly advance. Provided your level of technology was higher than Equestria’s,” she explained.
“What is the most advanced piece of technology that you have?” you ask.
“Um, the windmill? Or perhaps the printing press,” she replies nervously. “That last one is a surprising little machine that can help its owner make hundreds of books really quite quickly.”
You chuckle. “I’m aware of the printing press.”
“So you’re people are more advanced than that?” she inquires, genuine curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
“Yes, but it would take a long time to explain exactly where we stand,” you reply.
“And we don't have much time. Already I can feel you being pulled to Equestria,” she remarks.
“What are my other options?” you prompt, rolling your hand in an attempt to encourage her to speak faster.
“I could increase the magical potential of my ponies, by breaking the tip of my horn,” she offers, gesturing to the appendage on her head. “Though painful, this process of breaking can dramatically raise my own power considerably, though only after its healed.”
“So your ponies would be smarter, or stronger,” you mutter to yourself. “I could always give them technology when I get there.”
“Yes, but the process would be slow and its adoption even slower. My ponies are… a bit technophobic I’m afraid,” she murmurs in shame. “I knew of how it may harm them and I hindered its evolution. This way technology would come naturally to my ponies.”
You sigh. “Figures. Nothing’s ever easy.”
“Oh um, there is one last possibility, but it is well… a bit different from the other two,” she adds, eyes turning downwards.
You raise an eyebrow curiously. “Oh? And what is that?”
“If I take a lover, their population will increase exponentially in a very short time. If um, you wanted to that is,” she all but whispered, a blush coming to her face.
You blink in shock, and look her body up and down once more, unable to resist. She was certainly attractive, tall, slender, if a bit skinny, but graceful, almost ethereal in a way. She had the kind of beauty you imagine elves would have, except far more approachable, and down to earth.
“Huh,” you mutter. “Just let me think for a second.”
“Do not take too long, my champion. I may be able to extend our time together in order to um, copulate but I will need a decision soon,” she remarks, stuttering briefly when she mentions sex.
You nod. “Right. Let's think about this.”
You are faced with a choice. Will you.
[A] Push Equestria into a post-industrial level of technology.
(B) Make ponies far stronger magically.
[C] Increase their population threefold.
Make your choice quickly, time is running out.
