Legend of the Sword Heroineby Ocelot the DevilChaptersPrologueChapter 1 - While you studied Magic, I studied the Blade.Chapter 2 - Fitness and Sword, Good for the Mind and Body.PrologueAnother day... another opportunity for a quiet outing around the city., were his thoughts as he kept to himself, walking down the road. So far, it was a peaceful afternoon with the sun still out and the usual stroll around his hometown. Starting to become a pattern if he was being honest. The boy, around 17 but slowly approaching 18 years of age, featured a pale complexion with him having short-styled light brown-colored hair and crystal blue eyes that were shielded by glasses. He donned a white short-sleeve dress shirt with a red tie and a pair of grey jeans while his footwear consisted of black boots. A set of black finger-less gloves covered both of his hands. Right now, he had no other goal and was just walking about... today was Sunday and that meant one thing: the stores were all closed. He hated it... almost as much as he hated living with his parents. His sister was pretty much 'okay' in his book... Still didn't answer the question: What to do or where exactly was he to go...? The sun was still out so he had some time to kill even if he didn't have much of a plan for the moment. Plus, his sister was with friends and he was all alone for the moment. Actually... come to think about it, some of the cafes were open at this very moment. Pulling out his phone, he activated the app for the map and began to search for the nearest cafe that was close to his location. One of the places he had discovered had been given a four out of five stars, eh? And it was near his location... hmm, might as well go and see. If the cafe's workforce was anything good and the atmosphere was too peaceful, he was going to have a wonderful time. Just in case, he read some reviews about this 'Artistic' cafe - only a few of them were in the negative zone. But most were positive... Good enough for him. He'll have a chance to try out their drinks. “Looks like I'm settled for the evening.” He declared with a grin as he turned off the phone, pocketing it back. Beginning once more to walk, he headed down the street and cut corners as best he could to reach the cafe. Thankfully, his phone was also directing him to his destination, down an avenue and- His walking was halted as his gaze was directed towards flashing lights at the end of the street. With a curious expression on his face, he decided to spare a moment and see what exactly it was. To his surprise, it was a store. Opened on a Sunday which was ironic since everything else had been closed. Hmm, should he spare a moment to investigate and see what was inside? He had time to spare until the sunset. Heading inside, he suddenly found himself in a different world. Filled with anime, manga, and games - video and board. There were also movies (action, horror, musicals too). Holy crap! This was indeed a new world for him... he imagined himself spending a lot of time in this store or with his sister. Since he was an anime/manga fan, he took his time exploring the store. Walking around shelves and taking a good look at the merchandise in stock. He hoped to find a manga of My Hero Academia or Fairy Tail. Those series were his favorite in the whole world. If he was lucky, then he would find a manga that he wasn't familiar with yet. As he was looking, he fell upon one that he had never seen before. Although it would have been better if the mangaka had put a lot more work on the front page! The entire cover art was brown-colored and it depicted some sort of shadowy figure that was posing with a blade and a shield. It also had a title that was decorated in bright red with yellow outlines: *Journey of the Sword Heroine.* - Unknown. Unknown mangaka? Was this some kind of sick joke? Who in the hell draws a manga but doesn't even do a proper job of fixing the cover art first? Also, judging from the shadow with the blade at the front, it was obvious that this was the protagonist of the story. Nevertheless, he opened it and... was caught by blank pages. Blank squares with nothing in them? Was this a joke someone was playing on him? Not only was the cover art completely unfinished but the entire manga as well! This was a complete gyp! Frowning, he was about to put it back when he noticed that the pages began to glow a bright light which confused him. Before he could yell the pages suddenly began to flip back and forth as he felt himself being sucked inside, unable to scream for help. The golden glow encovered the entire store, blinding any patrons that were inside... safe to the poor boy that was soon sucked inside the near-empty manga which dropped on the ground entirely. Once the light died down, all was quiet once more in the store. Safe for one change - the missing boy who had made the mistake of reading the unfinished manga. In fact, at that very moment, his unconscious form was passing through time and space itself... his male body was glowing a bright white light. Neither his body nor could be visible anymore as it continued soaring through the vortex. Soon enough, another portal had opened allowing the young boy to pass through... but not in his old form. He would soon find out that there was not one but two surprises that awaited him once he had reached his destination. (*???*) A cold wind blew into their unconscious form as they shivered in their sleep. Someone had best turn on the heat before she froze to death. Moments later, their eyelids opened to reveal a blurry sight. She could make out green, lush, and... thick? A forest maybe? Not certain yet to be honest. Another thing was the body... it felt so heavy, especially around the chest area. Along with the headache, it's safe to assume that something bad happened last night. Sitting up slowly, another breeze made them shiver yet again. Why did their head feel so light... along with a twitching atop? Or rather... a double twitch on the head. Weird. Another thing: why was their body so damn heavy!? Rubbing the eyelids, the vision was finally cleared as they looked down and immediately froze, blinking. They rubbed their eyelids once more only to see the two developed mountains on the chest! Or in other words... they were BREASTS! She blinked, rubbing her eyes once more and praying that they were just lying to her. Yet the two mountains remained on her chest! Just like any good and rational person, she decided at that moment to release a scream. So many questions had formed in her head: HOW AND WHY DID SHE HAVE BREASTS!? WHEN DID SHE EVEN GET THEM!? ALSO, SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A BOY, NOT A GIRL! And then she halted and looked down... she was completely NAKED!!! Another scream was released! This was a disaster! How could- Wait... why was she a WOMAN AT ALL!? SHE WAS A BOY! At that moment, she halted as it all came back - the store with different media, him walking around town and that empty manga! He/She remembered it all! Her head was spinning from the overload of questions with a lack of answers. Feeling the breeze once more, she stood up and covered herself with her hands even though it was probably useless to do so. She covered her breasts and crotch, feeling very embarrassed. "How'd I even end up being a chick in the first place...?" She wondered, noticing that her voice had also experienced a change. She had hoped that her old voice would remain yet there was no God. Now what was she supposed to do? Where would she even head towards? And if there were people nearby, were they going to be hostile to her? Another gust of wind made her shiver once more as she jumped into the nearest bush. So embarrassing! What was she supposed to do now? "Imagine my life right now. A naked woman stuck in a forest, somewhere in Europe or America. What a fucked-up situation this is..." The young woman admitted. Right now, her main goal was to find out where she was. Along with finding clothes that fit her size, ones that fit her breasts. ...If there were any around, obviously. Spotting a nearby bush, she began to jump from one to another. Halfway, both of her ears- Wait, she only had one set... why did she imagine having double? And why was she hearing singing...? She then halted. Singing!? Aw, crap! That meant... people nearby! She had better take caution and avoid being spotted. She was still naked after all! She counted the pros and cons of the mess she was in right now: on the one hand, she could find out where she was and ask for directions to the nearest city/town. And the other was being ridiculed and laughed... along with being oogled by men. Damn it... she didn't have much choice now, did she? Sighing heavily, she followed the singing... all the while wondering why the twitch atop her head was happening. And why the hell she can't control it! Hopping from one bush to another, her ears perked at the sounds of running water. Getting closer, she noticed some clothes that were hanging from a tree nearby. They were too exposed to her. Not to mention it was something she wouldn't want to wear at all... who wears loincloths? Well... she was in a jungle, to be honest, so yeah that's a dumb question. The clothes would have to do... at least until she got another piece of attire to wear. The girl crept closer while the singing continued... she couldn't see the woman at the moment. Taking a deep breath, she proceeded onward towards the next bush as the clothes were above her. Whoever was still singing was focused on themselves and not her. It allowed her to steal the clothes as long as she was quick. No need to waste any precious time. She took out her hand and began to reach up the branch. She could feel the touch... so close! Only to immediately halt as she felt some sharp flying past her hand which made her yelp in pain as she brought it down to see... a small part of the skin was cut along with some blood pouring out. She reacted in shock... how and when did...? The most important question on her mind though: Who had managed to send that knife flying towards her? Peaking her head out, she noticed that the knife had lodged itself into a tree. How on Earth did that happen? "You know the old saying: cheaters never prosper." A voice spoke behind her, startling the girl. She jumped back into the bush and shivered completely... keeping silent and hoping that- "I'm still here, mind you. If you're going to run away, now is the time to do so..." The voice warned her. The girl jumped up once more, turning slowly and shivering... until she came face to face with the owner. ...Who was sitting atop a wooden staff, glaring at the girl? A dark-skinned young woman with a mohawk, colored in black-and-white while both of her irises were strong cyan-colored. Judging from how she spoke to the girl, it was clear she wasn't in the mood to play games or appreciate being stolen from. And the fact she was entirely naked with water dripping down from her body didn't help. The girl gulped a bit and prepared to jump away from another bush only to be held at knife point by the woman. "I don't appreciate being stolen from, little raccoon..." R-raccoon? Where did that come from...? The girl immediately covered her eyes. "Put some clothes on, PLEASE!" She demanded. The demand was unamusing to the woman who crossed her arms. "Do you mean MYSELF or rather... YOU?" She asked pointing at the girl. The girl, blushing heavily, ducked down but poked out her head. "N-never-mind that! Who are you!?" She demanded the answer. “How rude asking me for my name without telling me yours first, little raccoon.” The woman admitted, shaking her head. Again with the raccoon bit!? Come on!!! But all the girl did was shake her head. "I don't even know who I am. Let alone remembering what my name is." She admitted. The woman placed a hand on her chin, thinking. Hmm... a nameless raccoon girl who didn't even know anything at all. Let alone her name, eh? Interesting. "I woke up naked in the forest... where am I exactly?" The girl questioned. "Equis. You're in the Everfree Forest, where dangerous creatures roam about. Now then..." She trailed off while acquiring the loincloth from the branches, putting it on. Said girl was relieved heavily as she no longer had to look at the naked form. But then she noticed that the woman had fished into her pockets and pulled out a bottle filled with a blackish-yellow liquid. "Reveal yourself to me!" She threw the potion into the bush which exploded and exposed the young woman from it. The dark-skinned woman took a closer look at her... hmm, tall and developed. Around 17 or 18 years of age. She featured a fair complexion with her long hair reaching down to her waist with it being coloured in red along with the fluffy tanuki ears attached atop her head. The woman noticed a bushy tail moving around, twitching. Her height was at 5’2 with a lean build having a developed body with muscles and a great bust. “Hm, very interesting.” She told the girl, continuing to strike her chin. Before the tanuki girl could inquire as to what she was talking about, the woman got off the staff she was sitting on. “I have something you can wear in my hut.” “Oh? What’s the catch?” The girl asked, brow raised. The woman shrugged. “My reasons are my own. Unless you rather spend the rest of the day in your birthday suit?” She responded, amused. Said young woman, blushed once more, using her hands to cover herself. She contemplated what to do: go with the woman willingly and get a proper attire or… be stubborn and remain naked. Her blush, increased, made her groan. In the end, she didn’t exactly have any choice. Plus, walking around naked was PROBABLY not the best idea. Sighing, she walked next to the woman. “I’ll follow you… for now. What’s your name?” She inquired. “Zecora,” The woman replied. The girl gave a nod as the dark-skinned woman looked at her. "You don't have a name, yes?" She asked. She gave a nod in response, wondering what to pick as a name. “Memory loss as well,” Zecora replied, shaking her head. "I don't have memory loss! I just... don't have... I... um..." The girl trailed off, unable to think of an answer. “Don’t have what?” Zecora asked amused. The girl, embarrassed, sighed. "N-nevermind... just... let's just find a way out of this forest." “Very well, I shall lead. Stay close at all times... this forest isn't a children's playground.” Zecora led the girl away. The girl followed suit, not certain how or what to respond with. Best to just keep one eye open, see what happens in the end. She kept up, covering her naked body with her hands. "S-so... you live in this forest?" She inquired. The woman looked at her and nodded. "Yes. I do not mind interactions with humans but I often prefer my privacy in order to work better. Brewing potions and writing recipes." She explained. Brewing potions? Was this a witch by chance? "Are you a witch?" The girl inquired. Zecora let out a chuckle. "More like a Shaman and Herbalist... I brew potions, yes. However, they are mostly harmless and are for the citizens of Ponyville." Ponyville, eh? Sounds like a decent place to start searching for answers. After some time, Zecora led the girl to her home, which was revealed to be a house inside a tree. Huh, how interesting and befitting of a voodoo witch. "That's your home?" The girl asked, poiting at the tree. "Indeed. The nature provides all that one needs in order to survive." Zecora admitted, opening the door. Said girl gave a nod as entered into the hut itself. Everything was situated on the first floor entirely. A cauldron over a fireplace, warm bed with sheets, vials sitting on the shelves filled with liquids... didn't know what types though yet. She also spotted some creepy masks and reserved staffs leaning on the wall. All in all, wasn't exactly a bad place. Kinda cozy to live here if she was also a witch. Her eyes noticed that there was steam coming out from the cauldron along with something being prepared. "Oh? Making some dinner, are we?" The girl inquired something atop her hair twitch once more. Zecora looked at her with a confused expression. "Stew?" She asked until the girl pointed at the pot which was on the fire. "Oh! No, no... that's not stew. It's a magic potion." Ah… that explains. Zecora did mention something about an ‘Equis’ and ‘Everfree Forest’… hmm, not exactly any familiar locations that were on Earth. Wait… was she on another world!? No… it had to be a dream. Also, another thing… “Magic?” She inquired, eyes widened. Zecora turned and nodded. "Yes... it seems that you aren't from around these parts." She admitted, stroking her chin. “You have no idea.” The girl replied with a blush. The dark-skinned woman then pointed at her closet. "Let us fetch you an outfit suitable for your tastes." Zecora declared. Opening the closet, she pulled out some clothes of the modern variety - shirts, skirts... shoes. Anything that could be of use to cover her naked body. Zecora gave her a sundress and flats to try on along with a bra and some panties. Slipping the undergarments, she found out that they were a perfect fit... Next, she donned on the sun-dress and flats. Noticing a mirror nearby, she walked over and examined herself... along with finding out why the thing atop was twitching... BECAUSE OF A PAIR OF RACCOON EARS! She was about to scream only for Zecora to silence her with the staff. "Hold your tongue, child... the last thing we need is to bring unwanted attention on us from the creatures in the Everfree." She warned the girl with the ears. It made her blush in embarrassment followed by a sigh as she kept looking at her reflection. Comfy and sturdy... not to mention lots of space as well. "Hmm... not bad." The girl complimented. A smile on her face. Zecora nodded. "Indeed. It would suffice if there is a celebration or a day out in the stores. Speaking of which..." She halted and pulled out some more clothing choices. Her second attire was a t-shirt with a skirt, leggings and sneakers. A beret along with some sunglasses too... "Hmm... casual attire. For an outing." The girl stated. "It would seem so.” Zecora agreed with her words before asking a question. “What do you traditionally wear?” "Hm, I guess - normal clothes. In the land where I come from - it's just casual stuff." The girl responded with a shrug. Zecora gave a nod, “Hmm, interesting. Any other preference?" She inquired. The girl, pausing for a little bit, scratched her head. Another choice for an attire? "Casual... not particularly since these two might serve me well. However... do you have something befitting for adventure?" The girl inquired. Despite the meeting with Zecora and accepting (reluctantly) the offer to come with her, sparing the dignity of going around naked on this land, the girl still wasn't certain how much SAFE this world really was. Best to be prepared... just in case she ran into something dangerous. Like a giant spider or a wolf. Probably a bit paranoid... yet better safe than sorry. Zecora hummed. "I may have something that you can use. Let me fetch the chest." The girl confusingly tilted her head as Zecora rushed towards her bed. What exactly was she looking for underneath it? Something about a 'chest'...? It was quite a large box... hmm, judging from the size and the fact that Zecora was pushing it, it was heavier than it first seemed. The girl looked at Zecora who gave a nod. The raccoon girl opened the chest and looked through its contents to find an outfit that had been refitted with armor. Also, there was a blade and a shield. “Where exactly did you find this?” The girl with the ears questioned, looking at the contents. “A week ago, outside my hut,” Zecora replied before adding. “I was planning on selling it since I do not need to wear armor.” Well, that made sense since Zecora was comfortable wearing that loincloth and it befitted her jungle-like appearance. She looked at Zecora before asking. "Can I try it on?" “Go ahead,” Zecora encouraged her before walking towards her cauldron. “I have some orders to fill in.” Giving a nod, the girl took out the clothes and removed her second casual attire before getting dressed. First, she slipped on the brownish-copper-colored leather ankle-length boots on her pale-skinned feet and legs. She noticed the metal armor acting as boot bracers which was definitely a good idea. Next, she slipped on the white-colored blouse-like dress on her body followed by the black tunic with red in the middle with slits at the bottom with a pair of golden buttons. A red ribbon was tied around her neck. She attached the silver-armored breastplate on her chest and the spaulder on her right shoulder before slipping on a pair of brownish-copper gloves with metal bracelets on her hands. The girl noticed two yellow headbands that she attached to the bangs at the front, fixing her hair completely. Once done, she walked over and examined herself in the mirror. Dress and armor fitted her well... comfy too. "Well, should be acceptable for the time being... adventurer mixed with a little bit of knight in there." She joked, smiling amusingly. Looking back in the chest, only two things remained - the shield and the sword. She wasted no time in picking them up. The blade wasn't anything special - an average silver with a brown handle and a guard that featured a gem in it. As for the shield, it was a bilabial one, colored in silver with a simple green gem on it. "Hmm... the weapons of a knight." The girl commented, rubbing her chin. So... at her best guess, this was an adventure for her. And she may as well be the main character of this story. Although, there was one problem: she had no idea what the goal of all this was. Come to think of it, how did she even end up in the forest completely? Who or what brought her here? Scratching her head or ears, she went silent to think. Just as her stomach began to growl a little. The girl blushed. Guess in all this excitement and mystery she hadn't eaten anything. Crap... Zecora, having overheard the belly rumble due to being in the room, released a chuckle. "Good thing I've made lunch... do you want some?” Zecora questioned her new roommate. Another stomach growl followed by the girl blushing. "I'm down." She agreed. “Good...” Zecora replied before giving her a look of concern, “Do you need help? You seem worried at the moment.” She admitted. The girl shook her head. "No... I'm just... figuring things out on my own. What's for lunch?" She inquired. "Stew. I think you'll like it." Zecora assured her. Shrugging, the girl took a seat on a stool next to the table as Zecora accessed the cupboard, pulling out some bowls and utensils. Time for a good meal... or whatever passes around these parts. (*Meanwhile...*) Faraway... the flowers were blooming as she halted to sniff the roses. They felt so perfect... She began to snap a few roses for a bouquet, as one of the maids approached the garden with a tray of tea and cakes. The woman stopped what she was doing and turned to the maid. "Thank you... you may put it on the table. I'll be done soon enough." She responded to the hired help. The maid, nodding, put the tray with the tea and biscuits on the table before departing away from the garden. Said woman resumed her duty... and kept an eye on the roses. The young woman's moderate cyan eyes stared at the red flowers as her fair-skinned right hand held the scissors with which she snapped off the stem while the left one was being protected by a garden glove. Her hair was a long and wavy one which was colored in a moderate sapphire blue with a grayish Persian blue outline. She wore her royalty attire which consisted of a light-dark blue top with a Moon symbol that showcased her cleavage, a light blue arm bracelet was on her right hand while a disconnected long sleeve covered her left. Her lower attire was a dark blue skirt that covered her knees and lastly light blue sandals with blue soles adorned her feet. The dark crown rested atop her hair while a small string with a red rose held both the skirt and top together. Soon enough, she was finishing up her bouquet, placing it into a vase filled with water. With a sigh released, she couldn't help but smile... another job well done in her wonderful garden. She looked at her handy work and nodded. "That's done for today..." Just then her peaceful moment was cut off by the hearing of footsteps... she looked and saw her royal guards approaching. The Night Watch? What exactly were they doing here? She approached them with caution but calmness as well. They were her Royal Guards after all. One of the main leads... a captain, bowed in respect. "Princess Luna." Luna held her hand out. "At ease, Captain Nightshade. What have you to report?" The captain, out of breath, took small pockets of air before responding. "Your majesty... our mages reported a sighting of a huge magical surge coming from Equis... more specifically the Everfree Forest." “Hmm, what kind of sighting?” Luna inquired with a look of interest. The captain could not answer that since he had only gotten this information from the mages not too long ago. Instead, he answered. "We're uncertain yet since the mages are investigating... and yet..." Luna raised her hand, having heard enough. “Go to the Everfree Forest. Investigate the source and report back to me ASAP. Am I understood?” She questioned. "We shall prepare the carriages immediately... although... what of the elder Princess?" The captain inquired with a worried expression. Upon hearing that, Luna's face turned to dread... she didn't want to deal with that. Not at this hour, at least. I'll handle that myself, Captain” She sighed before making a serious face. “Now go. Daylight is burning.” She ordered. "Yes, Princess... you do know that she won't take kindly to this though." The captain reminded her. Luna had to suppress the urge to release a sigh and rubbed her eyes. "Transparently... Now get going, Captain." She gave her orders. The captain soon departed along with his men with Luna returning to her tea and biscuits. Beforehand though, she washed her hands with some wet tissues since she didn't want to get any germs all over the yummy biscuits. Not to mention, she was feeling a bit thirsty as well. Sitting down on her garden chair, she poured some tea in a cup and brought it closer to her lips. I should see what else remains on my schedule... the day is still young, Luna told herself in her mind. Her mind drifted back to what the captain had told her... and still prayed it was nothing serious. Chapter 1 - While you studied Magic, I studied the Blade.Deep in the cottage, the young raccoon girl was sipping on the stew that Zecora prepared, enjoying the woman's company who wasn't just eating but also meditating. How exactly was this being accomplished...? The girl must have concluded that this woman must have a lot of patience and physical skill to focus on both tasks. Oh, well... best not to say anything. She needed all the quiet she could get if she was trying to meditate. For now, the girl just sipped her stew and her mind drifted back to other worries. After she was rested, what exactly would be her next course of action? She had no idea where to go or what her goal was. For the moment, she was... completely hopeless. Her ears overheard another sip as she quietly thought about her actions... Zecora was quietly chewing and meditating. Ignoring it, the girl focused on her meal and had other things on her mind. As for the dark-skinned woman, she eventually opened her eyes and took a deep breath. The girl swallowed the chewed-up bits and looked at the woman. "Something on your mind?" She questioned her. Zecora shook her head. "Not really, no. Have you tried meditating?" She inquired. The raccoon girl's action response was to shake her head. "Not really... no. My mind is focused on other things." She responded, taking a sip. Zecora hummed with a smile. "Like your plan after you've recovered your strength?" “Yeah. Are you a mind reader or something?” The girl wondered. Zecora, keeping her smile, closed her eyes and thought at the same time. How can one eat and think quietly, The girl thought in her mind. Finishing up the soup, Zecora opened her eyes and looked at the girl. “You mentioned that you did not know your name at all?” She questioned. "Nothing at all. I did tell you I awoke in the forest in my birthday suit." She responded, reminding her. "Yes... you told me. That might be complicated if I have to introduce you to anyone important." Zecora replied, scratching her chin. The raccoon girl frowned before opening her mouth. "Someone important? Like who?" She questioned. "I know many of the citizens around Equis, not to mention that I'm also a friend to a group of girls that live outside of the Everfree Forest," Zecora explained and then paused, frowning once more. "Oh, dear..." "Oh, dear? Oh, dear... what?" The raccoon questioned. "Someone may arrive in my hut to question who you are. Depending on their reactions or not, you may become the center of attention." Zecora explained, rubbing her chin more aggressively. It would seem that she hadn't even come to that conclusion yet. How wonderful this was! Waking up in the body of a woman, naked in the forest, and now this! More attention that she didn't need! "So, what do I need to do then?" She questioned Zecora. "First things first..." Zecora began after a small silence of thinking. "Tell me if you remember anything from before. Perhaps your memory isn't as gone as you can imagine." She encouraged. The girl wasn't sure about that yet shrugged before going silent to think. What was the last thing she remembered...? Something about books? Weapons, maybe...? She halted... remembering something... a store... with books. Ah! That's it! She remembered that part! "O-okay... I was in a store, searching for a book... if I remember correctly." She began as Zecora hummed without saying a word. The raccoon girl decided to continue thinking on what else happened before being summoned to this land without explanation. "This happened when I was still a boy, I think... Searching for books and then stumbling upon one called Legend of the Sword Heroine." Zecora's ears perked up along with her eyes widening a little bit. "Is that so...? What happened next...?" She questioned. Raccoon girl scratched her head. What happened next...? First, she opened the book and then... then... light or something? Wait, brightness... Ah! That's it! "Now I remember!" The girl gasped. "Yes? Do tell me please." Zecora responded. The raccoon nodded. "Once I opened the book to read, I discovered it was a blank with unfinished pages and what followed was a blinding light that teleported me on this world in the body of this woman. Then we met... and that's my story in a nutshell." She finished explaining. Zecora stroked her chin... a boy that had been transformed into a girl with raccoon ears and a tail thanks to reading a blank book. And summoned for an unknown purpose... yet that title that she had been told just a few seconds ago made her pause. She stood up. "I'll be right back. Just need to fetch something that may help us both in the long course." Zecora responded before departing towards her bedroom, disappearing from sight. The raccoon just sat and ate her stew, well finishing up the last of the contents. She was wondering what Zecora would be giving her to help with their problem... well, hers mainly. The dark-skinned woman returned from the bedroom but wasn't empty-handed. She was holding a book with a brown cover art on it. "Here you go." She handed over the book to the raccoon who examined it. The main cover depicted a circlet, which contained four weapons - a sword, spear, bow and a staff. The title atop was: Legends of the Four Heroes. "What's this book about?" She wondered. "The Four Heroes and their respective weapons. There's a page in here about the Sword Hero... or, more specifically, the Sword Heroine." Zecora explained. Wait... sword heroine? Was Zecora referring to her? That had to be impossible... a coincidence, nothing else. And yet... Zecora had taken the book back and opened it, flipping the pages. Then she halted and showed one of the pages to the girl whose eyes widened upon seeing it. "What... is this...?" She asked, being unable to finish. Zecora frowned. "I believe... this is you." On said page was indeed the raccoon girl who was holding both a sword and a shield. Yet that can't be a coincidence! There had to be more to this story. She flipped the rest of the pages and began to research. Apparently, there were also other sword heroes/heroines before her yet their exploits have already been recorded into legend. Most of them had names that she herself wasn't familiar with. All of this made the girl's head spin entirely... she continued to read though: In our time of need, four heroes would be summoned to the world of Equis, each wielding a single weapon. Their ultimate destiny is to fight off mysterious beasts known as the Waves of Calamity. They appear once nearly a hundred years... And the girl trailed on, reading until the end of the chapter to better understand it. There was a lot of information on the sword, its capabilities and other useful info. Once done, she looked at Zecora, frowning. "So... if I'm to understand it perfectly, I was summoned and turned into a woman all because I was chosen to fight off these "Waves of Calamity"?" Zecora nodded. "Exactly. It would seem that due to the summons that lead you on this world, you have no choice but to defend our land against the waves." She explained. The girl blinked before sighing heavily. "But I'm not even supposed to be here! I got summoned by accident! Can't someone else just take my job for me?" She questioned. Zecora shook her head in response. "I'm afraid not... once a person has been chosen to wield the blade, they have no say in the matter. If there was a way to reverse the process and send you back, it would have been done... and yet, I'm sorry." She apologized. The girl's shoulder slumped in misery as she groaned. Great! First, she ended up as a woman with raccoon ears, then she finds herself in another world and now learns that she is one of the Legendary Weapon wielders! How wonderful this is! ...Ugh, can this day get any worse? Zecora knew how to calm the young woman and walked over to her counters. As for the girl, she rubbed her eyes, wondering what the hell to do now. Should she even accept this insane fate? Embrace the role of swordswoman and fight off monsters? She has a life- WELL, she had a life back home but still... At that moment, her nostrils picked up a scent of chamomile mixed with honey and sugar... Mmm, smelled good. A cup was then offered to her and she looked to see Zecora holding it. "Here. Tea to help calm your nerves." The girl, nodding, took it and sniffed. Mmm... it was indeed a wonderful scent. Bringing the cup up to her lips, she took a sip from the tea, being careful to not burn her tongue. "How is it?" Zecora questioned after watching her sip. "Tasty... and calming too." She complimented. "I'm glad..." Zecora nodded before clasping her hands together. "I've made my decision to train you." She declared. "Train me?" The girl asked, tilting her head confused. "In wielding the blade and the shield properly." Zecora explained, clearing up the confusion. The girl blinked, uncertain she heard that... and once her brain recovered from the confusion, she asked. "You what?" "You heard me, young raccoon: I will be taking the mantle of your teacher in teaching you how to use the blade properly. Along with your shield, of course." Zecora responded, making her intentions clear. The girl just stared at her, unable to mutter a simple word nor sentence. For at least a few moments... Just as Zecora was about continue speaking, a knock on the door interrupted whatever she was about to say. The dark-skinned woman frowned. "A visitor at this hour?" She walked over to the door and peeked through the peephole. She immediately frowned and shook her head. Why were they here? Looking at the raccoon girl, she opened her mouth. "You need to hide immediately." "What? Why?" She questioned Zecora. Before Zecora could respond, a knock on the door came. The woman had no time to explain and told her guest to take refuge in the closet before she was discovered. Confused at what was going on, she heard some more knocking on the front door. One look at Zecora's face told her that it was not the time to protest but to obey for the moment. Sighing, she quickly took refuge in the closet and closed the doors... everything became pitch black yet there was a small hint of light coming from some peeopholes. Hmm, would it provide her an opportunity to listen in? Taking the risk but being silent, she brought her ears (both of them) against the peephole. She could hear the door opening along with Zecora's voice speaking to someone that was unknown. "Ah, Twilight Sparkle! What brings the Element of Magic to my humble abode?" Zecora's voice questioned. "Official business." The voice that the raccoon assumed was Twilight responded. "Oh? And that would be...?" Again, Zecora responded. "Investigating. Zecora, I've detected a presence in the Everfree Forest... I would like you to give me permission to investigate please." Presence? Did this 'Twilight' meant her? The raccoon girl frowned... being referred to as a 'presence'. What a rude gesture. Luckily, she was saved by the bell thanks to Zecora's next reply. "I'm sorry but the answer is no. I cannot allow you to barge into my hut uninvited." “I’m sorry Zecora, but this is important.” responded Twilight. It was obvious she was trying to gain entry by any means necessary. Yet Zecora was once more saving her skin or ass in this case by responding with a final tone. "No. That is my final answer... if you don't leave, I will report you to the princess..." The raccoon girl felt so guilty for misjudging the woman with the staff... here she was, defending her. Right now, she felt deep gratitude towards Zecora. A small silence occurred as the raccoon kept quiet and listened... for a little bit, there was a little bit of arguing from both Zecora and Twilight. Apparently, the latter was demanding that she enter the hut anyways and examine the place yet the former was adamant, telling her that she doesn't have the right nor the warrant to barge into people's homes. *Come on, damn it... take a hint and leave!*, the girl thought in her mind, pleading that Zecora would dismiss her. After a lot of arguing and demands, she overhead one of them sighing heavily followed by an agreement to leave. Twilight's words, no doubt. Yet there was one last question that came from this 'Twilight'. "Have you seen anything suspicious or interacted with strange individuals?" "No, I haven't. Honest truth, Twilight Sparkle." Zecora responded. Guess she came through for the young raccoon after all. The next thing she heard was the front door closing along with Zecora sighing heavily. Small silence once more until she heard footsteps which she assumed were Zecora's. Where exactly was she- "You can come out now." Zecora told her. The raccoon opened the doors slowly and poked her head out... no signs of this 'Twilight' anywhere. Good sign indeed... as for Zecora, she was in the middle of the room and sitting atop her staff. "She left?" Raccoon questioned with her receiving a nod in return. Zecora looked at the girl with a smile. "Have you thought about my offer?" She questioned. "...I don't have any choice in the matter, do I?" Raccoon sighed again. Zecora lowered her smile. "Technically, you do... yet even if you leave, where will you go? People will no doubt want to question you as soon as they learn about your title as the Sword Heroine. And plus, before dying, my great-grandmother had warned our family about the Waves and the different heroes in the book. My mother had explained to me about it. Whether you like it or not, you are the current Sword Heroine and therefore it falls to me to train you." The raccoon frowned before sighing heavily. "But still..." Zecora wasn't having any of it and frowned. "No buts. It falls to you to wield the sword and beat the Waves. It's unfair, I understand... yet you need to be prepared. And not just the Waves but Twilight Sparkle and her mentor, Princess Celestia." "Huh? What's so bad about those two?" The Sword Heroine questioned. Zecora kept her frown. "They... may or may not see you as a threat. Especially the latter." "Why? I've not done anything wrong apart from me ending on your world by accident... along with me being this 'Sword Heroine'." "Exactly. All the more reason on why we should begin your training. Let's not take any chances." She advised. The raccoon sighed once more. There seemed to be no escape from her current predicament, was there? If there was a danger of being chased by this 'Princess Celestia' or 'Twilight', then... she had no choice. Might as well get some training in wielding a blade along with the shield properly if she was going to do this. With a final verdict, the girl nodded in response. "When do we begin?" "Now. Pick up the stuff from the chest and we'll head to my special place... Oh! We'll need a name for you. Calling you the Sword Heroine or simply Raccoon Girl won't cut it and will arose suspicion for you." Zecora told her. The girl gave a nod, agreeing with Zecora's point. Question was what type of name she should pick to memorize easily... A couple of seconds passed yet she hadn't been able to come up with anything good. In response to Zecora's words, she just shrugged. "Got nothing." Zecora sighed. "We'll figure it out then at a later time. For now, grab the sword and shield." She ordered. The Sword nodded, picking both of the items in question and following Zecora out of the hut. Wherever these training grounds were... they had better be good. If she was to be a hero, then she wanted to start some place that had a suitable location to train. Zecora was leading ahead, her mind drifting onto the training that she was going to prepare the Sword Heroine... first would be athletics and then... well, she'll wait and see. She hoped that this current generation of Sword Heroine would do her duty and combat the Waves of Calamity along with saving the world of Equis. Only time would tell if her assumption was correct. Chapter 2 - Fitness and Sword, Good for the Mind and Body."So... where exactly are these training grounds you're taking me to?" The Sword Heroine questioned as they were passing through the forest and pushing vines away. “A little place that I often use as a training ground. You’ll see when we arrive.” Zecora answered with a smile on her face. Shrugging, the Sword Raccoon kept quiet and followed her soon-to-be-mentor as they entered deeper into the forest. If she was taking her somewhere to train, then the place had better be good. She was still reluctant to do this 'Sword Hero' business yet was willing to give it a try. If that meant being trained properly to wield the sword, so be it. As she walked alongside Zecora, the raccoon looked at both her sword and shield. Was she trying to pull a 'Link' from Legend of Zelda or something? Zecora cast her a glance. "Having doubts?" She questioned. The raccoon shrugged. “A little bit. You sure you know what you're doing?” She questioned once more. "I'm certain. I wouldn't have agreed to it after all... I know a little bit about sword combat even though I'm trained in wielding a staff. Luckily, I'll not be the only one that will be training you." Zecora revealed. "Oh? You won't be?" Sword questioned confused. Zecora nodded. "Where we are going, there is someone who will also be helping you in harnessing your newly-acquired skills. A good friend of mine, which means that you are in good hands." She explained. Good friend of hers? A possible trainer to help alongside Zecora? Hmm... she needed more information. "What's she like?" The Sword questioned with Zecora taking a moment to think of an answer. They kept on walking, both women keeping silent with the Sword waiting for an answer from Zecora who was remaining silent. She must be thinking about the answer. Eventually, Zecora opened her mouth. "She's... an interesting individual. God help you if you allow her to drink any alcohol! In fact, NEVER... bring her the strong stuff! She'll end up being a different person." She warned with a serious tone. The Sword, taken aback by that statement, frowned. "Why...? What's so bad about her drinking alcohol?" She questioned. Needless to say, Zecora's lips morphed into a frown. "She ends up becoming a huge lightweight and unable to do anything for the next couple of hours. For the sake of your sanity... and mine as well, DON'T! Trust me on this." Zecora pleaded with her. The still-confused Sword just sighed, unable to understand anything. Guess she had to change topic and to her luck, she had a question. "Who was that 'Twilight' person you were speaking with? She sounded important from the looks of it." "That's because she is. Her name is Twilight Sparkle - Celestia's personal assistant/student and one of the captains in the Royal Army. She's stationed in Ponyville, which is outside of the forest. A bit of advice - she means well but is often blunt and jumps to conclusions. Not to mention being Celestia's student is... well, a privilege." The Sword frowned. "Is she a tattletale or something?" She questioned. Zecora allowed a smile to form. "Not exactly a tattletale but... she does report everything to the ruler of Equis. If you were to come into contact with her, be careful how you act. She takes threats very seriously." They had come across some bushes and vines which Zecora promptly pushed away with the help of the Sword who was deadpanning. "So... I'm a threat according to her?" She questioned. "Hmm... that remains to be seen. I'm not trying to alarm you or anything but merely warn you for what lies ahead." Zecora explained. Well, you're certainly doing a GOOD job so far, lady..., Sword thought in her mind, sighing internally. They kept pushing forward, swatting branches and vines away. To help with their situation, Zecora also used her staff to ensure that they reached their destination more quickly. Sword couldn't help but wonder how many hours and pain she dedicated to perfecting her skills. The most common answer: A LOT. After an eternity, combined with walking and passing through dangerous areas such a swamp and branches with thorns, they had eventually made to an open area in the forest. Sword's eyes immediately widened at the scene in front of her. The entire area had been converted into an obstacle/training course - complete with running, elevating platforms, rope climbing, dodging... training dummies that were set up. Holy mother of... "...How did you... Ok, there's no way you managed to make this entire obstacle course all by yourself." She admitted, a look of doubt on her face. A smile appeared on Zecora's face. "Of course not. My friend helped me out with the designing. And building too..." She stated before sighing. "After long hours of yelling and scolding her for slacking on the job." Sword raised a brow at Zecora who walked over to a nearby lake and halted... clapping her hands soon after. "We have a guest! Come out and introduce yourself!" She declared. For a moment or two, there was but the silence. Until Sword noticed a couple of bubbles forming atop the water... which began to shake soon after. It began to ripple entirely as someone came out, splashing the ground nearby but not the Sword nor Zecora. Sword's eyes widened at what she was seeing. An orca wielding some sort of harpoon had arisen from the water... black-and-white pattern. She also had a loincloth and was quite large but also average-sized. Sword couldn't help but wonder how exactly an orca was going to help her. Zecora smiled. "If you would be so kind..." Sword was about to ask what she was talking about until the Orca opened its mouth. "Of course!" W-WHA-!? IT TALKS!? Waves of waters began to surround the creature, engulfing it entirely as Sword couldn't see anything. What was going on!? Was this natural!? She was then blinded by light and raised her hand to block as did Zecora while the orca couldn't be visible anymore. Soon however, it died down along with the water evaporating or some of it splashing it nearby locations. Sword looked ahead and- Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped... Ok, she had to know: WHAT THE FUCK!? Instead of the orca, there was someone else. A human... whose figure was quite developed too. She stood at 5’4” with her having a fair complexion but also some parts of her skin being black, covering her forearms and lower legs. Her figure was an hourglass one with her long black hair resembling an orca’s tail and her having eyes that were colored in blue. Her attire consisted of white bandages covering her large bosom with an aqua-blue fabric on top connected to a moon shape necklace on her neck. Covering her private area was a small aqua sarong. On top, there was a horseshoe metal connected with a white loincloth that extended past her knees from the front and back and on the sides were two oyster shape plates connecting to her loincloth. On her feet, she adorned aqua-black sandals. The end of her hair, which resembled the tail of an orca was a metal wrap with blue jewels and around it was an Aqua-colored bandana, which was connected by two small jewels on the sides of her hair. Needless to say, she was quite attractive and a looker too. The black-haired one flipped her harpoon around before grinning. "Hey, Zec." She replied. Zecora smiled a bit. "I hope you haven't been doing anything illegal so far." She answered. The woman made a shocked face and pouted. "Illegal? Little old me? Perish the thought!" She encouraged. Zecora rolled her eyes while the black-haired woman's eyes fell upon the raccoon girl. "And who would you be exactly?" She questioned. "The current Sword Hero... or Heroine in this case." Zecora answered. Needless to say, the black-haired woman lowered her smile and quickly walked over to the girl... examining her and judging her, analyzing her even. The Sword couldn't help but blush at that. "Hmm..." Her analyst hummed quietly. Sword was wondering what exactly she was doing until the woman took a step back, frowning and looking at Zecora. "I dunno... she doesn't look like hero material to me. More like, she's hesitant to accept the job, Z." She responded. Zecora nodded. "I know... but the sword has chosen her and we don't really have any other option at this time, do we?" The black-haired woman rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you still believe in that legend crap..." Zecora sighed. "The point is... the sword has chosen this young woman to be a hero. And besides... don't judge a book by its cover, Sadeena." She advised. Sword raised a brow... Sadeena, eh? Interesting name. Said person cringed a bit before releasing a sigh, looking at the Sword. "So... what do you need from me then?" She questioned. "Training her in wielding a sword properly along with making use of the obstacle course you helped me build." Zecora responded. Sadeena frowned. "But you can do that yourself... you don't need me to help you." She replied back. Zecora's turn to frown came. "Sadeena... your underwater skills would come in great handy... not to mention, the Sword would be able to utilize a couple of water-related skills and power-ups to her disposal. Please, Nadia." She pleaded with the black-haired woman. A small silence passed as Saadena thought it over while Sword just waited for a response. Was she trying to think of a way to worm herself out of helping? Or did she felt conflicted? Hard to answer. Come a minute or two later, Sadeena opened her mouth, having made her decision. "I'm going to regret this already..." She sighed heavily. Sword deadpanned. That's supposed to be my line, lady...,she thought in her mind. Whatever the case, Sadeena looked at the Sword Heroine, frowning. "What's your name, girl?" "Oh... um, don't have one. Woke up with a little bit of amnesia in the forest... can't really remember my name. Just bits of my old life. Sorry..." Sword apologized. Sadeena facepalmed, shaking her head and looking at Zecora. "You're off to a good start trying to convincing me to do this..." Zecora sighed. "I apologize, Sadeena... yet time was of the essence and we couldn't think of a good name. Twilight Sparkle came to my hut, having detected the Sword's presence, no doubt." Needless to say, Sadeena's face turned into a worried one. It worried the Sword Heroine a little bit... has the orca met this 'Twilight' as well? Sadeena gave a small nod. "I see... well then, I guess I have an idea for the name: Hilda." She responded. Sword raised a brow. "Hilda? What's that supposed to mean?" Sadeena smirked. "I've read it somewhere in a book... thinking about your sword and such, made me remember the story about Brunhilde... a legendary swordswoman. For the moment, I'll be calling you Hilda. If that's not a problem?" She asked. Sword shrugged. "Don't mind either way." She replied. Hilda was her name for the moment then. At least she can finally stop thinking of herself as the raccoon or the Sword. Sadeena lowered her smirk. "In any event, Hilda... first things first, get rid of your armor." She ordered. Wait, WHAT!? Hilda's face turned a bright red as she glared at her. "Why!? I'm not going in butt naked in this forest!" Sadeena didn't display an unamused face and instead frowned. "That armor will only slow you down... if we're to train you, you'll have to run the obstacle course first." Hilda was still red as she kept her glare. "But running around naked in my birthday suit...?" She questioned. "Why? A little breeze never hurt anyone. And besides, if I'm going to train you to be a hero, I have to see to your dexterity and athleticism. You won't have to worry about catching a cold or getting bitten by bugs... we're in a safe location." Sadeena assured, her smile appearing back. Hilda wasn't sure exactly if that made her feel a bit better. She did cast a glance at Zecora who simply gave a nod to showcase that she was alright with the idea. Was there not one person on this world that was remotely sane!? Sighing heavily, Hilda began to remove everything that she had... and literally everything. Her armor, her clothes, gloves and boots. A few moments later, she was in her birthday suit, hiding her gentle parts with her hands. Sadeena rolled her eyes, smirking. "Oh, quit it with the hiding. We're all women here and there's nothing wrong with us going commando every once in a while." She stated. Hilda gave a look. "Easy for you to say! Look at what you're wearing!" She yelled, pointing at her outfit. Sadeena kept her smirk. "I'm an orca, hon. Comes with the territory... plus, my clothes allow for better movement." She explained. Hilda turned into an even deeper shade of red as Sadeena sighed a bit. "Look... you won't be in your suit forever. Just to see how well you can run the obstacle course. Better movement and reflexes as they say..." She explained. Hilda frowned. "Not sure anyone would agree with you..." "Whatever... in any event, let's start with some exercises. I want you to give me 50 push-ups... immediately." Sadeena ordered. W-WHAT!? 50 PUSH-UPS!? IN HER BIRTHDAY SUIT!? Was she being- "Hilda." Zecora's voice spoke as the Sword looked at the dark-skinned woman. "It's an order, not a request. If we are to run the obstacle course, we need you to get your body in shape. 50 push-ups... on the double." She ordered. Hilda groaned internally, regretting everything... before laying down, putting both of her hands forward in a proper position and her legs at the far back. Sighing heavily, she looked at Sadeena who became serious. "Ready? And know this, I'll be counting them all." She warned. Hilda blushed once more but nodded. Sadeena crossed her arms. "BEGIN!" She yelled. Hilda slowly arose from the ground, groaning heavily... until she collapsed. Needless to say, Sadeena facepalmed, shaking her head. This wasn't exactly what she was expecting! Sadeena frowned. "That was a joke. Start over and get serious." She ordered. Hilda, putting her arms and legs in the appropriate position, began once more. She began to rise her body up, ignoring the pain since she had never done a push-up in her life before... Reaching the top and stretching her arms, breathing slowly. Sadeena kept her frown. "One. You've still got 49 left to do... Remember. I'll be counting them all." She reminded. Hilda groaned in her mind. What did she do so wrong to deserve this...? She started the second push-up, lowering her body near the ground and then rising it once more. Sadeena counted the second one... The woman sighed internally. There's definitely a lot we have to do... I hope you're right about this kid, Zecora., she thought in her mind. (Later...) Hilda collapsed on the floor, having done her 50th push-up... sweat dripping down from her face, and breathing slowly. She looked at Sadeena who seemed to smile a bit. "50 in total. A decent start after the first disastrous tries..." Speaking of those, Hilda was still feeling the embarrassment. During the push-up session, Sadeena had another rule in mind... in addition to keeping a complete eye on Zecora's newly acquired apprentice, she would also warn her that any break in less than 5 minutes would result in Hilda beginning the session once more. Needless to say, Hilda had made the mistake once or twice before getting her act together and pushing her body up and down without a 5-minute break. Sadeena no doubt told herself that it was harsh since the Sword Heroine was new to this yet pushed those thoughts away. If Equis was to survive against the Waves and for Sadeena to see if this little brat was indeed the chosen heroine, then she would undergo a harsh training regiment. Regardless if Hilda was protesting or not... it was for her own good after all. Sadeena smirked. "Next up on our training... sit-ups. Again, you're doing 50." She responded. WHAT!? 50 SIT-UPS!? Her body was already sore from the push-ups and she didn't need- "Oh... and if you rest without continuing the exercise for 5 minutes, they'll start all over. Harsh, I understand... but necessary. I intend to whip you into a proper warrior... even if I'm not satisfied so far with your performance." Sadeena responded, smirking all the way. ...Yep. Hilda confirmed Sadeena was one simple thing: MONSTER. She was a literal monster and pile driver! Was she the only sane person in the world!? Taking a deep breath, Hilda sat up slowly and released a groan before laying down as Sadeena grabbed her legs, ready to assist her in the sit ups. "Ready? And remember, I'll be-" "Counting them... yeah, yeah. Let's get this over before I collapse." Hilda responded, groaning. Sadeena gave a nod and held her legs tight before casting a glance at the sword. "BEGIN!" She yelled. Hilda raised her body, trying to ignore the pain, and reached Sadeena before going down and repeating the pattern. The orca counted them all down and kept a close eye on Hilda to ensure she wouldn't take a break longer than 5 minutes. Once the 50th sit-up had been reached, Sadeena was satisfied and allowed Hilda to lie down. Taking in some fresh air and breathing slowly. Her entire body was in pain... Sadeena crossed her arms. "Hmm... acceptable. For now. Don't think that this is over yet though, kiddo. The day is still young, right Zec?" She asked without turning her head. Zecora, sitting atop her staff, gave a simple nod. "Indeed." Sadeena smiled a bit. "We'll pick up with some Jumping Jacks and then you'll have an opportunity to run the obstacle course. Since its your first day though, you won't be focused on combat just yet. Plenty of time for that later." She told Hilda. Jumping Jack... obstacle course... Oh, god... she wasn't going to survive any of this at all. Not to mention Sadeena was enjoying the prospect of being an instructor. Hilda prayed to whatever God there was to take pity on her and send her back yet all she got was silence. God really must hate her right now. And for good reason... As for Sadeena, she had a lot of work alongside Zecora. If the world was to survive, then the Sword Heroine would be trained to the bone. Dexterity, athleticism, items crafting, etc. Hmm... Sadeena would definitely need some more help. Zecora and her were a start yet to properly train a hero, she would require more than just two simple instructors. Sadeena smirked. Time to make a call to an old friend of hers.
PrologueAnother day... another opportunity for a quiet outing around the city., were his thoughts as he kept to himself, walking down the road. So far, it was a peaceful afternoon with the sun still out and the usual stroll around his hometown. Starting to become a pattern if he was being honest. The boy, around 17 but slowly approaching 18 years of age, featured a pale complexion with him having short-styled light brown-colored hair and crystal blue eyes that were shielded by glasses. He donned a white short-sleeve dress shirt with a red tie and a pair of grey jeans while his footwear consisted of black boots. A set of black finger-less gloves covered both of his hands. Right now, he had no other goal and was just walking about... today was Sunday and that meant one thing: the stores were all closed. He hated it... almost as much as he hated living with his parents. His sister was pretty much 'okay' in his book... Still didn't answer the question: What to do or where exactly was he to go...? The sun was still out so he had some time to kill even if he didn't have much of a plan for the moment. Plus, his sister was with friends and he was all alone for the moment. Actually... come to think about it, some of the cafes were open at this very moment. Pulling out his phone, he activated the app for the map and began to search for the nearest cafe that was close to his location. One of the places he had discovered had been given a four out of five stars, eh? And it was near his location... hmm, might as well go and see. If the cafe's workforce was anything good and the atmosphere was too peaceful, he was going to have a wonderful time. Just in case, he read some reviews about this 'Artistic' cafe - only a few of them were in the negative zone. But most were positive... Good enough for him. He'll have a chance to try out their drinks. “Looks like I'm settled for the evening.” He declared with a grin as he turned off the phone, pocketing it back. Beginning once more to walk, he headed down the street and cut corners as best he could to reach the cafe. Thankfully, his phone was also directing him to his destination, down an avenue and- His walking was halted as his gaze was directed towards flashing lights at the end of the street. With a curious expression on his face, he decided to spare a moment and see what exactly it was. To his surprise, it was a store. Opened on a Sunday which was ironic since everything else had been closed. Hmm, should he spare a moment to investigate and see what was inside? He had time to spare until the sunset. Heading inside, he suddenly found himself in a different world. Filled with anime, manga, and games - video and board. There were also movies (action, horror, musicals too). Holy crap! This was indeed a new world for him... he imagined himself spending a lot of time in this store or with his sister. Since he was an anime/manga fan, he took his time exploring the store. Walking around shelves and taking a good look at the merchandise in stock. He hoped to find a manga of My Hero Academia or Fairy Tail. Those series were his favorite in the whole world. If he was lucky, then he would find a manga that he wasn't familiar with yet. As he was looking, he fell upon one that he had never seen before. Although it would have been better if the mangaka had put a lot more work on the front page! The entire cover art was brown-colored and it depicted some sort of shadowy figure that was posing with a blade and a shield. It also had a title that was decorated in bright red with yellow outlines: *Journey of the Sword Heroine.* - Unknown. Unknown mangaka? Was this some kind of sick joke? Who in the hell draws a manga but doesn't even do a proper job of fixing the cover art first? Also, judging from the shadow with the blade at the front, it was obvious that this was the protagonist of the story. Nevertheless, he opened it and... was caught by blank pages. Blank squares with nothing in them? Was this a joke someone was playing on him? Not only was the cover art completely unfinished but the entire manga as well! This was a complete gyp! Frowning, he was about to put it back when he noticed that the pages began to glow a bright light which confused him. Before he could yell the pages suddenly began to flip back and forth as he felt himself being sucked inside, unable to scream for help. The golden glow encovered the entire store, blinding any patrons that were inside... safe to the poor boy that was soon sucked inside the near-empty manga which dropped on the ground entirely. Once the light died down, all was quiet once more in the store. Safe for one change - the missing boy who had made the mistake of reading the unfinished manga. In fact, at that very moment, his unconscious form was passing through time and space itself... his male body was glowing a bright white light. Neither his body nor could be visible anymore as it continued soaring through the vortex. Soon enough, another portal had opened allowing the young boy to pass through... but not in his old form. He would soon find out that there was not one but two surprises that awaited him once he had reached his destination. (*???*) A cold wind blew into their unconscious form as they shivered in their sleep. Someone had best turn on the heat before she froze to death. Moments later, their eyelids opened to reveal a blurry sight. She could make out green, lush, and... thick? A forest maybe? Not certain yet to be honest. Another thing was the body... it felt so heavy, especially around the chest area. Along with the headache, it's safe to assume that something bad happened last night. Sitting up slowly, another breeze made them shiver yet again. Why did their head feel so light... along with a twitching atop? Or rather... a double twitch on the head. Weird. Another thing: why was their body so damn heavy!? Rubbing the eyelids, the vision was finally cleared as they looked down and immediately froze, blinking. They rubbed their eyelids once more only to see the two developed mountains on the chest! Or in other words... they were BREASTS! She blinked, rubbing her eyes once more and praying that they were just lying to her. Yet the two mountains remained on her chest! Just like any good and rational person, she decided at that moment to release a scream. So many questions had formed in her head: HOW AND WHY DID SHE HAVE BREASTS!? WHEN DID SHE EVEN GET THEM!? ALSO, SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A BOY, NOT A GIRL! And then she halted and looked down... she was completely NAKED!!! Another scream was released! This was a disaster! How could- Wait... why was she a WOMAN AT ALL!? SHE WAS A BOY! At that moment, she halted as it all came back - the store with different media, him walking around town and that empty manga! He/She remembered it all! Her head was spinning from the overload of questions with a lack of answers. Feeling the breeze once more, she stood up and covered herself with her hands even though it was probably useless to do so. She covered her breasts and crotch, feeling very embarrassed. "How'd I even end up being a chick in the first place...?" She wondered, noticing that her voice had also experienced a change. She had hoped that her old voice would remain yet there was no God. Now what was she supposed to do? Where would she even head towards? And if there were people nearby, were they going to be hostile to her? Another gust of wind made her shiver once more as she jumped into the nearest bush. So embarrassing! What was she supposed to do now? "Imagine my life right now. A naked woman stuck in a forest, somewhere in Europe or America. What a fucked-up situation this is..." The young woman admitted. Right now, her main goal was to find out where she was. Along with finding clothes that fit her size, ones that fit her breasts. ...If there were any around, obviously. Spotting a nearby bush, she began to jump from one to another. Halfway, both of her ears- Wait, she only had one set... why did she imagine having double? And why was she hearing singing...? She then halted. Singing!? Aw, crap! That meant... people nearby! She had better take caution and avoid being spotted. She was still naked after all! She counted the pros and cons of the mess she was in right now: on the one hand, she could find out where she was and ask for directions to the nearest city/town. And the other was being ridiculed and laughed... along with being oogled by men. Damn it... she didn't have much choice now, did she? Sighing heavily, she followed the singing... all the while wondering why the twitch atop her head was happening. And why the hell she can't control it! Hopping from one bush to another, her ears perked at the sounds of running water. Getting closer, she noticed some clothes that were hanging from a tree nearby. They were too exposed to her. Not to mention it was something she wouldn't want to wear at all... who wears loincloths? Well... she was in a jungle, to be honest, so yeah that's a dumb question. The clothes would have to do... at least until she got another piece of attire to wear. The girl crept closer while the singing continued... she couldn't see the woman at the moment. Taking a deep breath, she proceeded onward towards the next bush as the clothes were above her. Whoever was still singing was focused on themselves and not her. It allowed her to steal the clothes as long as she was quick. No need to waste any precious time. She took out her hand and began to reach up the branch. She could feel the touch... so close! Only to immediately halt as she felt some sharp flying past her hand which made her yelp in pain as she brought it down to see... a small part of the skin was cut along with some blood pouring out. She reacted in shock... how and when did...? The most important question on her mind though: Who had managed to send that knife flying towards her? Peaking her head out, she noticed that the knife had lodged itself into a tree. How on Earth did that happen? "You know the old saying: cheaters never prosper." A voice spoke behind her, startling the girl. She jumped back into the bush and shivered completely... keeping silent and hoping that- "I'm still here, mind you. If you're going to run away, now is the time to do so..." The voice warned her. The girl jumped up once more, turning slowly and shivering... until she came face to face with the owner. ...Who was sitting atop a wooden staff, glaring at the girl? A dark-skinned young woman with a mohawk, colored in black-and-white while both of her irises were strong cyan-colored. Judging from how she spoke to the girl, it was clear she wasn't in the mood to play games or appreciate being stolen from. And the fact she was entirely naked with water dripping down from her body didn't help. The girl gulped a bit and prepared to jump away from another bush only to be held at knife point by the woman. "I don't appreciate being stolen from, little raccoon..." R-raccoon? Where did that come from...? The girl immediately covered her eyes. "Put some clothes on, PLEASE!" She demanded. The demand was unamusing to the woman who crossed her arms. "Do you mean MYSELF or rather... YOU?" She asked pointing at the girl. The girl, blushing heavily, ducked down but poked out her head. "N-never-mind that! Who are you!?" She demanded the answer. “How rude asking me for my name without telling me yours first, little raccoon.” The woman admitted, shaking her head. Again with the raccoon bit!? Come on!!! But all the girl did was shake her head. "I don't even know who I am. Let alone remembering what my name is." She admitted. The woman placed a hand on her chin, thinking. Hmm... a nameless raccoon girl who didn't even know anything at all. Let alone her name, eh? Interesting. "I woke up naked in the forest... where am I exactly?" The girl questioned. "Equis. You're in the Everfree Forest, where dangerous creatures roam about. Now then..." She trailed off while acquiring the loincloth from the branches, putting it on. Said girl was relieved heavily as she no longer had to look at the naked form. But then she noticed that the woman had fished into her pockets and pulled out a bottle filled with a blackish-yellow liquid. "Reveal yourself to me!" She threw the potion into the bush which exploded and exposed the young woman from it. The dark-skinned woman took a closer look at her... hmm, tall and developed. Around 17 or 18 years of age. She featured a fair complexion with her long hair reaching down to her waist with it being coloured in red along with the fluffy tanuki ears attached atop her head. The woman noticed a bushy tail moving around, twitching. Her height was at 5’2 with a lean build having a developed body with muscles and a great bust. “Hm, very interesting.” She told the girl, continuing to strike her chin. Before the tanuki girl could inquire as to what she was talking about, the woman got off the staff she was sitting on. “I have something you can wear in my hut.” “Oh? What’s the catch?” The girl asked, brow raised. The woman shrugged. “My reasons are my own. Unless you rather spend the rest of the day in your birthday suit?” She responded, amused. Said young woman, blushed once more, using her hands to cover herself. She contemplated what to do: go with the woman willingly and get a proper attire or… be stubborn and remain naked. Her blush, increased, made her groan. In the end, she didn’t exactly have any choice. Plus, walking around naked was PROBABLY not the best idea. Sighing, she walked next to the woman. “I’ll follow you… for now. What’s your name?” She inquired. “Zecora,” The woman replied. The girl gave a nod as the dark-skinned woman looked at her. "You don't have a name, yes?" She asked. She gave a nod in response, wondering what to pick as a name. “Memory loss as well,” Zecora replied, shaking her head. "I don't have memory loss! I just... don't have... I... um..." The girl trailed off, unable to think of an answer. “Don’t have what?” Zecora asked amused. The girl, embarrassed, sighed. "N-nevermind... just... let's just find a way out of this forest." “Very well, I shall lead. Stay close at all times... this forest isn't a children's playground.” Zecora led the girl away. The girl followed suit, not certain how or what to respond with. Best to just keep one eye open, see what happens in the end. She kept up, covering her naked body with her hands. "S-so... you live in this forest?" She inquired. The woman looked at her and nodded. "Yes. I do not mind interactions with humans but I often prefer my privacy in order to work better. Brewing potions and writing recipes." She explained. Brewing potions? Was this a witch by chance? "Are you a witch?" The girl inquired. Zecora let out a chuckle. "More like a Shaman and Herbalist... I brew potions, yes. However, they are mostly harmless and are for the citizens of Ponyville." Ponyville, eh? Sounds like a decent place to start searching for answers. After some time, Zecora led the girl to her home, which was revealed to be a house inside a tree. Huh, how interesting and befitting of a voodoo witch. "That's your home?" The girl asked, poiting at the tree. "Indeed. The nature provides all that one needs in order to survive." Zecora admitted, opening the door. Said girl gave a nod as entered into the hut itself. Everything was situated on the first floor entirely. A cauldron over a fireplace, warm bed with sheets, vials sitting on the shelves filled with liquids... didn't know what types though yet. She also spotted some creepy masks and reserved staffs leaning on the wall. All in all, wasn't exactly a bad place. Kinda cozy to live here if she was also a witch. Her eyes noticed that there was steam coming out from the cauldron along with something being prepared. "Oh? Making some dinner, are we?" The girl inquired something atop her hair twitch once more. Zecora looked at her with a confused expression. "Stew?" She asked until the girl pointed at the pot which was on the fire. "Oh! No, no... that's not stew. It's a magic potion." Ah… that explains. Zecora did mention something about an ‘Equis’ and ‘Everfree Forest’… hmm, not exactly any familiar locations that were on Earth. Wait… was she on another world!? No… it had to be a dream. Also, another thing… “Magic?” She inquired, eyes widened. Zecora turned and nodded. "Yes... it seems that you aren't from around these parts." She admitted, stroking her chin. “You have no idea.” The girl replied with a blush. The dark-skinned woman then pointed at her closet. "Let us fetch you an outfit suitable for your tastes." Zecora declared. Opening the closet, she pulled out some clothes of the modern variety - shirts, skirts... shoes. Anything that could be of use to cover her naked body. Zecora gave her a sundress and flats to try on along with a bra and some panties. Slipping the undergarments, she found out that they were a perfect fit... Next, she donned on the sun-dress and flats. Noticing a mirror nearby, she walked over and examined herself... along with finding out why the thing atop was twitching... BECAUSE OF A PAIR OF RACCOON EARS! She was about to scream only for Zecora to silence her with the staff. "Hold your tongue, child... the last thing we need is to bring unwanted attention on us from the creatures in the Everfree." She warned the girl with the ears. It made her blush in embarrassment followed by a sigh as she kept looking at her reflection. Comfy and sturdy... not to mention lots of space as well. "Hmm... not bad." The girl complimented. A smile on her face. Zecora nodded. "Indeed. It would suffice if there is a celebration or a day out in the stores. Speaking of which..." She halted and pulled out some more clothing choices. Her second attire was a t-shirt with a skirt, leggings and sneakers. A beret along with some sunglasses too... "Hmm... casual attire. For an outing." The girl stated. "It would seem so.” Zecora agreed with her words before asking a question. “What do you traditionally wear?” "Hm, I guess - normal clothes. In the land where I come from - it's just casual stuff." The girl responded with a shrug. Zecora gave a nod, “Hmm, interesting. Any other preference?" She inquired. The girl, pausing for a little bit, scratched her head. Another choice for an attire? "Casual... not particularly since these two might serve me well. However... do you have something befitting for adventure?" The girl inquired. Despite the meeting with Zecora and accepting (reluctantly) the offer to come with her, sparing the dignity of going around naked on this land, the girl still wasn't certain how much SAFE this world really was. Best to be prepared... just in case she ran into something dangerous. Like a giant spider or a wolf. Probably a bit paranoid... yet better safe than sorry. Zecora hummed. "I may have something that you can use. Let me fetch the chest." The girl confusingly tilted her head as Zecora rushed towards her bed. What exactly was she looking for underneath it? Something about a 'chest'...? It was quite a large box... hmm, judging from the size and the fact that Zecora was pushing it, it was heavier than it first seemed. The girl looked at Zecora who gave a nod. The raccoon girl opened the chest and looked through its contents to find an outfit that had been refitted with armor. Also, there was a blade and a shield. “Where exactly did you find this?” The girl with the ears questioned, looking at the contents. “A week ago, outside my hut,” Zecora replied before adding. “I was planning on selling it since I do not need to wear armor.” Well, that made sense since Zecora was comfortable wearing that loincloth and it befitted her jungle-like appearance. She looked at Zecora before asking. "Can I try it on?" “Go ahead,” Zecora encouraged her before walking towards her cauldron. “I have some orders to fill in.” Giving a nod, the girl took out the clothes and removed her second casual attire before getting dressed. First, she slipped on the brownish-copper-colored leather ankle-length boots on her pale-skinned feet and legs. She noticed the metal armor acting as boot bracers which was definitely a good idea. Next, she slipped on the white-colored blouse-like dress on her body followed by the black tunic with red in the middle with slits at the bottom with a pair of golden buttons. A red ribbon was tied around her neck. She attached the silver-armored breastplate on her chest and the spaulder on her right shoulder before slipping on a pair of brownish-copper gloves with metal bracelets on her hands. The girl noticed two yellow headbands that she attached to the bangs at the front, fixing her hair completely. Once done, she walked over and examined herself in the mirror. Dress and armor fitted her well... comfy too. "Well, should be acceptable for the time being... adventurer mixed with a little bit of knight in there." She joked, smiling amusingly. Looking back in the chest, only two things remained - the shield and the sword. She wasted no time in picking them up. The blade wasn't anything special - an average silver with a brown handle and a guard that featured a gem in it. As for the shield, it was a bilabial one, colored in silver with a simple green gem on it. "Hmm... the weapons of a knight." The girl commented, rubbing her chin. So... at her best guess, this was an adventure for her. And she may as well be the main character of this story. Although, there was one problem: she had no idea what the goal of all this was. Come to think of it, how did she even end up in the forest completely? Who or what brought her here? Scratching her head or ears, she went silent to think. Just as her stomach began to growl a little. The girl blushed. Guess in all this excitement and mystery she hadn't eaten anything. Crap... Zecora, having overheard the belly rumble due to being in the room, released a chuckle. "Good thing I've made lunch... do you want some?” Zecora questioned her new roommate. Another stomach growl followed by the girl blushing. "I'm down." She agreed. “Good...” Zecora replied before giving her a look of concern, “Do you need help? You seem worried at the moment.” She admitted. The girl shook her head. "No... I'm just... figuring things out on my own. What's for lunch?" She inquired. "Stew. I think you'll like it." Zecora assured her. Shrugging, the girl took a seat on a stool next to the table as Zecora accessed the cupboard, pulling out some bowls and utensils. Time for a good meal... or whatever passes around these parts. (*Meanwhile...*) Faraway... the flowers were blooming as she halted to sniff the roses. They felt so perfect... She began to snap a few roses for a bouquet, as one of the maids approached the garden with a tray of tea and cakes. The woman stopped what she was doing and turned to the maid. "Thank you... you may put it on the table. I'll be done soon enough." She responded to the hired help. The maid, nodding, put the tray with the tea and biscuits on the table before departing away from the garden. Said woman resumed her duty... and kept an eye on the roses. The young woman's moderate cyan eyes stared at the red flowers as her fair-skinned right hand held the scissors with which she snapped off the stem while the left one was being protected by a garden glove. Her hair was a long and wavy one which was colored in a moderate sapphire blue with a grayish Persian blue outline. She wore her royalty attire which consisted of a light-dark blue top with a Moon symbol that showcased her cleavage, a light blue arm bracelet was on her right hand while a disconnected long sleeve covered her left. Her lower attire was a dark blue skirt that covered her knees and lastly light blue sandals with blue soles adorned her feet. The dark crown rested atop her hair while a small string with a red rose held both the skirt and top together. Soon enough, she was finishing up her bouquet, placing it into a vase filled with water. With a sigh released, she couldn't help but smile... another job well done in her wonderful garden. She looked at her handy work and nodded. "That's done for today..." Just then her peaceful moment was cut off by the hearing of footsteps... she looked and saw her royal guards approaching. The Night Watch? What exactly were they doing here? She approached them with caution but calmness as well. They were her Royal Guards after all. One of the main leads... a captain, bowed in respect. "Princess Luna." Luna held her hand out. "At ease, Captain Nightshade. What have you to report?" The captain, out of breath, took small pockets of air before responding. "Your majesty... our mages reported a sighting of a huge magical surge coming from Equis... more specifically the Everfree Forest." “Hmm, what kind of sighting?” Luna inquired with a look of interest. The captain could not answer that since he had only gotten this information from the mages not too long ago. Instead, he answered. "We're uncertain yet since the mages are investigating... and yet..." Luna raised her hand, having heard enough. “Go to the Everfree Forest. Investigate the source and report back to me ASAP. Am I understood?” She questioned. "We shall prepare the carriages immediately... although... what of the elder Princess?" The captain inquired with a worried expression. Upon hearing that, Luna's face turned to dread... she didn't want to deal with that. Not at this hour, at least. I'll handle that myself, Captain” She sighed before making a serious face. “Now go. Daylight is burning.” She ordered. "Yes, Princess... you do know that she won't take kindly to this though." The captain reminded her. Luna had to suppress the urge to release a sigh and rubbed her eyes. "Transparently... Now get going, Captain." She gave her orders. The captain soon departed along with his men with Luna returning to her tea and biscuits. Beforehand though, she washed her hands with some wet tissues since she didn't want to get any germs all over the yummy biscuits. Not to mention, she was feeling a bit thirsty as well. Sitting down on her garden chair, she poured some tea in a cup and brought it closer to her lips. I should see what else remains on my schedule... the day is still young, Luna told herself in her mind. Her mind drifted back to what the captain had told her... and still prayed it was nothing serious.
Chapter 1 - While you studied Magic, I studied the Blade.Deep in the cottage, the young raccoon girl was sipping on the stew that Zecora prepared, enjoying the woman's company who wasn't just eating but also meditating. How exactly was this being accomplished...? The girl must have concluded that this woman must have a lot of patience and physical skill to focus on both tasks. Oh, well... best not to say anything. She needed all the quiet she could get if she was trying to meditate. For now, the girl just sipped her stew and her mind drifted back to other worries. After she was rested, what exactly would be her next course of action? She had no idea where to go or what her goal was. For the moment, she was... completely hopeless. Her ears overheard another sip as she quietly thought about her actions... Zecora was quietly chewing and meditating. Ignoring it, the girl focused on her meal and had other things on her mind. As for the dark-skinned woman, she eventually opened her eyes and took a deep breath. The girl swallowed the chewed-up bits and looked at the woman. "Something on your mind?" She questioned her. Zecora shook her head. "Not really, no. Have you tried meditating?" She inquired. The raccoon girl's action response was to shake her head. "Not really... no. My mind is focused on other things." She responded, taking a sip. Zecora hummed with a smile. "Like your plan after you've recovered your strength?" “Yeah. Are you a mind reader or something?” The girl wondered. Zecora, keeping her smile, closed her eyes and thought at the same time. How can one eat and think quietly, The girl thought in her mind. Finishing up the soup, Zecora opened her eyes and looked at the girl. “You mentioned that you did not know your name at all?” She questioned. "Nothing at all. I did tell you I awoke in the forest in my birthday suit." She responded, reminding her. "Yes... you told me. That might be complicated if I have to introduce you to anyone important." Zecora replied, scratching her chin. The raccoon girl frowned before opening her mouth. "Someone important? Like who?" She questioned. "I know many of the citizens around Equis, not to mention that I'm also a friend to a group of girls that live outside of the Everfree Forest," Zecora explained and then paused, frowning once more. "Oh, dear..." "Oh, dear? Oh, dear... what?" The raccoon questioned. "Someone may arrive in my hut to question who you are. Depending on their reactions or not, you may become the center of attention." Zecora explained, rubbing her chin more aggressively. It would seem that she hadn't even come to that conclusion yet. How wonderful this was! Waking up in the body of a woman, naked in the forest, and now this! More attention that she didn't need! "So, what do I need to do then?" She questioned Zecora. "First things first..." Zecora began after a small silence of thinking. "Tell me if you remember anything from before. Perhaps your memory isn't as gone as you can imagine." She encouraged. The girl wasn't sure about that yet shrugged before going silent to think. What was the last thing she remembered...? Something about books? Weapons, maybe...? She halted... remembering something... a store... with books. Ah! That's it! She remembered that part! "O-okay... I was in a store, searching for a book... if I remember correctly." She began as Zecora hummed without saying a word. The raccoon girl decided to continue thinking on what else happened before being summoned to this land without explanation. "This happened when I was still a boy, I think... Searching for books and then stumbling upon one called Legend of the Sword Heroine." Zecora's ears perked up along with her eyes widening a little bit. "Is that so...? What happened next...?" She questioned. Raccoon girl scratched her head. What happened next...? First, she opened the book and then... then... light or something? Wait, brightness... Ah! That's it! "Now I remember!" The girl gasped. "Yes? Do tell me please." Zecora responded. The raccoon nodded. "Once I opened the book to read, I discovered it was a blank with unfinished pages and what followed was a blinding light that teleported me on this world in the body of this woman. Then we met... and that's my story in a nutshell." She finished explaining. Zecora stroked her chin... a boy that had been transformed into a girl with raccoon ears and a tail thanks to reading a blank book. And summoned for an unknown purpose... yet that title that she had been told just a few seconds ago made her pause. She stood up. "I'll be right back. Just need to fetch something that may help us both in the long course." Zecora responded before departing towards her bedroom, disappearing from sight. The raccoon just sat and ate her stew, well finishing up the last of the contents. She was wondering what Zecora would be giving her to help with their problem... well, hers mainly. The dark-skinned woman returned from the bedroom but wasn't empty-handed. She was holding a book with a brown cover art on it. "Here you go." She handed over the book to the raccoon who examined it. The main cover depicted a circlet, which contained four weapons - a sword, spear, bow and a staff. The title atop was: Legends of the Four Heroes. "What's this book about?" She wondered. "The Four Heroes and their respective weapons. There's a page in here about the Sword Hero... or, more specifically, the Sword Heroine." Zecora explained. Wait... sword heroine? Was Zecora referring to her? That had to be impossible... a coincidence, nothing else. And yet... Zecora had taken the book back and opened it, flipping the pages. Then she halted and showed one of the pages to the girl whose eyes widened upon seeing it. "What... is this...?" She asked, being unable to finish. Zecora frowned. "I believe... this is you." On said page was indeed the raccoon girl who was holding both a sword and a shield. Yet that can't be a coincidence! There had to be more to this story. She flipped the rest of the pages and began to research. Apparently, there were also other sword heroes/heroines before her yet their exploits have already been recorded into legend. Most of them had names that she herself wasn't familiar with. All of this made the girl's head spin entirely... she continued to read though: In our time of need, four heroes would be summoned to the world of Equis, each wielding a single weapon. Their ultimate destiny is to fight off mysterious beasts known as the Waves of Calamity. They appear once nearly a hundred years... And the girl trailed on, reading until the end of the chapter to better understand it. There was a lot of information on the sword, its capabilities and other useful info. Once done, she looked at Zecora, frowning. "So... if I'm to understand it perfectly, I was summoned and turned into a woman all because I was chosen to fight off these "Waves of Calamity"?" Zecora nodded. "Exactly. It would seem that due to the summons that lead you on this world, you have no choice but to defend our land against the waves." She explained. The girl blinked before sighing heavily. "But I'm not even supposed to be here! I got summoned by accident! Can't someone else just take my job for me?" She questioned. Zecora shook her head in response. "I'm afraid not... once a person has been chosen to wield the blade, they have no say in the matter. If there was a way to reverse the process and send you back, it would have been done... and yet, I'm sorry." She apologized. The girl's shoulder slumped in misery as she groaned. Great! First, she ended up as a woman with raccoon ears, then she finds herself in another world and now learns that she is one of the Legendary Weapon wielders! How wonderful this is! ...Ugh, can this day get any worse? Zecora knew how to calm the young woman and walked over to her counters. As for the girl, she rubbed her eyes, wondering what the hell to do now. Should she even accept this insane fate? Embrace the role of swordswoman and fight off monsters? She has a life- WELL, she had a life back home but still... At that moment, her nostrils picked up a scent of chamomile mixed with honey and sugar... Mmm, smelled good. A cup was then offered to her and she looked to see Zecora holding it. "Here. Tea to help calm your nerves." The girl, nodding, took it and sniffed. Mmm... it was indeed a wonderful scent. Bringing the cup up to her lips, she took a sip from the tea, being careful to not burn her tongue. "How is it?" Zecora questioned after watching her sip. "Tasty... and calming too." She complimented. "I'm glad..." Zecora nodded before clasping her hands together. "I've made my decision to train you." She declared. "Train me?" The girl asked, tilting her head confused. "In wielding the blade and the shield properly." Zecora explained, clearing up the confusion. The girl blinked, uncertain she heard that... and once her brain recovered from the confusion, she asked. "You what?" "You heard me, young raccoon: I will be taking the mantle of your teacher in teaching you how to use the blade properly. Along with your shield, of course." Zecora responded, making her intentions clear. The girl just stared at her, unable to mutter a simple word nor sentence. For at least a few moments... Just as Zecora was about continue speaking, a knock on the door interrupted whatever she was about to say. The dark-skinned woman frowned. "A visitor at this hour?" She walked over to the door and peeked through the peephole. She immediately frowned and shook her head. Why were they here? Looking at the raccoon girl, she opened her mouth. "You need to hide immediately." "What? Why?" She questioned Zecora. Before Zecora could respond, a knock on the door came. The woman had no time to explain and told her guest to take refuge in the closet before she was discovered. Confused at what was going on, she heard some more knocking on the front door. One look at Zecora's face told her that it was not the time to protest but to obey for the moment. Sighing, she quickly took refuge in the closet and closed the doors... everything became pitch black yet there was a small hint of light coming from some peeopholes. Hmm, would it provide her an opportunity to listen in? Taking the risk but being silent, she brought her ears (both of them) against the peephole. She could hear the door opening along with Zecora's voice speaking to someone that was unknown. "Ah, Twilight Sparkle! What brings the Element of Magic to my humble abode?" Zecora's voice questioned. "Official business." The voice that the raccoon assumed was Twilight responded. "Oh? And that would be...?" Again, Zecora responded. "Investigating. Zecora, I've detected a presence in the Everfree Forest... I would like you to give me permission to investigate please." Presence? Did this 'Twilight' meant her? The raccoon girl frowned... being referred to as a 'presence'. What a rude gesture. Luckily, she was saved by the bell thanks to Zecora's next reply. "I'm sorry but the answer is no. I cannot allow you to barge into my hut uninvited." “I’m sorry Zecora, but this is important.” responded Twilight. It was obvious she was trying to gain entry by any means necessary. Yet Zecora was once more saving her skin or ass in this case by responding with a final tone. "No. That is my final answer... if you don't leave, I will report you to the princess..." The raccoon girl felt so guilty for misjudging the woman with the staff... here she was, defending her. Right now, she felt deep gratitude towards Zecora. A small silence occurred as the raccoon kept quiet and listened... for a little bit, there was a little bit of arguing from both Zecora and Twilight. Apparently, the latter was demanding that she enter the hut anyways and examine the place yet the former was adamant, telling her that she doesn't have the right nor the warrant to barge into people's homes. *Come on, damn it... take a hint and leave!*, the girl thought in her mind, pleading that Zecora would dismiss her. After a lot of arguing and demands, she overhead one of them sighing heavily followed by an agreement to leave. Twilight's words, no doubt. Yet there was one last question that came from this 'Twilight'. "Have you seen anything suspicious or interacted with strange individuals?" "No, I haven't. Honest truth, Twilight Sparkle." Zecora responded. Guess she came through for the young raccoon after all. The next thing she heard was the front door closing along with Zecora sighing heavily. Small silence once more until she heard footsteps which she assumed were Zecora's. Where exactly was she- "You can come out now." Zecora told her. The raccoon opened the doors slowly and poked her head out... no signs of this 'Twilight' anywhere. Good sign indeed... as for Zecora, she was in the middle of the room and sitting atop her staff. "She left?" Raccoon questioned with her receiving a nod in return. Zecora looked at the girl with a smile. "Have you thought about my offer?" She questioned. "...I don't have any choice in the matter, do I?" Raccoon sighed again. Zecora lowered her smile. "Technically, you do... yet even if you leave, where will you go? People will no doubt want to question you as soon as they learn about your title as the Sword Heroine. And plus, before dying, my great-grandmother had warned our family about the Waves and the different heroes in the book. My mother had explained to me about it. Whether you like it or not, you are the current Sword Heroine and therefore it falls to me to train you." The raccoon frowned before sighing heavily. "But still..." Zecora wasn't having any of it and frowned. "No buts. It falls to you to wield the sword and beat the Waves. It's unfair, I understand... yet you need to be prepared. And not just the Waves but Twilight Sparkle and her mentor, Princess Celestia." "Huh? What's so bad about those two?" The Sword Heroine questioned. Zecora kept her frown. "They... may or may not see you as a threat. Especially the latter." "Why? I've not done anything wrong apart from me ending on your world by accident... along with me being this 'Sword Heroine'." "Exactly. All the more reason on why we should begin your training. Let's not take any chances." She advised. The raccoon sighed once more. There seemed to be no escape from her current predicament, was there? If there was a danger of being chased by this 'Princess Celestia' or 'Twilight', then... she had no choice. Might as well get some training in wielding a blade along with the shield properly if she was going to do this. With a final verdict, the girl nodded in response. "When do we begin?" "Now. Pick up the stuff from the chest and we'll head to my special place... Oh! We'll need a name for you. Calling you the Sword Heroine or simply Raccoon Girl won't cut it and will arose suspicion for you." Zecora told her. The girl gave a nod, agreeing with Zecora's point. Question was what type of name she should pick to memorize easily... A couple of seconds passed yet she hadn't been able to come up with anything good. In response to Zecora's words, she just shrugged. "Got nothing." Zecora sighed. "We'll figure it out then at a later time. For now, grab the sword and shield." She ordered. The Sword nodded, picking both of the items in question and following Zecora out of the hut. Wherever these training grounds were... they had better be good. If she was to be a hero, then she wanted to start some place that had a suitable location to train. Zecora was leading ahead, her mind drifting onto the training that she was going to prepare the Sword Heroine... first would be athletics and then... well, she'll wait and see. She hoped that this current generation of Sword Heroine would do her duty and combat the Waves of Calamity along with saving the world of Equis. Only time would tell if her assumption was correct.
Chapter 2 - Fitness and Sword, Good for the Mind and Body."So... where exactly are these training grounds you're taking me to?" The Sword Heroine questioned as they were passing through the forest and pushing vines away. “A little place that I often use as a training ground. You’ll see when we arrive.” Zecora answered with a smile on her face. Shrugging, the Sword Raccoon kept quiet and followed her soon-to-be-mentor as they entered deeper into the forest. If she was taking her somewhere to train, then the place had better be good. She was still reluctant to do this 'Sword Hero' business yet was willing to give it a try. If that meant being trained properly to wield the sword, so be it. As she walked alongside Zecora, the raccoon looked at both her sword and shield. Was she trying to pull a 'Link' from Legend of Zelda or something? Zecora cast her a glance. "Having doubts?" She questioned. The raccoon shrugged. “A little bit. You sure you know what you're doing?” She questioned once more. "I'm certain. I wouldn't have agreed to it after all... I know a little bit about sword combat even though I'm trained in wielding a staff. Luckily, I'll not be the only one that will be training you." Zecora revealed. "Oh? You won't be?" Sword questioned confused. Zecora nodded. "Where we are going, there is someone who will also be helping you in harnessing your newly-acquired skills. A good friend of mine, which means that you are in good hands." She explained. Good friend of hers? A possible trainer to help alongside Zecora? Hmm... she needed more information. "What's she like?" The Sword questioned with Zecora taking a moment to think of an answer. They kept on walking, both women keeping silent with the Sword waiting for an answer from Zecora who was remaining silent. She must be thinking about the answer. Eventually, Zecora opened her mouth. "She's... an interesting individual. God help you if you allow her to drink any alcohol! In fact, NEVER... bring her the strong stuff! She'll end up being a different person." She warned with a serious tone. The Sword, taken aback by that statement, frowned. "Why...? What's so bad about her drinking alcohol?" She questioned. Needless to say, Zecora's lips morphed into a frown. "She ends up becoming a huge lightweight and unable to do anything for the next couple of hours. For the sake of your sanity... and mine as well, DON'T! Trust me on this." Zecora pleaded with her. The still-confused Sword just sighed, unable to understand anything. Guess she had to change topic and to her luck, she had a question. "Who was that 'Twilight' person you were speaking with? She sounded important from the looks of it." "That's because she is. Her name is Twilight Sparkle - Celestia's personal assistant/student and one of the captains in the Royal Army. She's stationed in Ponyville, which is outside of the forest. A bit of advice - she means well but is often blunt and jumps to conclusions. Not to mention being Celestia's student is... well, a privilege." The Sword frowned. "Is she a tattletale or something?" She questioned. Zecora allowed a smile to form. "Not exactly a tattletale but... she does report everything to the ruler of Equis. If you were to come into contact with her, be careful how you act. She takes threats very seriously." They had come across some bushes and vines which Zecora promptly pushed away with the help of the Sword who was deadpanning. "So... I'm a threat according to her?" She questioned. "Hmm... that remains to be seen. I'm not trying to alarm you or anything but merely warn you for what lies ahead." Zecora explained. Well, you're certainly doing a GOOD job so far, lady..., Sword thought in her mind, sighing internally. They kept pushing forward, swatting branches and vines away. To help with their situation, Zecora also used her staff to ensure that they reached their destination more quickly. Sword couldn't help but wonder how many hours and pain she dedicated to perfecting her skills. The most common answer: A LOT. After an eternity, combined with walking and passing through dangerous areas such a swamp and branches with thorns, they had eventually made to an open area in the forest. Sword's eyes immediately widened at the scene in front of her. The entire area had been converted into an obstacle/training course - complete with running, elevating platforms, rope climbing, dodging... training dummies that were set up. Holy mother of... "...How did you... Ok, there's no way you managed to make this entire obstacle course all by yourself." She admitted, a look of doubt on her face. A smile appeared on Zecora's face. "Of course not. My friend helped me out with the designing. And building too..." She stated before sighing. "After long hours of yelling and scolding her for slacking on the job." Sword raised a brow at Zecora who walked over to a nearby lake and halted... clapping her hands soon after. "We have a guest! Come out and introduce yourself!" She declared. For a moment or two, there was but the silence. Until Sword noticed a couple of bubbles forming atop the water... which began to shake soon after. It began to ripple entirely as someone came out, splashing the ground nearby but not the Sword nor Zecora. Sword's eyes widened at what she was seeing. An orca wielding some sort of harpoon had arisen from the water... black-and-white pattern. She also had a loincloth and was quite large but also average-sized. Sword couldn't help but wonder how exactly an orca was going to help her. Zecora smiled. "If you would be so kind..." Sword was about to ask what she was talking about until the Orca opened its mouth. "Of course!" W-WHA-!? IT TALKS!? Waves of waters began to surround the creature, engulfing it entirely as Sword couldn't see anything. What was going on!? Was this natural!? She was then blinded by light and raised her hand to block as did Zecora while the orca couldn't be visible anymore. Soon however, it died down along with the water evaporating or some of it splashing it nearby locations. Sword looked ahead and- Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped... Ok, she had to know: WHAT THE FUCK!? Instead of the orca, there was someone else. A human... whose figure was quite developed too. She stood at 5’4” with her having a fair complexion but also some parts of her skin being black, covering her forearms and lower legs. Her figure was an hourglass one with her long black hair resembling an orca’s tail and her having eyes that were colored in blue. Her attire consisted of white bandages covering her large bosom with an aqua-blue fabric on top connected to a moon shape necklace on her neck. Covering her private area was a small aqua sarong. On top, there was a horseshoe metal connected with a white loincloth that extended past her knees from the front and back and on the sides were two oyster shape plates connecting to her loincloth. On her feet, she adorned aqua-black sandals. The end of her hair, which resembled the tail of an orca was a metal wrap with blue jewels and around it was an Aqua-colored bandana, which was connected by two small jewels on the sides of her hair. Needless to say, she was quite attractive and a looker too. The black-haired one flipped her harpoon around before grinning. "Hey, Zec." She replied. Zecora smiled a bit. "I hope you haven't been doing anything illegal so far." She answered. The woman made a shocked face and pouted. "Illegal? Little old me? Perish the thought!" She encouraged. Zecora rolled her eyes while the black-haired woman's eyes fell upon the raccoon girl. "And who would you be exactly?" She questioned. "The current Sword Hero... or Heroine in this case." Zecora answered. Needless to say, the black-haired woman lowered her smile and quickly walked over to the girl... examining her and judging her, analyzing her even. The Sword couldn't help but blush at that. "Hmm..." Her analyst hummed quietly. Sword was wondering what exactly she was doing until the woman took a step back, frowning and looking at Zecora. "I dunno... she doesn't look like hero material to me. More like, she's hesitant to accept the job, Z." She responded. Zecora nodded. "I know... but the sword has chosen her and we don't really have any other option at this time, do we?" The black-haired woman rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you still believe in that legend crap..." Zecora sighed. "The point is... the sword has chosen this young woman to be a hero. And besides... don't judge a book by its cover, Sadeena." She advised. Sword raised a brow... Sadeena, eh? Interesting name. Said person cringed a bit before releasing a sigh, looking at the Sword. "So... what do you need from me then?" She questioned. "Training her in wielding a sword properly along with making use of the obstacle course you helped me build." Zecora responded. Sadeena frowned. "But you can do that yourself... you don't need me to help you." She replied back. Zecora's turn to frown came. "Sadeena... your underwater skills would come in great handy... not to mention, the Sword would be able to utilize a couple of water-related skills and power-ups to her disposal. Please, Nadia." She pleaded with the black-haired woman. A small silence passed as Saadena thought it over while Sword just waited for a response. Was she trying to think of a way to worm herself out of helping? Or did she felt conflicted? Hard to answer. Come a minute or two later, Sadeena opened her mouth, having made her decision. "I'm going to regret this already..." She sighed heavily. Sword deadpanned. That's supposed to be my line, lady...,she thought in her mind. Whatever the case, Sadeena looked at the Sword Heroine, frowning. "What's your name, girl?" "Oh... um, don't have one. Woke up with a little bit of amnesia in the forest... can't really remember my name. Just bits of my old life. Sorry..." Sword apologized. Sadeena facepalmed, shaking her head and looking at Zecora. "You're off to a good start trying to convincing me to do this..." Zecora sighed. "I apologize, Sadeena... yet time was of the essence and we couldn't think of a good name. Twilight Sparkle came to my hut, having detected the Sword's presence, no doubt." Needless to say, Sadeena's face turned into a worried one. It worried the Sword Heroine a little bit... has the orca met this 'Twilight' as well? Sadeena gave a small nod. "I see... well then, I guess I have an idea for the name: Hilda." She responded. Sword raised a brow. "Hilda? What's that supposed to mean?" Sadeena smirked. "I've read it somewhere in a book... thinking about your sword and such, made me remember the story about Brunhilde... a legendary swordswoman. For the moment, I'll be calling you Hilda. If that's not a problem?" She asked. Sword shrugged. "Don't mind either way." She replied. Hilda was her name for the moment then. At least she can finally stop thinking of herself as the raccoon or the Sword. Sadeena lowered her smirk. "In any event, Hilda... first things first, get rid of your armor." She ordered. Wait, WHAT!? Hilda's face turned a bright red as she glared at her. "Why!? I'm not going in butt naked in this forest!" Sadeena didn't display an unamused face and instead frowned. "That armor will only slow you down... if we're to train you, you'll have to run the obstacle course first." Hilda was still red as she kept her glare. "But running around naked in my birthday suit...?" She questioned. "Why? A little breeze never hurt anyone. And besides, if I'm going to train you to be a hero, I have to see to your dexterity and athleticism. You won't have to worry about catching a cold or getting bitten by bugs... we're in a safe location." Sadeena assured, her smile appearing back. Hilda wasn't sure exactly if that made her feel a bit better. She did cast a glance at Zecora who simply gave a nod to showcase that she was alright with the idea. Was there not one person on this world that was remotely sane!? Sighing heavily, Hilda began to remove everything that she had... and literally everything. Her armor, her clothes, gloves and boots. A few moments later, she was in her birthday suit, hiding her gentle parts with her hands. Sadeena rolled her eyes, smirking. "Oh, quit it with the hiding. We're all women here and there's nothing wrong with us going commando every once in a while." She stated. Hilda gave a look. "Easy for you to say! Look at what you're wearing!" She yelled, pointing at her outfit. Sadeena kept her smirk. "I'm an orca, hon. Comes with the territory... plus, my clothes allow for better movement." She explained. Hilda turned into an even deeper shade of red as Sadeena sighed a bit. "Look... you won't be in your suit forever. Just to see how well you can run the obstacle course. Better movement and reflexes as they say..." She explained. Hilda frowned. "Not sure anyone would agree with you..." "Whatever... in any event, let's start with some exercises. I want you to give me 50 push-ups... immediately." Sadeena ordered. W-WHAT!? 50 PUSH-UPS!? IN HER BIRTHDAY SUIT!? Was she being- "Hilda." Zecora's voice spoke as the Sword looked at the dark-skinned woman. "It's an order, not a request. If we are to run the obstacle course, we need you to get your body in shape. 50 push-ups... on the double." She ordered. Hilda groaned internally, regretting everything... before laying down, putting both of her hands forward in a proper position and her legs at the far back. Sighing heavily, she looked at Sadeena who became serious. "Ready? And know this, I'll be counting them all." She warned. Hilda blushed once more but nodded. Sadeena crossed her arms. "BEGIN!" She yelled. Hilda slowly arose from the ground, groaning heavily... until she collapsed. Needless to say, Sadeena facepalmed, shaking her head. This wasn't exactly what she was expecting! Sadeena frowned. "That was a joke. Start over and get serious." She ordered. Hilda, putting her arms and legs in the appropriate position, began once more. She began to rise her body up, ignoring the pain since she had never done a push-up in her life before... Reaching the top and stretching her arms, breathing slowly. Sadeena kept her frown. "One. You've still got 49 left to do... Remember. I'll be counting them all." She reminded. Hilda groaned in her mind. What did she do so wrong to deserve this...? She started the second push-up, lowering her body near the ground and then rising it once more. Sadeena counted the second one... The woman sighed internally. There's definitely a lot we have to do... I hope you're right about this kid, Zecora., she thought in her mind. (Later...) Hilda collapsed on the floor, having done her 50th push-up... sweat dripping down from her face, and breathing slowly. She looked at Sadeena who seemed to smile a bit. "50 in total. A decent start after the first disastrous tries..." Speaking of those, Hilda was still feeling the embarrassment. During the push-up session, Sadeena had another rule in mind... in addition to keeping a complete eye on Zecora's newly acquired apprentice, she would also warn her that any break in less than 5 minutes would result in Hilda beginning the session once more. Needless to say, Hilda had made the mistake once or twice before getting her act together and pushing her body up and down without a 5-minute break. Sadeena no doubt told herself that it was harsh since the Sword Heroine was new to this yet pushed those thoughts away. If Equis was to survive against the Waves and for Sadeena to see if this little brat was indeed the chosen heroine, then she would undergo a harsh training regiment. Regardless if Hilda was protesting or not... it was for her own good after all. Sadeena smirked. "Next up on our training... sit-ups. Again, you're doing 50." She responded. WHAT!? 50 SIT-UPS!? Her body was already sore from the push-ups and she didn't need- "Oh... and if you rest without continuing the exercise for 5 minutes, they'll start all over. Harsh, I understand... but necessary. I intend to whip you into a proper warrior... even if I'm not satisfied so far with your performance." Sadeena responded, smirking all the way. ...Yep. Hilda confirmed Sadeena was one simple thing: MONSTER. She was a literal monster and pile driver! Was she the only sane person in the world!? Taking a deep breath, Hilda sat up slowly and released a groan before laying down as Sadeena grabbed her legs, ready to assist her in the sit ups. "Ready? And remember, I'll be-" "Counting them... yeah, yeah. Let's get this over before I collapse." Hilda responded, groaning. Sadeena gave a nod and held her legs tight before casting a glance at the sword. "BEGIN!" She yelled. Hilda raised her body, trying to ignore the pain, and reached Sadeena before going down and repeating the pattern. The orca counted them all down and kept a close eye on Hilda to ensure she wouldn't take a break longer than 5 minutes. Once the 50th sit-up had been reached, Sadeena was satisfied and allowed Hilda to lie down. Taking in some fresh air and breathing slowly. Her entire body was in pain... Sadeena crossed her arms. "Hmm... acceptable. For now. Don't think that this is over yet though, kiddo. The day is still young, right Zec?" She asked without turning her head. Zecora, sitting atop her staff, gave a simple nod. "Indeed." Sadeena smiled a bit. "We'll pick up with some Jumping Jacks and then you'll have an opportunity to run the obstacle course. Since its your first day though, you won't be focused on combat just yet. Plenty of time for that later." She told Hilda. Jumping Jack... obstacle course... Oh, god... she wasn't going to survive any of this at all. Not to mention Sadeena was enjoying the prospect of being an instructor. Hilda prayed to whatever God there was to take pity on her and send her back yet all she got was silence. God really must hate her right now. And for good reason... As for Sadeena, she had a lot of work alongside Zecora. If the world was to survive, then the Sword Heroine would be trained to the bone. Dexterity, athleticism, items crafting, etc. Hmm... Sadeena would definitely need some more help. Zecora and her were a start yet to properly train a hero, she would require more than just two simple instructors. Sadeena smirked. Time to make a call to an old friend of hers.
