Titaniumby Berry PunchChaptersPrologue: JournalPrologue: BulletproofI Am... Meet The GuardPrologue: JournalOctober 5th, 1986 Entry#1: I'm not sure what's happening, I'm scared and I don't know what to do. I am going to record this in my journal, to report of any new... changes. October 23rd, 1986 Entry#2: I can lift things, with my mind! Today I was sitting at my desk completing homework and my pencil was across the room and it just... came to me, like I commanded it! I'll record any new changes, I must not let anyone see this. November 17th, 1986 Entry#3: I've been practicing my "telekinesis" I can lift bigger objects like my brothers football now. I haven’t told anyone yet, I think I’m going to keep this a secret. December 1st, 1986 Entry#4: I don't know what I did. Last night I woke up to a bright light in my bedroom. There was a huge shockwave or something, I'm not sure what I did but my room is a mess now. Better clean it before dad finds it like this. I'll try look more into what happened. December 4th, 1986 Entry#5: It happened again, only this time I was awake. I came back from school after being beaten up by Tanner... again. In a fit of rage I began punching the back wall of the house and in my anger I just... exploded I guess. There seemed to be a buildup of energy surrounding me and in my anger, I just released it. A shockwave of what looked like golden light shot out from me. I really need to try hide this better. December 24th, 1986 Entry#6: Yet another crappy Christmas. The family doesn't get me any gifts, yet I go out and get them something. I got Bradly a new football, Aaron a baseball bat and I got dad some nice cologne. I got nothing in return, not to mention Christmas dinner was fast food. I haven't noticed any new changes. January 8th, 1987 Entry#7: I went to the school’s New Year’s party, not much happened. I sat in the corner of the hall with some punch and watched people dance. Tanner Cairns punched me in the gut, called me “teeth” again. Ugh I hate that name, and that was that. When I got home I was slightly depressed and went up to my room. I sat on my bed and started staring vacantly at my teddy bear my mom had bought me when she was alive. The bear began to float upwards, though I had not summoned it to come near me. It didn't travel in my direction, it just slowly, but surely floated up to the ceiling and just stayed there. March 16th, 1987 Entry#8: I haven't made any new entries lately, I haven't noticed any specific changes. Though I can now float various items at once. I have been building up my strength and can now lift much heavier things. We have a burnt out car in the back yard and I have been practicing by lifting it. March 30th, 1987 Entry#9: It's been months since I last exploded with that... golden light, but today I figured how to do it without much effort. I just have to remind myself of what really angers me the most. I am scared though, if Tanner or some other bully angers me enough in school, I may not be able to control this. I better lay low. April 1st, 1987 Entry#10: Tanner thought it would be funny to activate spring traps in my locker and put mustard in them. When I opened the locker the mustard just flew into my face. I managed to keep my anger on the down low, but I'm not sure how long I will be able to do that. Tanner Cairns is the single most infuriating person in this entire town. April 22nd, 1987 Entry#11: I can jump! Really, really high! I was reading some superhero comics and the idea just popped into my head. I aimed my hands to the ground at a slight angle, so I would jump in that direction. I crouched and then jumped normally, but also used my "telekinesis" for a little extra... push, and I went soaring over the fence of my back yard. To land softly again I aimed my hands downwards and pushed to slow me down. This was a brilliant discovery, what more can I do? May 12th, 1987 Entry#12: I was off sick for around two weeks, I haven't discovered anything new. I'll keep recording my changes. Tomorrow I'm going to go back into school, I'm feeling much better. Prologue: BulletproofMay 13th 1987 "Yo, teeth!" the boy called as he pushed through the crowd of students to get to Cary. Cary Lee was a fourteen year old middle-schooler of Aitkin Minnesota, he attended the local school and lived at home with his dad and two brothers Bradley and Aaron. Cary had always been quiet and detached from most people and those who were close to him barely saw him except for during school hours. "I'm talkin' to you teeth! Get back here!" the boy yelled over the sounds of the bustling corridors, the boy was Tanner Cairns, the local bully. Tanner normally picked on Cary because he was quiet and didn't retaliate so naturally he was an easy target for him "Teeth!" Tanner shouted and shoved through his fellow pupils with his beefy arms, trying to reach his prey. Cary was doing everything he could to get away from Tanner, he weaved through the crowded corridor, staying low enough so he was out of site. He hated Tanner, he always made his life a misery in school in every way possible, and that nickname, that nickname angers him a lot. Tanner always called him 'Teeth' due to his bigger front teeth and overbite. Cary growled in frustration and took a left down the corridor to his locker area. Cary stopped and kneeled down on one knee to catch his breath, he could hear the voice of Tanner shouting past the crowd to get to him but for now he thought it would be safe to stop. He quickly began to tighten his shoe laces so he wouldn’t trip when he had to run off again. He then heard the voice of Tanner just around the corner and panicked, stopping to catch his breath was a bad idea, because Tanner had finally caught up with him. "ho, ho, ho thought you could get away, eh?" he smirked "I think you deserve a punishment." Tanner looked around him, a few students had gathered around to see what was happening. Cary got to his feet, only to be knocked back down again by Tanners bulking frame "I didn't say you could get up, did I?" he snickered and watched Cary, who helplessly sat on the ground. Tanner turned around to gloat to the crowd about how he was in control and that Cary was nothing but a pussy, but as he turned Cary got back up quickly and punched Tanner in the back of the head. Tanner turned around and laughed "Ha! You think you stand a chance?" he asked rhetorically, narrowing his eyes at him as he raised his fists. As Tanner moved in for a punch, someone in the crowd shouted "FIGHT!" and everyone nearby had rushed to witness the excitement. Tanner punched him in the gut, which instantly crumpled him onto the floor, Cary began to regret starting this fight, because he knew he wouldn't stand a chance, unless... He perished the thought, he couldn't do that without everyone noticing and the last thing on his mind was to become some government lab rat or something. So he tried to hold his own in the fight, which was not going well for him. As soon as Cary took another punch to the face the blonde teacher, Mrs Crawford came running out of her room to try break up the fight. But Tanner kept laying into him, punching and kicking him while he was crumpled on the floor. As he took more abuse from the bully, he couldn't take it anymore. In a fit of pure unadulterated rage Cary screamed, a golden aura began to surround around his body. Tanner noticed this and took a step back, with a look of fear in his eyes "What the f-" he was cut off as a huge shockwave of golden light hit him and the students behind him, causing them to thrown into the walls. Cary was thrown back into a door by the shear force of the shockwave. In a fit of rage he gave up his long kept secret. His ears were ringing, he didn't hear Mrs Crawford order everyone to run, he just stared blankly to the ground. Suddenly as if just realizing what he had just done Cary got to his feet, fixed his hat and walked at a brisk pace for the exit of the school. He had to get away. He looked around him, the walls were dented, locker doors had broken off and the door he smashed into was off of the hinges. There were papers and school bags everywhere, the place looked like it was hit by a small tornado because of all of the debris which lay around him. He couldn’t believe he had caused this to happen. After scanning the area, Cary knew it was time to leave. If he was caught, he wouldn’t know how to explain this and then he would probably be brought to some labs somewhere and experimented on. Scared, he went on a slow jog to the schools entrance, to leave for home. He would have to pack and leave his house before his family got back, they would surely try to stop him. Jogging past an english room he saw Mrs Crawford on the phone, when she made eye contact with him she cowered a bit. She was undoubtedly phoning the police, he had to run. As Cary reached the exit he saw a police car pull up, Cary looked the other way and walked briskly over to the bike rack and took a bike. He hopped on and rode off as fast as his legs would take him. He had to get home, pack and run away. He couldn't stay there anymore, not after what happened. Not with so many witnesses. Cary's house was only a ten minute bike ride away and he was going at maximum speed, so he would be there in no time. He would be able to get home, pack and leave before the police suspected a thing. He saw his house in the distance and picked up his pace a bit, as he reached the house he ditched the bike in the front lawn and ran into the house. The tv was on, it was the news. The headlines shocked him. SUPERNATURAL OCCURRENCE AT LOCAL SCHOOL Cary's heart rate began to quicken as he ran for the stairs to his bedroom. Quickly he grabbed a backpack and a small change of clothes and went back down to leave. There was a knock at the door "It's the police, open up!" a voice announced. Cary looked around with panicked eyes and saw the silhouettes of police surrounding the house, he ran for the back door, only to find it locked. He looked around the room and saw the keys on the counter, quickly he reached out and pulled them through the air towards him and he unlocked the door. He ran for the forest behind his home and just as he made it to the forests edge the police broke down the front door and ran for the kitchen. Cary left a few items floating as a distraction for the police, to at least buy himself a little more time before they caught up. He ran through the forest, over fallen trees, weaving through large branches. At least it would be harder for them to get him in here, he thought to himself as he trudged through the brush. Cary had trekked through the dense forest for hours trying to get away from the authorities, but he could always hear them not far behind him. It was getting dark and the police had left the job of tracking Cary down with the SWAT teams. Cary could hear them not far behind, in fact he was beginning to see their flashlights. He began to panic and try to make one last getaway. As he jumped down a small hill, Cary took a look behind him and sure enough he could see the SWAT teams moving quickly towards his direction. He sprinted forwards and came to a dark opening, Cary checked behind him to see where they were, only to run into one of them who had been sent forward to wait for him. The SWAT man kicked Cary to the ground as the other men began to circle in around him. Their guns raised at him. One of the men shouted something, but Cary’s head was pounding with rage from being caught, and didn’t catch what the man had said. Instinctively he crawled into a ball and wrapped his hands around the back of his head. This time he wouldn’t be thrown back by the impact. Cary felt the anger boil in him and as the SWAT men began to inclose on him, they saw the golden aura which encased his body. The men flinched and all took a few steps back. But as they retreated slightly there was a huge dome of golden light which came from the boy. The men all went flying across the clearing and Cary was gone. Author's Note And here ends the prolouge, I hope I have kept your attention guys! Big thanks to Super Kami Guru my epic editor! I Am... I Am... This map will be what the version of Equestria the story is set in. The nights in the deserts of the Griffon Kingdom were always cold. The barren landscape which stretched for miles was dark and quiet, only the sounds of the occasional rattle snake in the brush or the high pitched squeaks from the bats above were heard. It was a somewhat normal night near the Griffon Kingdom/Equestrian border, the guards by the outpost at Hoovington stood to attention, making sure not to look back into the Equestrian territory. In truth Miles, one of the Griffon guards on duty that night was nervous. Nervous because the Hoovington outpost was taken over by the Lunar forces. Though Nightmare Moon had opted to leave the Griffons alone, for now that is. Miles was still very intimidated by the Lunar guard, their strong, leathery bat wings were resistant to fire and they were all trained by the toughest of the tough. Each guard looked like the next, the same stoic and imposing attitude. Sure the Griffon guard were well trained, but Miles had the feeling they wouldn't stand a chance against the Lunar Army. It had been four hours since he had started his shift and it was now 12 am. Nothing ever interesting happens on Miles' shifts, he stood there as still and imposing as possible, but in actual fact he was bored out of his mind. He stood staring into the barren landscape, to the Southeast he could make out the lights from Elabin and to the South West Oasait. They were a couple of backwater towns, but Elabin had a killer night life. Miles sighed and shifted in his position by the border to get comfortable. When he signed up for the army he expected there to be a little more... action. His job sucked, all he did was sleep during the day and stand there, by the border all night. The biggest trouble they ever got was a drunken guard or two trying to cross into Hoovington. That wasn't allowed, to cross into Equestria would go against Nightmare Moon's demands for non interference. The Griffon Kingdom was practically under her hoof. It was as if she was the puppet master and the Griffons were her puppets. The Griffon king put up no fight against Nightmare Moon and her demands, and then eventually when the time came, she would demand the loyalty of the Griffon Kingdom to her. This in most likeliness would happen because the Griffon king was terrified of her. So much for a "fearless leader", Miles chuckled silently to himself. Miles stood there for hours upon end, just waiting for some excitement. Anything to at least lift this dreary mood. In the distance, not too far from Oasait, there was a streak of light shooting down from the night sky. From a distance one may think it to be a shooting star, but up close it seemed to be a golden orb aiming straight for the desert sand. The sound of the rattlesnakes stopped as the silent, golden orb reached the ground. There was a distinctive "whoomf" sound as it touched down. Miles looked up to the sky and saw a shooting star, he never really believed in the whole "wish upon a star" mumbo jumbo, but he was bored and wanted to entertain himself. So Miles wished upon the star for something interesting to happen. He waited and then... nothing. He chuckled, of course nothing was going to happen, he face palmed. Unbeknownst to the Griffon, in the distance a new creature to these lands had arrived. oOoOo Cary looked up from the ground on which he was curled up on. He began to look around him in search for the SWAT team, but what he saw was not the forest in which he was just in. But he was lying in the middle of a desert. The cool night air sent goose bumps down his shirt as he looked around from his kneeling position. "What the hell?" He whispered to himself silently. In a confused state, Cary stood up onto his wobbly legs so he could get a better look around him. There was nothing but vast expanses of sand. Behind him, Cary saw the lights of a town, or something but he didn't want to go there in the case of the police were still searching for him. So he opted to walk in the opposite direction. Cary was cold as he walked along the soft sand 'Aren't deserts supposed to be warm?' he thought to himself, seemingly unaware that the temperature dropped at night due to the fact that there is no sun. "Now, where am I?" He questioned himself as he began to walk in his randomly picked direction. 'This is going to be a long night' he thought to himself as he secured his backpack and began to walk through the dark desert. oOoOo "This is going to be a long night." Miles muttered to himself tiredly. He sighed and looked back to the clock by the gate 3:34 am "Yep, long night." He couldn't stand it anymore. Just standing still, doing nothing all night. Though he was meant to be setting a good example for the Griffon folk, Miles just couldn't be bothered now. So he opted to lean against the gate to rest a little. Unaware to the young guard, there was a pair of alien eyes watching him from the shadows in the distance. oOoOo Cary had been walking for a few hours, he had not known what the time was, nor did he care at this point. But what he did care about was the small town he could see in the distance before him. What he couldn't understand was why the town was medieval looking. The buildings had straw roofs and timber framed homes. There were also dark blue banners and flags which depicted a crescent moon. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he sure was curious. Cary began to crouch slightly as he approached a more open area not far off from the gate to the town. It seemed to be a border crossing; now looking closer Cary could see the chain link fence which ran for miles in each direction. But the border crossing was not what caught Cary's attention. It was the guard by the gate. "What... is that?" he muttered under his breath. He went into a prone position so he could get a closer look at the... eagle? As Cary lay prone in the brush, he saw the eagle began to relax against the gate. Whatever this was, it wasn't some mindless animal. That left one question in Cary's mind "Where am I?" he spoke quietly. Whatever he had done back there with the SWAT team, it wasn't out of anger. It was out of fear and the need to run. Whatever Cary had done, he had ended himself up god knows where. He had somehow teleported himself away in the need to survive, but where did he teleport himself to? He wanted to get a closer look at the eagle thing, so he began a slow crawl through the brush. There was an opening of sand just ahead of him, if he could get past that without being seen, he'd get a good look at it. Cary crawled in his prone position slowly making his way past the opening to get to the cover of the brush. From where he was, Cary could see a row of tents and a small fire in the centre. He also saw a few watch towers on either side of the fence. As he crawled into the cover of the desert brush, Cary brushed past one of the plants causing it to rustle; he winced at the sound and stayed deathly still. He looked over to where the eagle was, only to see it looking in his direction curiously, squinting to see if there was something hidden. Cary was in full panic now, but he could not move in the case of being caught. Then, the eagle talked. oOoOo Miles yawned and scanned the horizon, nothing to do. It was a good few hours into his shift and in a few more hours he was free. As per usual nothing interesting happened or was going to happen, nothing ever happened. Off to his right, he heard the sound of a plant rustling. Miles turned to the sound and squinted his eyes to see if he could catch anything hidden. Perhaps it was a predator of some sort, he hoped quietly. At least that would give him something to do. Because he was part eagle, griffons had great eyesight. They were born hunters; they would soar high in the sky searching for prey on the ground and strike down on them when unsuspected. Just about 6 meters out, Miles could see something hidden beside a desert plant. Whatever it was it lay prone and he could see it wasn't very big. "You there! By the bush, get out and surrender yourself!" Miles called out, squinting at the form by the bush. He could swear he heard it say something, but opted to wait for whatever it was to come out for surrender. There was a slight rustle and hesitation, but the creature stood up with a fearful look in its eyes. "Now just, what in tartarus are you?" Miles asked, eyeing up the new creature which stood before him. oOoOo "Now just, what in tartarus are you?" Not only could this thing talk, but upon further examination, Cary could see it had a lion’s body. This was a griffon; Cary knew this from Greek mythology. A half lion, half eagle. But griffons didn't exist, so how was there one standing in front of him. 'then again, having "supernatural abilities" shouldn't exist either ' he thought to himself. Not wanting to stall any longer, Cary spoke up to the seemingly real creature "Um, I'm a human?" he said with some uncertainty, he was nervous after all. The griffon shifted in the spot a bit, still eyeing Cary up. He was probably seeing if he was any threat to him. What the griffon wouldn't know is that Cary was far more dangerous than he knew. But Cary was going to play the peace card and hope this griffon didn't hurt him. "So, what is your name 'human'?" the griffon asked, eyeing him. Cary panicked and didn't want to really tell this creature his name, but it didn't really seem like he was in the position to negotiate. The griffon wore steel armour and carried a huge spear. Not to mention his huge talons, there was no way Cary wanted to start a fight with this thing. "My name's Cary Lee, what's yours?" Cary asked, hopefully by being friendly the griffon wouldn't act hostile towards him "Oh, and one more thing. Where am I? Is this Earth?" he asked in hopes for answers, '"is this Earth?" Ugh, how stupid can I be!? Last time I checked Earth didn't have talking griffons, in fact Earth didn't have any griffons!' oOoOo 'So this "human" is named "Cary Lee"... what an odd name, then again this was a strange creature' Miles thought to himself "Are you saying you don't know you're on Equus? Ya know, the name of the planet?" he asked as he began to relax a bit more. By the sound of this creature’s voice, he was young, perhaps early teens. He posed no threat to the guard, or so he thought. Cary's mouth was agape "Not on Earth?" he questioned "How did I..." he seemed to trail off, as if he had found his answer. The human's actions confused Miles, if he was not of this planet why is he not scared? He watched as the human dusted himself off and stepped out of the brush. "So, you're not from around these parts, eh?" The griffon looked to Cary with feigned curiosity. Miles stuck his claw out for a handshake "The names Miles, I'm the border guard." he said as he shook Cary's hand, well it seems that, that is a universal gesture. Cary coughed to grab Miles' attention; he had gone off in thought. "Sorry. Okay, what shall I do with you?" he pondered "Why don't you stay in the barracks for now? We'll figure something out in the morning. For now, I have to get back to my post." he awaited Cary's reply. In his defence Cary was in a brand new world, which seemed to be run by griffons, a once thought mythological creature. He was nervous, unsure what to do. "Um, sure, uh lead the way." Cary said as he sighed and followed behind the griffon guard. They walked along the path to where Miles' post was by the gate into Hoovington. The two of them walked past the open gates of the border pass, unaware of one of the Lunar Guard was watching very closely. This new creature was most curious looking; he had to report this to his commanding officer. Maybe the Empress would find use for it. oOoOo Cary was nervous, he was offered temporary shelter, but he was not sure if he could trust this... griffon. In reality he was scared, scared that he wasn't on Earth, scared there were no humans and he was absolutely terrified of the thought of never returning home. Sure he was a fugitive on the run, but he could have stayed with other family around the country. He would have been around people he loved. He was just going to have to keep his cool and try to get around this problem, or maybe even try getting used to it. He couldn't show weakness and if he were to ever get into trouble he could just use his "abilities" so to speak, to help him. He could fight away any threats without any real effort on his part. For now, Cary opted to follow the guard and put a little trust into him. He had no one else there for help, so maybe this guard would be a reliable ally. However, there was a thought passing through his head. 'What if they want to dissect me? I'm a new species to this world, so what if they take interest in me?' The thought terrified him, this was the reason he ran away from the authorities in the first place. Not because he was scared of being arrested, but because he didn't want to become some lab experiment. As they walked along the path, they neared a large tent 'This must be the barracks.' Cary pondered over what the reactions of the other me... griffons would be when they saw him for the first time. Would they become hostile and attack? Would they take to me with curiosity just like Miles? He would have to wait till the morning to find out. oOoOo "Okay, here take my bunk while I am on duty. I'll be back at sunrise, I'll explain to the other guards as to what you are and your predicament." Miles whispered, Cary nodded "But for now, get some rest." Cary yawned, it'd been almost 24 hours since the last time he slept and right now the bed looked more comfortable than it should have. Miles turned to take his leave; he saw Cary get ready for bed and walked out of the tent. The cold air hit him and he shivered as he began walking back to his post "Hopefully nothing happened during my absence", he chuckled at his light joke. Nothing ever happened during his shifts. oOoOo "Sir." The dark lunar stallion said, looking to his superior who was reading over a map. The elder stallion looked up from his map, eyes as cold and hard as steel. The type of eyes that had seen many things that nopony in life wishes to witness. The stallion frowned looking at the guard, who was supposedly on duty by the gates. "Why are you away from your post!?" he barked angrily at the guard, who had seemed unfazed "This better be good, I am in the middle of some important business here and am in no need for any interruptions." he stated in a cold voice. "Sir, I have spotted an unknown creature, possibly alien on the griffon territory." this caught his commanding officer's attention and he continued "It was a furless bipedal creature; he wore thick clothing, which is used to fight against the cold. The creature is clearly sentient and can speak Equestrian." The elder stallion raised an eyebrow. "Most interesting... I will report this to the Empress, let's see what she has to say about this... thing." he said. The stallion walked to a small table to the left of him and began to compose a letter to his Empress. Dear Empress Nightmare Moon of Equestria I have report of a new mysterious bipedal, sentient being in the claws of the griffons. The creature is furless, but wears clothing; this indicates a higher class of its species perhaps? It is reported that the creature can speak perfect Equestrian and by the sound of his voice he is indeed a colt. Do you wish for us to apprehend this strange new creature for you to examine, or shall we let him stay in care of the griffons? I await your reply humbly, my Empress. All hail Empress Nightmare Moon, true ruler of Equestria, bringer of eternal night. Yours faithfully Captain Clouded Shadow "Now I must await." he grumbled to himself, he turned to the guard "I want you to keep an eye on the creature at all times. We mustn't let him leave the Hoovington area before the Empress' reply. The creature might be useful." he ordered, eyeballing the guard who stood as stoic as ever. "Yes sir!" he shouted before turning to march out of the room and back to his post by the gate. oOoOo Entry#1: I am not sure what world I am in, it is populated by griffons! I am scared and I don't know what I am going to do. So I must sit tight for now, maybe some good will come out of it. I can not show any weakness in front of these griffons, I must show them I am not to be messed with, I must remain strong! If anything bad happens I can just use my powers against them, I may stand a chance. But there are so many guards here. I must go, it is late and I need what little sleep I can scavenge. Author's Note Aaan I hope you guys are enjoying this story so far. I know I enjoyed writing it ^^ But don't be expecting daily updates, for that I am truly sorry. The reason being is because I have my GCSE's coming up soon and I have to study! Woop! -.- xD Aaaanyways, I'll try update as much as possible! Huge thanks to Super Kami Guru for being an epic editor! Main characters will appear at a later time during the story! Meet The GuardThe night went by pretty slowly for Miles. After the excitement of meeting the ‘Human’, Cary, not much had happened. It was now 8 am, the time for the shift change. Miles was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to just crash in his bunk and sleep for a few hours As he walked back to the barracks,by following the main path he heard a lot of shouting coming from within the tent. The shouts were of fear and confusion ‘Looks like the other men have met Cary...’ Miles grimaced and sighed. He pulled back the tent flaps and ducked inside the tent. He saw all of the men surrounding his bunk where he had left Cary just a few hours ago. As he neared the group one of the guards turned to him. “Miles, what in the name of tartarus is this... thing!? And why is it in your bunk?” The Griffon guard demanded with a frown. Miles sighed and looked over to his bunk where Cary could be seen slightly cowering in the corner. Miles cleared his throat “Men, this is Cary. He arrived late last night and had and still has no idea where he is.” He let that sink in “Cary is obviously still fairly young, by his voice I’d say pre-teens or maybe slightly older...” He turned to look at Cary, who nodded in appreciation “ He is new to these lands, he’s young and he’s alone. So I ask of you all to accept his presence here for the time being and to please... at least try to make him feel welcome’” There were a few nods and grunts in agreement before they set off to work. One of the older guards looked somewhat unsatisfied with the information he was provided with and stayed back after the guards had left to ask some questions of his own. The guard spoke in a clear levelled voice “May I ask you a few questions?” Cary nodded with a look of determination adorning his face “What do you want to know?” he questioned and looked to the elder guard and raised an eyebrow slightly in question. “Firstly, you may call me Iron Beak. I would also like to know who and what you are.” Iron Beak crossed his arms, awaiting his answer. Cary scratched the back of his head and sat up in the bunk a bit, he looked to Miles, who nodded at him before he spoke up “My name is Cary Lee, I’m fourteen years old and I am a human.” he said in a clear, yet quiet voice. He looked up to Iron Beak with a neutral expression. “Okay, Cary. You’re only fourteen years of age? That’s awfully young to be going out in the world on your own...” Iron Beak trailed off a bit, his tone softened “I have two kids, both just a bit older than yourself and I would never let them wander the world on their own.” he spoke in an almost fatherly tone. Cary’s face showed a slightly surprised expression “Well as I said before, I’ve no idea where I am and I don’t know how I got here.” this was only partially true, though he truly didn’t know how he arrived, he knew it had something to do with his strange powers. Iron Beak tapped a talon to his chin in contemplation “Even though you are... alien to these lands, you are still far too young to be on your own. I believe as a parent it should be my duty to contact social services...” Cary’s eyes widened “N-No! I’m not even from here! You can’t do that I-I’m not a citizen here, you can’t!”Cary began to panic, he bit his lip nervously and looked as if he was ready to make a break for it. Iron Beak sighed and rubbed his temples “Okay, Cary, calm down, I’m not going to do that. But, I must ask you to stay here. You are not old enough to travel these lands. Especially during these... dark times.” he cleared his throat “We will set you up a tent for you to stay in for the time being, I’m sure you’ll not want to stay with us in the barracks. There is also one more thing I must ask of you Cary. I want you to steer clear from the gate.” Cary looked up, confused and grateful, he raised an eyebrow “Why? What’s behind the border? All I saw last night was a small town.” he shifted uncomfortably a bit. Miles spoke up before Iron Beak had the chance “Beyond the gate is Equestria, the Pony lands. They are currently locked in a long running civil war. The Solar army is holding up against the Lunar forces.” he said. “But why can’t I venture near the gate?” Cary questioned “Are the ponies evil, or something?” Iron Beak nodded slightly and beckoned him towards the exit of the tent, to which Cary willingly followed. “Have a good sleep, Miles!” Cary called into the tent and walked out, ducking under the entrance of the barracks, “So, why is it I can’t go to this town?” he looked to the elder Griffon. “The ponies that are currently occupying Hoovington are the Lunar forces, they are lead by the evil tyrant, Nightmare Moon; who wishes for nothing more than to bring forth eternal night.” Iron Beak coughed, cleared his throat and continued “I do not want them catching wind of your existence, there is no telling what they would do; they may take interest in you and take you away for... study.” Cary’s eyes widened at this “No... no, I can’t let that happen again.” Iron Beak raised an eyebrow and Cary shifted his eyes “I think I’ll just stay by the tents...” he said in a weak voice, trying to change the subject as he looked to the ground depressedly. ‘ What does he mean by...’again’?’ Iron Beak thought to himself, he contemplated on asking Cary what he had meant; but the boy was obviously shaken up and he didn’t want to push it “Yeah, that’s probably the best thing to do.” he said in a softer tone. “Look, I’m going to go for some breakfast. Do you wish to join me? Maybe tell me more about yourself, where you come from and all that malarkey.” Iron Beak said kindly to the shaken up boy. Cary nodded and began to walk towards the mess hall, beside the barracks “So, what do you like to eat, Cary?” he questioned and gave him a friendly pat on the back. “Bacon.” Cary said simply and Iron Beak burst out into a fit of laughter “What?” he asked with a slight chuckle. Iron Beak turned to him with a smile. “I didn’t think a creature like you would enjoy meat!” he said jovially and chuckled “Yes, we have bacon. I am sure that you must be starving!” he exclaimed and turned towards the kitchen. “Why wouldn’t I eat meat?” Cary asked. “Aah, you see, I thought you would be a herbivore like those ponies! You don’t look like much of a meat eater.” replied Iron Beak as he began to ready the meal. oOoOo “Sir! The creature is called a ‘human’.” The Lunar guard said as he came running into the war room where the captain was busy working around a map. The captain turned his attention towards the guard with a raised eyebrow; the guard saluted. “Where did you find this information from?” Did you by any chance catch his name?” the captain asked in a hard, demanding voice. The guard nodded slowly “Well, out with it then!” he ordered loudly, glaring at the stoic guard. “His name is ‘Cary Lee’, sir! I have found out he is only fourteen years of age, he is still a foal by pony standards, sir.” the guard spoke in his monotonous voice and stood perfectly still. “Fourteen you say? Well, he is rather young... I shall report this to the empress. You are dismissed” the captain said waving him off with a hoof as he turned to his desk and grabbed a scroll and quill “This colt is but a foal, surely it will be easy to ‘convince’ him to come with us; when the time is right, that is.” he eyed the parchment in front of him. ‘Perhaps I will contact the empress when I have a bit more... information.’ he thought to himself, as he placed the scroll and quill into a drawer “I will need to have somepony on the inside...” he scratched his chin with a hoof. The captain turned for the door and marched towards the border, he dismissed the guards by the gate until he was finished with his... business. He called over one of the Griffon guards “You there, Griffon! I request your presence here immediately.” The Griffon swallowed slowly and nervously turned towards the Lunar captain “What is it that you need of me, Captain Shadow?” he asked in a toneless voice, though his heart rate was beating rapidly. “I know of this ‘human’, that you hold in your custody.” the Griffon shifted uncomfortably “I am willing to pay you a hefty price in bits for any and all information on him as you can.” the Griffons mind began racing over all of the possibilities of what he could do with the money. The Griffon nodded “Yes, sir; I will do what I can to gain you any information as I can.” Captain Shadow nodded in acceptance. “That is all well, now state your name; I like to know the name of those working under me.” Captain Shadow said mysteriously, looking the nervous Griffon in the eye. “M-my name is Private Talon, sir!” Talon stuttered slightly, nervous of giving the Lunar captain his name. Captain Shadow nodded and with a grunt, he turned and marched back towards the war room, to work on a new letter to the empress. He marched into the room, closing the door behind him and pulled the scroll and quill back out from the drawer and began to write his letter. Dear Empress Nightmare Moon I have gained more information on the creature called a ‘human’, his name is ‘Cary Lee’ and he is but a foal of only fourteen years of age, much younger than I would have expected. I have now eyes and ears on the inside of the Griffon guard, I shall be expecting more information from this informant soon, when he is of no use I will terminate him to get rid of any loose ends. I will contact you with any and all important information soon. Yours Faithfully Captain Clouded Shadow oOoOo “You eat just as fast as any of the men here, HA! Who knew such a small creature could consume so much food, in so little time!” Iron Beak exclaimed happily. Iron Beak had grown closer to Cary, treating him as if he was his own son because a father is exactly what this boy needed. Cary laughed with the older Griffon; he was having a good time, given the circumstances. The two of them bonded more over breakfast, having eating competitions and swapping jokes “This has been possibly one of the most fun mornings I’ve ever had!” Cary said happily, smiling at the Griffon next to him. “Oh? Why is that?” Iron Beak asked curiously, with a raised eyebrow. Cary quietened down slightly and looked to the table, Iron Beak winced at the thought of hitting a sore spot with the young boy “It is okay, forget I asked.” he dismissed the question, in hopes to bring the boys mood back up. “No, it’s okay, Iron.” Cary sighed “It’s just, my Dad wasn’t great, he used to just drag me out of bed, tell me it was time for school and then leave for work. I had to walk three miles every morning to get to school.” he scratched the back of his head uncomfortably “Then when I got to school, the bullies made my life hell.” Iron Beak nodded solemnly “Well, lad; you will never have to see those... wretched bullies, or your rather uncaring father again.” he said and patted Cary on the back softly. This seemed to cheer Cary up a bit and the boy smiled at the Griffon “You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, Iron.” he said and to Iron Beaks surprise, he hugged him. Iron Beak looked taken aback and did what came naturally to him, he patted his back softly and returned the hug. “I know a way to lift your mood!” exclaimed Iron Beak “How about I teach you some sword fighting? That is usually a good way to vent out anger and maybe let loose and have fun.” Cary’s eyes brightened. “Yeah, that sounds fun! I have never even touched a real sword before.” Iron Beak chuckled and got up from his seat and headed for the door, Cary remained seated, as he cleaned off his plate. “Well, come on!” the Griffon beckoned the boy over with a claw “Let’s go swing some swords!” he said happily and ducked under the tent flap, out into the hot open air of the desert. This was going to be fun, Cary thought as he followed Iron Beak out of the mess hall. Author's Note Sorry for the long wait, guys. As most of you may or may not know, I am in the middle of important exams and will be focusing on them. BUT, you guys only have to wait two more weeks till I am free again :D This chapter hasn't been edited, be warned. I will have my editor on it as soon as he is online, I just didn't want to wait too long before I uploaded it ^^;; Enjoy!
Prologue: JournalOctober 5th, 1986 Entry#1: I'm not sure what's happening, I'm scared and I don't know what to do. I am going to record this in my journal, to report of any new... changes. October 23rd, 1986 Entry#2: I can lift things, with my mind! Today I was sitting at my desk completing homework and my pencil was across the room and it just... came to me, like I commanded it! I'll record any new changes, I must not let anyone see this. November 17th, 1986 Entry#3: I've been practicing my "telekinesis" I can lift bigger objects like my brothers football now. I haven’t told anyone yet, I think I’m going to keep this a secret. December 1st, 1986 Entry#4: I don't know what I did. Last night I woke up to a bright light in my bedroom. There was a huge shockwave or something, I'm not sure what I did but my room is a mess now. Better clean it before dad finds it like this. I'll try look more into what happened. December 4th, 1986 Entry#5: It happened again, only this time I was awake. I came back from school after being beaten up by Tanner... again. In a fit of rage I began punching the back wall of the house and in my anger I just... exploded I guess. There seemed to be a buildup of energy surrounding me and in my anger, I just released it. A shockwave of what looked like golden light shot out from me. I really need to try hide this better. December 24th, 1986 Entry#6: Yet another crappy Christmas. The family doesn't get me any gifts, yet I go out and get them something. I got Bradly a new football, Aaron a baseball bat and I got dad some nice cologne. I got nothing in return, not to mention Christmas dinner was fast food. I haven't noticed any new changes. January 8th, 1987 Entry#7: I went to the school’s New Year’s party, not much happened. I sat in the corner of the hall with some punch and watched people dance. Tanner Cairns punched me in the gut, called me “teeth” again. Ugh I hate that name, and that was that. When I got home I was slightly depressed and went up to my room. I sat on my bed and started staring vacantly at my teddy bear my mom had bought me when she was alive. The bear began to float upwards, though I had not summoned it to come near me. It didn't travel in my direction, it just slowly, but surely floated up to the ceiling and just stayed there. March 16th, 1987 Entry#8: I haven't made any new entries lately, I haven't noticed any specific changes. Though I can now float various items at once. I have been building up my strength and can now lift much heavier things. We have a burnt out car in the back yard and I have been practicing by lifting it. March 30th, 1987 Entry#9: It's been months since I last exploded with that... golden light, but today I figured how to do it without much effort. I just have to remind myself of what really angers me the most. I am scared though, if Tanner or some other bully angers me enough in school, I may not be able to control this. I better lay low. April 1st, 1987 Entry#10: Tanner thought it would be funny to activate spring traps in my locker and put mustard in them. When I opened the locker the mustard just flew into my face. I managed to keep my anger on the down low, but I'm not sure how long I will be able to do that. Tanner Cairns is the single most infuriating person in this entire town. April 22nd, 1987 Entry#11: I can jump! Really, really high! I was reading some superhero comics and the idea just popped into my head. I aimed my hands to the ground at a slight angle, so I would jump in that direction. I crouched and then jumped normally, but also used my "telekinesis" for a little extra... push, and I went soaring over the fence of my back yard. To land softly again I aimed my hands downwards and pushed to slow me down. This was a brilliant discovery, what more can I do? May 12th, 1987 Entry#12: I was off sick for around two weeks, I haven't discovered anything new. I'll keep recording my changes. Tomorrow I'm going to go back into school, I'm feeling much better.
Prologue: BulletproofMay 13th 1987 "Yo, teeth!" the boy called as he pushed through the crowd of students to get to Cary. Cary Lee was a fourteen year old middle-schooler of Aitkin Minnesota, he attended the local school and lived at home with his dad and two brothers Bradley and Aaron. Cary had always been quiet and detached from most people and those who were close to him barely saw him except for during school hours. "I'm talkin' to you teeth! Get back here!" the boy yelled over the sounds of the bustling corridors, the boy was Tanner Cairns, the local bully. Tanner normally picked on Cary because he was quiet and didn't retaliate so naturally he was an easy target for him "Teeth!" Tanner shouted and shoved through his fellow pupils with his beefy arms, trying to reach his prey. Cary was doing everything he could to get away from Tanner, he weaved through the crowded corridor, staying low enough so he was out of site. He hated Tanner, he always made his life a misery in school in every way possible, and that nickname, that nickname angers him a lot. Tanner always called him 'Teeth' due to his bigger front teeth and overbite. Cary growled in frustration and took a left down the corridor to his locker area. Cary stopped and kneeled down on one knee to catch his breath, he could hear the voice of Tanner shouting past the crowd to get to him but for now he thought it would be safe to stop. He quickly began to tighten his shoe laces so he wouldn’t trip when he had to run off again. He then heard the voice of Tanner just around the corner and panicked, stopping to catch his breath was a bad idea, because Tanner had finally caught up with him. "ho, ho, ho thought you could get away, eh?" he smirked "I think you deserve a punishment." Tanner looked around him, a few students had gathered around to see what was happening. Cary got to his feet, only to be knocked back down again by Tanners bulking frame "I didn't say you could get up, did I?" he snickered and watched Cary, who helplessly sat on the ground. Tanner turned around to gloat to the crowd about how he was in control and that Cary was nothing but a pussy, but as he turned Cary got back up quickly and punched Tanner in the back of the head. Tanner turned around and laughed "Ha! You think you stand a chance?" he asked rhetorically, narrowing his eyes at him as he raised his fists. As Tanner moved in for a punch, someone in the crowd shouted "FIGHT!" and everyone nearby had rushed to witness the excitement. Tanner punched him in the gut, which instantly crumpled him onto the floor, Cary began to regret starting this fight, because he knew he wouldn't stand a chance, unless... He perished the thought, he couldn't do that without everyone noticing and the last thing on his mind was to become some government lab rat or something. So he tried to hold his own in the fight, which was not going well for him. As soon as Cary took another punch to the face the blonde teacher, Mrs Crawford came running out of her room to try break up the fight. But Tanner kept laying into him, punching and kicking him while he was crumpled on the floor. As he took more abuse from the bully, he couldn't take it anymore. In a fit of pure unadulterated rage Cary screamed, a golden aura began to surround around his body. Tanner noticed this and took a step back, with a look of fear in his eyes "What the f-" he was cut off as a huge shockwave of golden light hit him and the students behind him, causing them to thrown into the walls. Cary was thrown back into a door by the shear force of the shockwave. In a fit of rage he gave up his long kept secret. His ears were ringing, he didn't hear Mrs Crawford order everyone to run, he just stared blankly to the ground. Suddenly as if just realizing what he had just done Cary got to his feet, fixed his hat and walked at a brisk pace for the exit of the school. He had to get away. He looked around him, the walls were dented, locker doors had broken off and the door he smashed into was off of the hinges. There were papers and school bags everywhere, the place looked like it was hit by a small tornado because of all of the debris which lay around him. He couldn’t believe he had caused this to happen. After scanning the area, Cary knew it was time to leave. If he was caught, he wouldn’t know how to explain this and then he would probably be brought to some labs somewhere and experimented on. Scared, he went on a slow jog to the schools entrance, to leave for home. He would have to pack and leave his house before his family got back, they would surely try to stop him. Jogging past an english room he saw Mrs Crawford on the phone, when she made eye contact with him she cowered a bit. She was undoubtedly phoning the police, he had to run. As Cary reached the exit he saw a police car pull up, Cary looked the other way and walked briskly over to the bike rack and took a bike. He hopped on and rode off as fast as his legs would take him. He had to get home, pack and run away. He couldn't stay there anymore, not after what happened. Not with so many witnesses. Cary's house was only a ten minute bike ride away and he was going at maximum speed, so he would be there in no time. He would be able to get home, pack and leave before the police suspected a thing. He saw his house in the distance and picked up his pace a bit, as he reached the house he ditched the bike in the front lawn and ran into the house. The tv was on, it was the news. The headlines shocked him. SUPERNATURAL OCCURRENCE AT LOCAL SCHOOL Cary's heart rate began to quicken as he ran for the stairs to his bedroom. Quickly he grabbed a backpack and a small change of clothes and went back down to leave. There was a knock at the door "It's the police, open up!" a voice announced. Cary looked around with panicked eyes and saw the silhouettes of police surrounding the house, he ran for the back door, only to find it locked. He looked around the room and saw the keys on the counter, quickly he reached out and pulled them through the air towards him and he unlocked the door. He ran for the forest behind his home and just as he made it to the forests edge the police broke down the front door and ran for the kitchen. Cary left a few items floating as a distraction for the police, to at least buy himself a little more time before they caught up. He ran through the forest, over fallen trees, weaving through large branches. At least it would be harder for them to get him in here, he thought to himself as he trudged through the brush. Cary had trekked through the dense forest for hours trying to get away from the authorities, but he could always hear them not far behind him. It was getting dark and the police had left the job of tracking Cary down with the SWAT teams. Cary could hear them not far behind, in fact he was beginning to see their flashlights. He began to panic and try to make one last getaway. As he jumped down a small hill, Cary took a look behind him and sure enough he could see the SWAT teams moving quickly towards his direction. He sprinted forwards and came to a dark opening, Cary checked behind him to see where they were, only to run into one of them who had been sent forward to wait for him. The SWAT man kicked Cary to the ground as the other men began to circle in around him. Their guns raised at him. One of the men shouted something, but Cary’s head was pounding with rage from being caught, and didn’t catch what the man had said. Instinctively he crawled into a ball and wrapped his hands around the back of his head. This time he wouldn’t be thrown back by the impact. Cary felt the anger boil in him and as the SWAT men began to inclose on him, they saw the golden aura which encased his body. The men flinched and all took a few steps back. But as they retreated slightly there was a huge dome of golden light which came from the boy. The men all went flying across the clearing and Cary was gone. Author's Note And here ends the prolouge, I hope I have kept your attention guys! Big thanks to Super Kami Guru my epic editor!
I Am... I Am... This map will be what the version of Equestria the story is set in. The nights in the deserts of the Griffon Kingdom were always cold. The barren landscape which stretched for miles was dark and quiet, only the sounds of the occasional rattle snake in the brush or the high pitched squeaks from the bats above were heard. It was a somewhat normal night near the Griffon Kingdom/Equestrian border, the guards by the outpost at Hoovington stood to attention, making sure not to look back into the Equestrian territory. In truth Miles, one of the Griffon guards on duty that night was nervous. Nervous because the Hoovington outpost was taken over by the Lunar forces. Though Nightmare Moon had opted to leave the Griffons alone, for now that is. Miles was still very intimidated by the Lunar guard, their strong, leathery bat wings were resistant to fire and they were all trained by the toughest of the tough. Each guard looked like the next, the same stoic and imposing attitude. Sure the Griffon guard were well trained, but Miles had the feeling they wouldn't stand a chance against the Lunar Army. It had been four hours since he had started his shift and it was now 12 am. Nothing ever interesting happens on Miles' shifts, he stood there as still and imposing as possible, but in actual fact he was bored out of his mind. He stood staring into the barren landscape, to the Southeast he could make out the lights from Elabin and to the South West Oasait. They were a couple of backwater towns, but Elabin had a killer night life. Miles sighed and shifted in his position by the border to get comfortable. When he signed up for the army he expected there to be a little more... action. His job sucked, all he did was sleep during the day and stand there, by the border all night. The biggest trouble they ever got was a drunken guard or two trying to cross into Hoovington. That wasn't allowed, to cross into Equestria would go against Nightmare Moon's demands for non interference. The Griffon Kingdom was practically under her hoof. It was as if she was the puppet master and the Griffons were her puppets. The Griffon king put up no fight against Nightmare Moon and her demands, and then eventually when the time came, she would demand the loyalty of the Griffon Kingdom to her. This in most likeliness would happen because the Griffon king was terrified of her. So much for a "fearless leader", Miles chuckled silently to himself. Miles stood there for hours upon end, just waiting for some excitement. Anything to at least lift this dreary mood. In the distance, not too far from Oasait, there was a streak of light shooting down from the night sky. From a distance one may think it to be a shooting star, but up close it seemed to be a golden orb aiming straight for the desert sand. The sound of the rattlesnakes stopped as the silent, golden orb reached the ground. There was a distinctive "whoomf" sound as it touched down. Miles looked up to the sky and saw a shooting star, he never really believed in the whole "wish upon a star" mumbo jumbo, but he was bored and wanted to entertain himself. So Miles wished upon the star for something interesting to happen. He waited and then... nothing. He chuckled, of course nothing was going to happen, he face palmed. Unbeknownst to the Griffon, in the distance a new creature to these lands had arrived. oOoOo Cary looked up from the ground on which he was curled up on. He began to look around him in search for the SWAT team, but what he saw was not the forest in which he was just in. But he was lying in the middle of a desert. The cool night air sent goose bumps down his shirt as he looked around from his kneeling position. "What the hell?" He whispered to himself silently. In a confused state, Cary stood up onto his wobbly legs so he could get a better look around him. There was nothing but vast expanses of sand. Behind him, Cary saw the lights of a town, or something but he didn't want to go there in the case of the police were still searching for him. So he opted to walk in the opposite direction. Cary was cold as he walked along the soft sand 'Aren't deserts supposed to be warm?' he thought to himself, seemingly unaware that the temperature dropped at night due to the fact that there is no sun. "Now, where am I?" He questioned himself as he began to walk in his randomly picked direction. 'This is going to be a long night' he thought to himself as he secured his backpack and began to walk through the dark desert. oOoOo "This is going to be a long night." Miles muttered to himself tiredly. He sighed and looked back to the clock by the gate 3:34 am "Yep, long night." He couldn't stand it anymore. Just standing still, doing nothing all night. Though he was meant to be setting a good example for the Griffon folk, Miles just couldn't be bothered now. So he opted to lean against the gate to rest a little. Unaware to the young guard, there was a pair of alien eyes watching him from the shadows in the distance. oOoOo Cary had been walking for a few hours, he had not known what the time was, nor did he care at this point. But what he did care about was the small town he could see in the distance before him. What he couldn't understand was why the town was medieval looking. The buildings had straw roofs and timber framed homes. There were also dark blue banners and flags which depicted a crescent moon. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he sure was curious. Cary began to crouch slightly as he approached a more open area not far off from the gate to the town. It seemed to be a border crossing; now looking closer Cary could see the chain link fence which ran for miles in each direction. But the border crossing was not what caught Cary's attention. It was the guard by the gate. "What... is that?" he muttered under his breath. He went into a prone position so he could get a closer look at the... eagle? As Cary lay prone in the brush, he saw the eagle began to relax against the gate. Whatever this was, it wasn't some mindless animal. That left one question in Cary's mind "Where am I?" he spoke quietly. Whatever he had done back there with the SWAT team, it wasn't out of anger. It was out of fear and the need to run. Whatever Cary had done, he had ended himself up god knows where. He had somehow teleported himself away in the need to survive, but where did he teleport himself to? He wanted to get a closer look at the eagle thing, so he began a slow crawl through the brush. There was an opening of sand just ahead of him, if he could get past that without being seen, he'd get a good look at it. Cary crawled in his prone position slowly making his way past the opening to get to the cover of the brush. From where he was, Cary could see a row of tents and a small fire in the centre. He also saw a few watch towers on either side of the fence. As he crawled into the cover of the desert brush, Cary brushed past one of the plants causing it to rustle; he winced at the sound and stayed deathly still. He looked over to where the eagle was, only to see it looking in his direction curiously, squinting to see if there was something hidden. Cary was in full panic now, but he could not move in the case of being caught. Then, the eagle talked. oOoOo Miles yawned and scanned the horizon, nothing to do. It was a good few hours into his shift and in a few more hours he was free. As per usual nothing interesting happened or was going to happen, nothing ever happened. Off to his right, he heard the sound of a plant rustling. Miles turned to the sound and squinted his eyes to see if he could catch anything hidden. Perhaps it was a predator of some sort, he hoped quietly. At least that would give him something to do. Because he was part eagle, griffons had great eyesight. They were born hunters; they would soar high in the sky searching for prey on the ground and strike down on them when unsuspected. Just about 6 meters out, Miles could see something hidden beside a desert plant. Whatever it was it lay prone and he could see it wasn't very big. "You there! By the bush, get out and surrender yourself!" Miles called out, squinting at the form by the bush. He could swear he heard it say something, but opted to wait for whatever it was to come out for surrender. There was a slight rustle and hesitation, but the creature stood up with a fearful look in its eyes. "Now just, what in tartarus are you?" Miles asked, eyeing up the new creature which stood before him. oOoOo "Now just, what in tartarus are you?" Not only could this thing talk, but upon further examination, Cary could see it had a lion’s body. This was a griffon; Cary knew this from Greek mythology. A half lion, half eagle. But griffons didn't exist, so how was there one standing in front of him. 'then again, having "supernatural abilities" shouldn't exist either ' he thought to himself. Not wanting to stall any longer, Cary spoke up to the seemingly real creature "Um, I'm a human?" he said with some uncertainty, he was nervous after all. The griffon shifted in the spot a bit, still eyeing Cary up. He was probably seeing if he was any threat to him. What the griffon wouldn't know is that Cary was far more dangerous than he knew. But Cary was going to play the peace card and hope this griffon didn't hurt him. "So, what is your name 'human'?" the griffon asked, eyeing him. Cary panicked and didn't want to really tell this creature his name, but it didn't really seem like he was in the position to negotiate. The griffon wore steel armour and carried a huge spear. Not to mention his huge talons, there was no way Cary wanted to start a fight with this thing. "My name's Cary Lee, what's yours?" Cary asked, hopefully by being friendly the griffon wouldn't act hostile towards him "Oh, and one more thing. Where am I? Is this Earth?" he asked in hopes for answers, '"is this Earth?" Ugh, how stupid can I be!? Last time I checked Earth didn't have talking griffons, in fact Earth didn't have any griffons!' oOoOo 'So this "human" is named "Cary Lee"... what an odd name, then again this was a strange creature' Miles thought to himself "Are you saying you don't know you're on Equus? Ya know, the name of the planet?" he asked as he began to relax a bit more. By the sound of this creature’s voice, he was young, perhaps early teens. He posed no threat to the guard, or so he thought. Cary's mouth was agape "Not on Earth?" he questioned "How did I..." he seemed to trail off, as if he had found his answer. The human's actions confused Miles, if he was not of this planet why is he not scared? He watched as the human dusted himself off and stepped out of the brush. "So, you're not from around these parts, eh?" The griffon looked to Cary with feigned curiosity. Miles stuck his claw out for a handshake "The names Miles, I'm the border guard." he said as he shook Cary's hand, well it seems that, that is a universal gesture. Cary coughed to grab Miles' attention; he had gone off in thought. "Sorry. Okay, what shall I do with you?" he pondered "Why don't you stay in the barracks for now? We'll figure something out in the morning. For now, I have to get back to my post." he awaited Cary's reply. In his defence Cary was in a brand new world, which seemed to be run by griffons, a once thought mythological creature. He was nervous, unsure what to do. "Um, sure, uh lead the way." Cary said as he sighed and followed behind the griffon guard. They walked along the path to where Miles' post was by the gate into Hoovington. The two of them walked past the open gates of the border pass, unaware of one of the Lunar Guard was watching very closely. This new creature was most curious looking; he had to report this to his commanding officer. Maybe the Empress would find use for it. oOoOo Cary was nervous, he was offered temporary shelter, but he was not sure if he could trust this... griffon. In reality he was scared, scared that he wasn't on Earth, scared there were no humans and he was absolutely terrified of the thought of never returning home. Sure he was a fugitive on the run, but he could have stayed with other family around the country. He would have been around people he loved. He was just going to have to keep his cool and try to get around this problem, or maybe even try getting used to it. He couldn't show weakness and if he were to ever get into trouble he could just use his "abilities" so to speak, to help him. He could fight away any threats without any real effort on his part. For now, Cary opted to follow the guard and put a little trust into him. He had no one else there for help, so maybe this guard would be a reliable ally. However, there was a thought passing through his head. 'What if they want to dissect me? I'm a new species to this world, so what if they take interest in me?' The thought terrified him, this was the reason he ran away from the authorities in the first place. Not because he was scared of being arrested, but because he didn't want to become some lab experiment. As they walked along the path, they neared a large tent 'This must be the barracks.' Cary pondered over what the reactions of the other me... griffons would be when they saw him for the first time. Would they become hostile and attack? Would they take to me with curiosity just like Miles? He would have to wait till the morning to find out. oOoOo "Okay, here take my bunk while I am on duty. I'll be back at sunrise, I'll explain to the other guards as to what you are and your predicament." Miles whispered, Cary nodded "But for now, get some rest." Cary yawned, it'd been almost 24 hours since the last time he slept and right now the bed looked more comfortable than it should have. Miles turned to take his leave; he saw Cary get ready for bed and walked out of the tent. The cold air hit him and he shivered as he began walking back to his post "Hopefully nothing happened during my absence", he chuckled at his light joke. Nothing ever happened during his shifts. oOoOo "Sir." The dark lunar stallion said, looking to his superior who was reading over a map. The elder stallion looked up from his map, eyes as cold and hard as steel. The type of eyes that had seen many things that nopony in life wishes to witness. The stallion frowned looking at the guard, who was supposedly on duty by the gates. "Why are you away from your post!?" he barked angrily at the guard, who had seemed unfazed "This better be good, I am in the middle of some important business here and am in no need for any interruptions." he stated in a cold voice. "Sir, I have spotted an unknown creature, possibly alien on the griffon territory." this caught his commanding officer's attention and he continued "It was a furless bipedal creature; he wore thick clothing, which is used to fight against the cold. The creature is clearly sentient and can speak Equestrian." The elder stallion raised an eyebrow. "Most interesting... I will report this to the Empress, let's see what she has to say about this... thing." he said. The stallion walked to a small table to the left of him and began to compose a letter to his Empress. Dear Empress Nightmare Moon of Equestria I have report of a new mysterious bipedal, sentient being in the claws of the griffons. The creature is furless, but wears clothing; this indicates a higher class of its species perhaps? It is reported that the creature can speak perfect Equestrian and by the sound of his voice he is indeed a colt. Do you wish for us to apprehend this strange new creature for you to examine, or shall we let him stay in care of the griffons? I await your reply humbly, my Empress. All hail Empress Nightmare Moon, true ruler of Equestria, bringer of eternal night. Yours faithfully Captain Clouded Shadow "Now I must await." he grumbled to himself, he turned to the guard "I want you to keep an eye on the creature at all times. We mustn't let him leave the Hoovington area before the Empress' reply. The creature might be useful." he ordered, eyeballing the guard who stood as stoic as ever. "Yes sir!" he shouted before turning to march out of the room and back to his post by the gate. oOoOo Entry#1: I am not sure what world I am in, it is populated by griffons! I am scared and I don't know what I am going to do. So I must sit tight for now, maybe some good will come out of it. I can not show any weakness in front of these griffons, I must show them I am not to be messed with, I must remain strong! If anything bad happens I can just use my powers against them, I may stand a chance. But there are so many guards here. I must go, it is late and I need what little sleep I can scavenge. Author's Note Aaan I hope you guys are enjoying this story so far. I know I enjoyed writing it ^^ But don't be expecting daily updates, for that I am truly sorry. The reason being is because I have my GCSE's coming up soon and I have to study! Woop! -.- xD Aaaanyways, I'll try update as much as possible! Huge thanks to Super Kami Guru for being an epic editor! Main characters will appear at a later time during the story!
Meet The GuardThe night went by pretty slowly for Miles. After the excitement of meeting the ‘Human’, Cary, not much had happened. It was now 8 am, the time for the shift change. Miles was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to just crash in his bunk and sleep for a few hours As he walked back to the barracks,by following the main path he heard a lot of shouting coming from within the tent. The shouts were of fear and confusion ‘Looks like the other men have met Cary...’ Miles grimaced and sighed. He pulled back the tent flaps and ducked inside the tent. He saw all of the men surrounding his bunk where he had left Cary just a few hours ago. As he neared the group one of the guards turned to him. “Miles, what in the name of tartarus is this... thing!? And why is it in your bunk?” The Griffon guard demanded with a frown. Miles sighed and looked over to his bunk where Cary could be seen slightly cowering in the corner. Miles cleared his throat “Men, this is Cary. He arrived late last night and had and still has no idea where he is.” He let that sink in “Cary is obviously still fairly young, by his voice I’d say pre-teens or maybe slightly older...” He turned to look at Cary, who nodded in appreciation “ He is new to these lands, he’s young and he’s alone. So I ask of you all to accept his presence here for the time being and to please... at least try to make him feel welcome’” There were a few nods and grunts in agreement before they set off to work. One of the older guards looked somewhat unsatisfied with the information he was provided with and stayed back after the guards had left to ask some questions of his own. The guard spoke in a clear levelled voice “May I ask you a few questions?” Cary nodded with a look of determination adorning his face “What do you want to know?” he questioned and looked to the elder guard and raised an eyebrow slightly in question. “Firstly, you may call me Iron Beak. I would also like to know who and what you are.” Iron Beak crossed his arms, awaiting his answer. Cary scratched the back of his head and sat up in the bunk a bit, he looked to Miles, who nodded at him before he spoke up “My name is Cary Lee, I’m fourteen years old and I am a human.” he said in a clear, yet quiet voice. He looked up to Iron Beak with a neutral expression. “Okay, Cary. You’re only fourteen years of age? That’s awfully young to be going out in the world on your own...” Iron Beak trailed off a bit, his tone softened “I have two kids, both just a bit older than yourself and I would never let them wander the world on their own.” he spoke in an almost fatherly tone. Cary’s face showed a slightly surprised expression “Well as I said before, I’ve no idea where I am and I don’t know how I got here.” this was only partially true, though he truly didn’t know how he arrived, he knew it had something to do with his strange powers. Iron Beak tapped a talon to his chin in contemplation “Even though you are... alien to these lands, you are still far too young to be on your own. I believe as a parent it should be my duty to contact social services...” Cary’s eyes widened “N-No! I’m not even from here! You can’t do that I-I’m not a citizen here, you can’t!”Cary began to panic, he bit his lip nervously and looked as if he was ready to make a break for it. Iron Beak sighed and rubbed his temples “Okay, Cary, calm down, I’m not going to do that. But, I must ask you to stay here. You are not old enough to travel these lands. Especially during these... dark times.” he cleared his throat “We will set you up a tent for you to stay in for the time being, I’m sure you’ll not want to stay with us in the barracks. There is also one more thing I must ask of you Cary. I want you to steer clear from the gate.” Cary looked up, confused and grateful, he raised an eyebrow “Why? What’s behind the border? All I saw last night was a small town.” he shifted uncomfortably a bit. Miles spoke up before Iron Beak had the chance “Beyond the gate is Equestria, the Pony lands. They are currently locked in a long running civil war. The Solar army is holding up against the Lunar forces.” he said. “But why can’t I venture near the gate?” Cary questioned “Are the ponies evil, or something?” Iron Beak nodded slightly and beckoned him towards the exit of the tent, to which Cary willingly followed. “Have a good sleep, Miles!” Cary called into the tent and walked out, ducking under the entrance of the barracks, “So, why is it I can’t go to this town?” he looked to the elder Griffon. “The ponies that are currently occupying Hoovington are the Lunar forces, they are lead by the evil tyrant, Nightmare Moon; who wishes for nothing more than to bring forth eternal night.” Iron Beak coughed, cleared his throat and continued “I do not want them catching wind of your existence, there is no telling what they would do; they may take interest in you and take you away for... study.” Cary’s eyes widened at this “No... no, I can’t let that happen again.” Iron Beak raised an eyebrow and Cary shifted his eyes “I think I’ll just stay by the tents...” he said in a weak voice, trying to change the subject as he looked to the ground depressedly. ‘ What does he mean by...’again’?’ Iron Beak thought to himself, he contemplated on asking Cary what he had meant; but the boy was obviously shaken up and he didn’t want to push it “Yeah, that’s probably the best thing to do.” he said in a softer tone. “Look, I’m going to go for some breakfast. Do you wish to join me? Maybe tell me more about yourself, where you come from and all that malarkey.” Iron Beak said kindly to the shaken up boy. Cary nodded and began to walk towards the mess hall, beside the barracks “So, what do you like to eat, Cary?” he questioned and gave him a friendly pat on the back. “Bacon.” Cary said simply and Iron Beak burst out into a fit of laughter “What?” he asked with a slight chuckle. Iron Beak turned to him with a smile. “I didn’t think a creature like you would enjoy meat!” he said jovially and chuckled “Yes, we have bacon. I am sure that you must be starving!” he exclaimed and turned towards the kitchen. “Why wouldn’t I eat meat?” Cary asked. “Aah, you see, I thought you would be a herbivore like those ponies! You don’t look like much of a meat eater.” replied Iron Beak as he began to ready the meal. oOoOo “Sir! The creature is called a ‘human’.” The Lunar guard said as he came running into the war room where the captain was busy working around a map. The captain turned his attention towards the guard with a raised eyebrow; the guard saluted. “Where did you find this information from?” Did you by any chance catch his name?” the captain asked in a hard, demanding voice. The guard nodded slowly “Well, out with it then!” he ordered loudly, glaring at the stoic guard. “His name is ‘Cary Lee’, sir! I have found out he is only fourteen years of age, he is still a foal by pony standards, sir.” the guard spoke in his monotonous voice and stood perfectly still. “Fourteen you say? Well, he is rather young... I shall report this to the empress. You are dismissed” the captain said waving him off with a hoof as he turned to his desk and grabbed a scroll and quill “This colt is but a foal, surely it will be easy to ‘convince’ him to come with us; when the time is right, that is.” he eyed the parchment in front of him. ‘Perhaps I will contact the empress when I have a bit more... information.’ he thought to himself, as he placed the scroll and quill into a drawer “I will need to have somepony on the inside...” he scratched his chin with a hoof. The captain turned for the door and marched towards the border, he dismissed the guards by the gate until he was finished with his... business. He called over one of the Griffon guards “You there, Griffon! I request your presence here immediately.” The Griffon swallowed slowly and nervously turned towards the Lunar captain “What is it that you need of me, Captain Shadow?” he asked in a toneless voice, though his heart rate was beating rapidly. “I know of this ‘human’, that you hold in your custody.” the Griffon shifted uncomfortably “I am willing to pay you a hefty price in bits for any and all information on him as you can.” the Griffons mind began racing over all of the possibilities of what he could do with the money. The Griffon nodded “Yes, sir; I will do what I can to gain you any information as I can.” Captain Shadow nodded in acceptance. “That is all well, now state your name; I like to know the name of those working under me.” Captain Shadow said mysteriously, looking the nervous Griffon in the eye. “M-my name is Private Talon, sir!” Talon stuttered slightly, nervous of giving the Lunar captain his name. Captain Shadow nodded and with a grunt, he turned and marched back towards the war room, to work on a new letter to the empress. He marched into the room, closing the door behind him and pulled the scroll and quill back out from the drawer and began to write his letter. Dear Empress Nightmare Moon I have gained more information on the creature called a ‘human’, his name is ‘Cary Lee’ and he is but a foal of only fourteen years of age, much younger than I would have expected. I have now eyes and ears on the inside of the Griffon guard, I shall be expecting more information from this informant soon, when he is of no use I will terminate him to get rid of any loose ends. I will contact you with any and all important information soon. Yours Faithfully Captain Clouded Shadow oOoOo “You eat just as fast as any of the men here, HA! Who knew such a small creature could consume so much food, in so little time!” Iron Beak exclaimed happily. Iron Beak had grown closer to Cary, treating him as if he was his own son because a father is exactly what this boy needed. Cary laughed with the older Griffon; he was having a good time, given the circumstances. The two of them bonded more over breakfast, having eating competitions and swapping jokes “This has been possibly one of the most fun mornings I’ve ever had!” Cary said happily, smiling at the Griffon next to him. “Oh? Why is that?” Iron Beak asked curiously, with a raised eyebrow. Cary quietened down slightly and looked to the table, Iron Beak winced at the thought of hitting a sore spot with the young boy “It is okay, forget I asked.” he dismissed the question, in hopes to bring the boys mood back up. “No, it’s okay, Iron.” Cary sighed “It’s just, my Dad wasn’t great, he used to just drag me out of bed, tell me it was time for school and then leave for work. I had to walk three miles every morning to get to school.” he scratched the back of his head uncomfortably “Then when I got to school, the bullies made my life hell.” Iron Beak nodded solemnly “Well, lad; you will never have to see those... wretched bullies, or your rather uncaring father again.” he said and patted Cary on the back softly. This seemed to cheer Cary up a bit and the boy smiled at the Griffon “You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, Iron.” he said and to Iron Beaks surprise, he hugged him. Iron Beak looked taken aback and did what came naturally to him, he patted his back softly and returned the hug. “I know a way to lift your mood!” exclaimed Iron Beak “How about I teach you some sword fighting? That is usually a good way to vent out anger and maybe let loose and have fun.” Cary’s eyes brightened. “Yeah, that sounds fun! I have never even touched a real sword before.” Iron Beak chuckled and got up from his seat and headed for the door, Cary remained seated, as he cleaned off his plate. “Well, come on!” the Griffon beckoned the boy over with a claw “Let’s go swing some swords!” he said happily and ducked under the tent flap, out into the hot open air of the desert. This was going to be fun, Cary thought as he followed Iron Beak out of the mess hall. Author's Note Sorry for the long wait, guys. As most of you may or may not know, I am in the middle of important exams and will be focusing on them. BUT, you guys only have to wait two more weeks till I am free again :D This chapter hasn't been edited, be warned. I will have my editor on it as soon as he is online, I just didn't want to wait too long before I uploaded it ^^;; Enjoy!
