//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - Fact or Fiction // Story: A Pony's Humanity // by DJSkywalker //------------------------------// “What do you mean ‘not real’‽” Twilight screeched, kicking the cylinder away from herself in abject fear. “They’re right there, what are you trying to say‽” Blue was frozen still in shock as he stared at the lightsaber hilt that he’d dropped to the floor, barely recognizing that Twilight had just screeched at him. He was lost in his own thoughts, feeling his heart thudding in chest as he tried to wrap his mind about what was happening. It was only when he saw Spike lifting up the other lightsaber from the box that he could snap himself from the trance. His eyes widened as the dragon’s claw fingered the activation switch. “Spike wait!” he called out, tripping over his hooves as his friend jumped, pressing down on the button. Though to the pegasus’ confusion, nothing happened. With Twilight and Spike giving him raised eyebrows, he pushed himself up to standing again, a tilt to his head as well. “Odd. You hit the switch. Where’s the ka-chhh?” he asked, mimicking the sound. He held out his wing to which Spike handed over the lightsaber, Blue looking over the metal and what seemed like plastic. Deciding against being dumb and looking down the barrel of what was worse than a loaded gun, he “winged” the switch, causing a red plasma blade to ignite from the hilt before them. Twilight tilted her head. “But Spike just…” she trailed off as she looked over at the other saber that lay on her floor. Using her magic, she lifted the cylindrical device over to herself. Looking over it until she found the button she’d seen Blue hit, she pressed it with her own hoof, though just like with Spike, nothing happened. “Hm, I think I have a hypothesis. Spike?” she turned and levitated the saber hilt over to her number one assistant. “Carefully try to turn this on, please?” Spike raised a brow as he held the lightsaber in his claws. “Alright, but if something bad happens, I’m expecting hazard pay.” While Twilight rolled her eyes, the dragon held the hilt at arm’s length before pressing the activation button again. He winced in preparation for the same sound as the blades had produced, but once again nothing happened. Cautiously, he opened one eye and pressed the button again. When nothing happened again, he fully opened his eyes and started rapidly pressing the button. “What the hay? It’s not doing anything!” Violet magic engulfed the blade in his claws before wrenching it free of the rapid pressing and passing it over to the stallion in the room. “Now you, Blue. Please?” Twilight asked, giving him a soft yet confident smile. While he raised a brow, Blue took the blade with his other wing, once again pressing the button. With another snap-hiss, the blue blade joined the red, the soft humming filling the room. Blue blinked before deactivating both and looking to Twilight who had a bright smile. “I thought as much!” she declared. “Both of those ‘lightsabers’ appeared to be keyed directly to you, Blue. Whether magical or otherwise, it seems they only respond when you’re the one holding them.” The stallion looked down at the hilts, weighing both in his wings before setting them down on the table. “Well, that does make them much safer; no one, er, nopony will be able to hurt themselves if they get their hands… hooves on them.” He shook his head, still acclimating to the language preferences of the town. “Still, we don’t know who sent them or how they even work! These things are just fairy tales back home. Like… like something out of Spike’s comics kind of fiction.” “Wait, really‽” Spike got a giddy grin on him as he eyed the lightsabers with fresh eyes. “So heroes use these‽” “Well, heroes and villains,” Blue explains, “I’m pretty sure the red color was for the bad guys. Not sure how I should feel having one of both if that’s accurate.” Twilight walked up to the stallion and gently bumped against him. She smiled as he looked at her confused. “I think it kind of fits from what you’ve been able to tell me about humans. And from what I experienced. Humans don’t seem to be wholly good or evil; they got a bit of both. So… maybe… it’s a test!” “A test?” Blue and Spike both deadpanned at the smiling mare who nodded back. “Yes, a test! To see if Blue is truly here for good or… well I don’t want to call a friend evil, so we’ll use ‘ill’ instead. They’re hot blades of plasma as far as I could tell from a glance; dangerous weapons in the wrong hooves. Perhaps you’re being tested on how you’ll use them.” Blue put a hoof to his chin in thought. “That… could be possible. I can’t remember everything in full, but I think I was a big fan of the series that these came from, so it could have something to do with how I came here. Something that either knows me better or knows my past.” He looked over the handles one more time before nodding to himself. “If it is a test, then I’ll accept.” “You will‽” Twilight and Spike responded in surprise. With a nod, he grabbed the hilt of the blade, lifting it up to ignite the sword. He looked over the humming, blue blade for a moment before addressing the others. “It’s the first clue we’ve been given and even if we’re not fully getting the context, these things are my responsibility. Besides, it’s human nature to want to be able to protect yourself. I’ll just need an easy way to keep these on me. I’d ask Rarity for a belt but not sure how well the other townsfolk will appreciate open carry.” Twilight tilted her head at the language choices, but did not in general understanding. “That might be a bit much to have them so blatantly displayed. Your mane could be an option but you’d probably only be able to keep one there.” Blue raised a brow. “Do what with my mane?” She blinked once, then twice before her eyes went wide. “Oh goodness! I never showed you how to use your mane!” She fussed with her mane a little as she realized her mistake. “I am so so sorry, Blue. Let’s settle this now.” She then walked over to the hilt of the red blade, grasping it in her magic and lifting it next to herself. She pushed the hilt into her mane at the back of her neck and once it was out of sight, she released her magic, evidence as her horn stopped glowing. “Simple as that!” She then shook her head a little, her mane swishing about but not once did the hilt resurface. The stallion’s jaw simply dropped, staring bug-eyed at Twilight. A few moments passed and still he remained in the same state, Twilight herself starting to blush a little as she found the ceiling to be more interesting in that current moment. Spike rolled his eyes and decided to forcefully pushed Blue’s jaw closed, the sound and sensation of his teeth hitting each other breaking him out of the trance. “You can just do that‽” he finally managed to say. He then deactivated the blade in his wing and took the hilt to his own mane, settling it at the back of his neck. He surely expected to feel some sort of looseness once it was there but the closest he could describe it was having a necklace in reverse. With a shake of his own head much like Twilight had done, Blue could only sit down on his rump as it felt so natural. “Wow. That’s so handy.” Twilight couldn’t help but giggle as she pulled the hilt from her mane and set it down on the table for him to take. “Sorry about that; it completely slipped my mind that you wouldn’t know about that.” He shook his head gently. “Nothing to really apologize for, Twi. It’s hard to expect a natural pony to know every in and out to show a nonpony. I’m sure there’ll be more experiences like this as things go on.” Blue reached out and took the other hilt and tried to put it in his mane. After a moment, he managed to settle it, shaking his head a little bit. “Clunkier feeling, but I think this’ll work. If not, then I’ll just get a belt and deal with the strange looks.” Spike crossed his arms once everything was settled. “So you get these amazing weapons straight out of a fantasy world and you just… roll with it?” “Are you forgetting the freak out I had?” Blue asked with a smirk. The drake however only rolled his eyes. “That wasn’t a freak out. I’ve seen freak outs.” He then gestured to Twilight, “I’ve lived with her for 20 years. What she does is a freak out; yours was more like a spit take in comparison.” “Spike!” Twilight balked at her little brother. “We are not going to compare reactions like it’s a contest!” “She’s got a point there,” Blue nodded before getting a smirk. “Instead, you should be telling me more about these ‘freak outs’. Could be good for my survival.” Twilight could only stare in shock with her mouth agape as Spike then readily started regaling their house guest with the stories of her times in going overboard with checklists. He managed to get through a whole story before she finally managed to use her magic to forcefully shut him, clamping it shut as she grabbed the dragon from behind, her face a deep, embarrassing red. “That’s enough Spike! He doesn’t need to know more than that!” Despite her embarrassment, Bue was smiling brightly before falling back in a fit of laughter as the brother and sister started to struggle with each other. He laid back as he watched, Spike attempting to grab the alicorn’s horn. ‘So many questions are still staring at me from this whole thing,’ he thought to himself. But as Twilight and Spike fell over each other and began laughing as well, he could only continue to smile. ‘But to see moments like this? I can think about them later.’