//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Pony of a Different Color // by Sparky Brony //------------------------------// I looked at the gun in my face. Is this how it is supposed to end? I'm barely twenty five years old. I've been a hard worker all of my life. Yet, here I am, with a gun to my forehead. “You son of a bitch, you won't give me my money, now you are going to die.” Said the holder of the gun, a local punk who apparently thinks that I've taken his money. I just brushed up against him, then he just grabbed me and drug me into this alley. I have no clue what money he's talking about. I close my eyes. I don't want to see the gun fire. I'm so desperate to live. “You may not want to do that son.” A new voice says. I open my eyes, the gun is facing down. I seize my only chance. I grab the gun and twist it down. The .38 special revolver goes off, discharging it's slug into the street. I pull the kid, he's no more than sixteen right now, down to my level. The newcomer just stands there. “Want to help bud?” He laughs. “No, I think you've got it pretty well there.” I stand up, still holding the kid's hands with the pistol. I grab the pistol from his now limp hands as I kick him over. “I don't have any money of yours, now get lost.” I open the revolver and dump out the rest of the cartridges. I don't like guns at all. Nasty things. The kid scrambles to get away. I saw the gleam in his eyes, he was on something. That explains his actions, I think. I turn to the newcomer. “And, who the hell are you?” “I'm your teacher.” I lose consciousness, I don't think I fainted, he did something to me. I wake up, I'm in a very nice bed. I turn my head, the same man is there, sitting. I really take a good look at him. He seems to be in his mid 30's, brown hair, brown eyes. Trimmed beard. “What is your name?” “You can call me, Carter.” “Okay Carter, what did you do to me?” “It was a simple weave, really, brought on sleep so I could bring you home.” Uhh, what? “And why in the holy bleeding hell would you bring me home? I don't know you.” “No, you don't know me, but I know what you can do. And I made a promise to the one who trained me, and that is to train any who have our ability.” “And what ability is that, Carter?” “You are an adept, or at least you will be. You can channel Saidin. You can do magic.” “What the hell are you talking about? I need to go.” I back up my words by getting out of the bed, I stumble down the stairs and to the front door. I open it, and snow blasts me back, I look around outside, it's the plains, it looks like this house is on a homestead in the middle of nowhere. There is at least three feet of snow on the ground. Where in the hell am I? I was just in Texas, it was sixty degrees and sunny. I turn back, hearing his footsteps coming down the stairs. “Where the hell am I?” “William, you are in North Dakota, miles from any other house. You want to leave, go ahead, but it will be a long cold walk.” “How did you get me here? How long was I out?” “About an hour. Much more than that would be unhealthy for you.” “So, you are saying you've gotten me from Texas to North Dakota, a trip of over a thousand miles, in less than an hour?” My mind was spinning from that that implied. That was impossible. He must be lying. He smiled, and a silvery flash rotated open next to him. “This is a gateway, and you can be in Texas again as fast as simply walking through it. Go ahead, or you can stay, and I can show you how to make your own. And so much more.” I looked at the gateway, it looked like it opened into by living room in my apartment. I could see the window from where I was standing, a bright sunny day in Texas. “You are offering to teach me this?” A nod from him. “Okay.”