The eccentric British collector carefully put the atlas beetle back into his cage. "Now, now, Winston, we have much to do. There's a lot of new artifacts coming in, and I don't want you getting lost now." Winston merely replied by walking into a hollowed-out synthetic log and sitting in it.
The lone man carefully shut the cage hatch and locked it, before looking around his great den, full of various trinkets, oddities, and various wall hangings. The fireplace cracked with life as the fire painted the room in a bright orange glow. The collector gracefully brought a cigar to his mouth before lighting it, giving a short puff before hurriedly exiting the door to meet his new arrivals.
On the opposite end of the table, a large opalescent crystal sphere sat atop a dais, marked at the base with an ornate carving of various horses, some with horns, and others with wings. This strange sphere came loose, and rolled towards the cage where the unwitting Winston sat. It gave a soft clank as it collided with the glass wall of Winston's cage.
Winston, of course, being the dumb beetle that he is, did nothing. He merely sat in his hollowed-out trunk being as happy as a clueless beetle like himself could be.
He certainly didn't seem to notice as the sphere began glowing a bright white, engulfing the whole room before it suddenly disappeared, returning the room to its original state... minus one sphere and dais. And one beetle.
Winston, again being the dumb beetle that he is, didn't care at all for it. Not one bit.
Then he was pulled through a rip in the fabric of time and space. And then he woke up.
The first thing he noticed when he opened his eyes, was that there was a bright blue sky above him. Oh, yes, a perfectly blue sky, shining and bright and unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Blue was such an interesting color. All blue-y and the like. But he knew that was just a reflection of the water on the planet's surface and--
Wait a bloody moment.
He could think? When in the name of the royal crown did he learn to think? This was impossible.
Then he realized that he was lying on the ground, upside down. Oh, even more fantastic. Stuck in the most humiliating position a beetle could end up in. He was lucky he didn't have any friends: they would have laughed at him, shortly before he challenged them all to a duel to the death for slighting his honor, as is the custom of his species. Thinking be damned: if he could think, he wouldn't just wallow around like he did back in that insipid cage like a babe with no limbs. No, he could think! And by the gods, he could get himself out of this mess.
His legs were different from what they were back then. They were stubby, strong, tough, jointed, like the arms and knees the human had. And unfortunately unable to spin around 180 degrees like some sort of machine to right himself. So all he could do with his new limbs was pathetically flail them in the air, like a babe that actually had limbs.
"This is BOLLOCKS!" he shouted through the forest that he now realized he was sitting in. Oh, so he could speak, much like that strange man back in the estate. He had to admit that he liked hearing his own voice; it had a nice charm to it. And the way the collector spoke, just utter brilliance. He could get used to having a voice.
So he continued. By the gods, he was absolutely unruly in his form. It was a lot larger than he remembered himself being, originally smaller than a cage but now as big as a medium-sized boulder, or the collector's office desk. He couldn't even flip over by swinging side to side. Curses. And his weight made it just a bit... okay, really painful to try to open his wings to flip himself. Curse humans for being able to right themselves without external aid. They were just lucky that most things that wanted them dead didn't have arms themselves.
He continued spewing profanities out of a mouth that he couldn't seem to find underneath his carapace, and began looking around at this upside-down world. A few more flails on his wide rounded back, and he quickly gave up. Damn this whole mess. Oh, he could pivot his head. That was a new one, being able to look around instead of turning his entire body like those strange wheeled contraptions he'd been in once or twice. It was a limited pivot, he would have to turn using his body, but at least he could look left and right. Yes, this would help a lot.
Oh, damn these horns. If only they were longer like his Hercules beetle cousins, then he might actually be able to right himself by trying to re-enact a backwards swan dive straight into a world of pain, most likely breaking his back but saving himself from being shamed by whoever found him sitting on his rump, legs in the air. But being trapped this long in what was considered a humiliating and defeatist position was getting on his nerves. He would just have to swallow his pride for this one.
"Grr... help! Is there any person nearby to perhaps help this humble beetle to his feet?!" Person. Strange he used that word. Should have been using 'beetle' and 'claws' instead, that human speech was certainly rubbing off on him. Then again, he was somewhere else, and it certainly wasn't in the cool tall grass that surrounded the estate. No, he was somewhere else entirely, dare he think, even a new world, actually!
He heard a roar as he turned his horned head to the left, seeing what looked like a... hmm, what did that collector call them, from that dusty old mythology journal of his? A chimera? Yes, that was the word for it... a chimera, skulking out of the woods and looking at the helpless beetle. It gave a snarl and licked its lips, certain that it had just found itself easy prey. Well, this was certainly becoming very interesting, and in such a short time, too!
"What the bloody hell are you staring at, you mangy mutt?" Winston shot at it. "You think you're going to be able to best me, Winston, the Atlas beetle?! Well, have at thee, good sir, and you shall quickly find just how a true beetle puts his mettle to the test!" He flailed his limbs again pointlessly for emphasis.
The chimera charged at him, bringing up dust in its wake as it did so. The fool certainly had never seen the likes of Winston before, as the charge quickly proved fruitless as it simply bounced off of Winston's plate carapace and righted himself on the ground. Exactly as he predicted, from such an unruly beast such as this one.
"Godless beast!" he shouted. "You shall now learn the true meaning of a warrior beetle! En garde!" He dug his claws into the ground and prepared to return a charge in kind. "Witness the true power of an Atlas beetle!" He began charging straight for the hapless chimera, who itself was rearing back in an attempt to swipe at him.
The chimera's scream could be heard for miles as it was catapulted into the Swayback Mountains by Winston's absolutely ungodly strength.
The residents of Ponyville looked up into the sky, turning their heads about as they heard a loud shriek emanating from the Everfree Forest. A blood-curling scream like that was certainly far from normal, and with such an intensity of fear, it quickly sent the denizens of Ponyville into a panic as they began to board up inside their homes.
The Elements of Harmony, minus Fluttershy, quickly gathered in front of Town Hall.
"What the hay was that?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I don't know," Twilight said. "But whatever it is, it can't be good. It definitely came from the forest. We have to get to Fluttershy and help her before it's too late!"
"Agreed," Rarity said. "Let us not waste any more time! We must get to her!"
The rest of the group nodded, and they then quickly made for the outskirts of Ponyville, at the edge of the Everfree Forest, where Fluttershy's treehouse resided.
Well. That was certainly interesting. Winston knew his kind was monstrously powerful, but this was a sight to behold. Punting a creature as large as that like a golf ball on a good day. Indubitably, there would be naught a beast in this land that could hold a candle to his gargantuan strength. He felt proud of himself.
"Hmph. Consider it a lesson from such an esteemed beetle such as myself, beast, and rue the day you encountered Sir Winston, Knight of Her Royal Majesty... wait a moment." He thought that only applied to humans who had earned the title, like his former owner. Bah, such a man who kept beetle slaves in his cage could hardly be considered a lord.
Oh, well, no harm done in claiming himself as a self-proclaimed knight and lord. He liked that title, after all, it had such a regal tone to it. 'Lord Winston' sounded quite nice. He was sure he could do with a surname... until, Atlas! Yes, Lord Winston Atlas. That would do fine, and it also did his species justice in the most highest order possible.
Now, he felt hungry. Thankfully, his kind feasted on tree sap and fruit, and although the latter was unfortunately not present, the former was. In the form of a lush and green forest that sat all around him. It would be a glorious feast, one that he felt that he deserved, and the trees certainly won't die any time soon from missing sap given their size compared to Winston.
"Bon appetit!" he happily said to himself as he jumped at the nearest tree.
"Fluttershy? Fluttershy!" shouted a voice. Fluttershy stopped tending to the wounded squirrel and looked outside to see the rest of the Elements of Harmony crossing the bridge to her house. "Fluttershy? We need to speak with you!" Rarity shouted, running up the slope that led to her front door.
Dash quickly opened the door and breathed a sigh as she noticed Fluttershy sitting on her couch, a squirrel with a bandaged leg sitting right next to her. "Thank Celestia you're safe, Fluttershy! We were totally worried about you!" Dash said, before quickly moving to the windows and warily gazing out into the forest.
"Didn't you hear that scream earlier?" Twilight asked the sitting yellow pegasus. "We thought the worst had happened to you, and we came to check!"
"Oh, um, I'm fine, Twilight. Thank you for checking up on me." Fluttershy meekly smiled. "Is it... s-still out there? In the forest?" she continued.
"Darn tootin' it is, sugarcube," Applejack said. "We ain't heard nothin' like this before! But--oh, wait! Spike!"
"Spike!" Twilight's ears perked up. "We can get him to take a letter to Princess Celestia to get help! Quickly, back to Ponyville!" The five quickly bolted out the door, as Fluttershy calmed down the squirrel before walking to the door. An angry white bunny jumped on her back and poked his finger at the forest.
"Oh, Angel. Do you think you can take care of the animals here? I promise I'll bring you help," Fluttershy said.
Angel held his angry gaze, before giving a silent sigh and nodding.
"Oh, thank you," Fluttershy said, nuzzling him, before he pushed her back and gave her a 'go on, get to it!' gesture.
Fluttershy nodded and quickly exited the door, and went to Ponyville to catch her friends.
"Hrnng... oh, I say... that was... the most exquisite... sap... I've ever had..." Winston was lying flat on his belly, underneath the shade of the tree, basking in the glorious feast this single tree had provided him. He had found his mouth; it was located... well, right where a mouth should be. He could move apart his carapace to feed, but in all other cases, kept his mouth covered.
Well, he was here now, wherever he was, and it looked like it was to stay. He was capable of thought now, strangely enough. He recalled that strange opalescent sphere glowing brightly while he stood around like a complete dolt and took the blast straight on; that must have been what granted him passage to this world, and his capabilities for thought. Very interesting, aside from the fact that it seems to have disappeared from his immediate vicinity.
He could make a home here. A glorious challenge of living in a dangerous forest, surrounded by acres of food, and no eccentric human to keep him locked up in a cage. It was like he died and went to heaven, so to speak.
But enough of that! The enterprising beetle knows to scout his home territory, and that was exactly he would do. He jumped to his claws and began walking in a direction opposite of the large mountains he had punted the chimera to.
"Spike!" Twilight smashed through the treehouse's front door, scaring Spike, who was filing books on one of the shelves. "Take a letter!"
"Alright, alright!" He quickly ran to a table and grabbed a scroll and a quill, quickly dipping it in ink before looking at Twilight, waiting for her words. Fluttershy entered the treehouse shortly after and quickly joined her friends.
"Just tell the Princess that we have a situation on our hooves! There's something big going on in the Everfree and it sounds dangerous! We need help!"
"...and done!" Spike quickly rolled up the scroll, blowing a green flame as it disintegrated. Within the span of a few blinks of the eye, Spike belched up another scroll in the same green flame. He quickly opened the letter, his eyes quickly darting around it. "The Princess is sending guards to help!"
"Oh, thank her," said Rarity. "I couldn't just imagine having to go up against whatever made that dreadful noise!"
And within another few blinks of the eye, there was the sound of flapping wings outside of the treehouse. The group of seven quickly exited into Ponyville to find four guards landing in front of them.
"We came as quickly as we could," one of them said. "What's the problem?"
"There was a huge scream coming from the forest!" Pinkie said, popping up out of nowhere in front of the guard's face. "It was really loud and scary and terrifying, and I really hope it's not a monster, because monsters don't like parties, but maybe they like cupcakes, so I was thinking that--" Dash put a hoof over her mouth as she mumbled the rest of her words as if her mouth wasn't covered.
"There was something in the forest, and the ponies here are afraid of finding out what it is if it comes to Ponyville," Twilight said. "We need to find and deal with it before this situation gets out of hoof."
"Very well then, ma'am," said the lead guard. "We'll go looking for--"
There was a scream as Fluttershy noticed something walking through Ponyville. It looked like a giant brown... bug?
Not more than half an hour's trek through the forest and he'd found a settlement! Bless whatever deities that beetles believed in!
This was fortuitous. A town, and in rather fine condition, it seemed. Winston delighted at this discovery, wondering who the natives were, before actually encountering them face-to-face. With a scream as a greeting. Well, if that was how they greeted guests, then Winston assumed that he could do no harm by returning the favor, screaming back at the fainted yellow pony. These creatures were so lively. He loved it.
His jubilant revelation was cut short, however, as he found himself surrounded by four winged guards. He was amused as the sight of pegasus, and even unicorns in the distance. This race was equine, it seemed, and roughly about the same size as he was, albeit slightly taller, forcing him to look up slightly if he needed to talk to them. Should it come to fisticuffs, he was well-prepared for a physical confrontation.
"Well, I do say!" he exclaimed. "Is that how you greet new visitors?"
"It can talk?!" shouted a cyan pegasus in the distance.
"I can indeed talk, my dear pegasus. Now, if you'd be so kind, would you do me the favor and kindly call off your guards here?" he said.
"No way! We don't know what the hay you are! Why should we trust ya?" said an orange pony wearing what seemed to be a hat of origin from the American south, void of wings or horn. So there were 'regular' versions of the equine species, it seemed.
"What are you? And did you have something to do with the scream in the forest?" asked a purple unicorn.
"Why, yes, I did indeed, my lady. There was an annoying beast proving troublesome to deal with. I took the liberty of... relocating his present self to the mountains." Winston turned and looked at the mountains before turning back to them.
"Eh... what?" said the cyan pegasus. "You mean you bucked that thing to the Swayback Mountains?"
"Indeed. See, I am an Atlas beetle. My kind are capable of holding up to 850 times our own weight! You can imagine the sort of strength that can be used if I decided to kick or headbutt someone. So, please, it would be in your best interests to not start an altercation with me."
The ponies--at least, that was what they were, they seemed to small to be actual horses to Winston--carefully eyed him. The purple one sighed.
"Very well. Guards, please let him be. But stay in town, just in case."
"Understood, ma'am," said one of the armored pegasus, giving Winston the look.
"Fear not, my good guardsman," Winston said, walking up to him. "I do not seek to start trouble in this town."
"A guardsman? What's a 'man'?" said the guard.
"Oh. Sorry, force of habit. What do you call yourselves here, then?" Winston asked.
"We call ourselves ponies. And you're a beetle?"
"An Atlas beetle, my good friend. And judging by my circumstances, I may also be the first and last talking beetle you see."
The yellow pegasus had recovered herself and was being consoled by a white-colored unicorn, giving Winston looks as they whispered to each other. The others had approached him and were now standing in front of the guards.
"Do you have a name?" asked the purple one. "Oh, my name is Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. This is Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. And the other unicorn back there is Rarity, and her friend is Fluttershy."
An odd choice of names, but Winston figured he couldn't complain. "I am Lord Winston Atlas, proud Atlas beetle," he said, tilting his head up in pride.
"Lord?" Dash asked.
"Yes." He stood there, looking at them with his beetle head, blinking a few times.
"What are you a lord of?" Applejack said, circling him and examining his strange carapace.
"I am a lord of... the... forest?"
Applejack gave him a look. "Really?" she asked disbelievingly.
Damn. Well, he certainly hadn't thought that far in advance. "Oh, very well. I am a self-proclaimed lord. Take that however you will. But I am an Atlas! And bloody proud of it!" He stomped one of his claws into the ground.
"Hiya!" Winston instinctively jumped back as Pinkie Pie appeared in front of his face. "Do you like cupcakes? Or pies? Or sweet stuff? How about parties? Do you like parties, Mr. Winston? You know, at first I thought you were a monster, but then you came into town and then Fluttershy screamed and then you screamed back at her and I thought it was just so funny--"
"What she's asking..." Dash said, covering her mouth. "...is if you would like a party."
"Hmm, a party, you say?" He noticed Rarity and Fluttershy walking towards him, Rarity continually pushing Fluttershy on. "Well, I could enjoy a fine party. I do not, however, eat sweets. I can only eat tree sap and fruits."
"Oh, you don't eat meat then?" Twilight asked. "Sorry, it's just that usually a lot of things in the forest eat meat..."
"I take no offense, dear Twilight. Were I to see a being approach my town from a forest full of beasts, I, too, would have assumed him to be a carnivore." They exchanged a light laugh until Winston noticed Fluttershy looking nervously at him.
"Uh... h-h-hello," she said meekly.
"Do not fret, my good... er... pony! I mean you no harm! I simply thought that your scream was a method of greeting among your kind, and saw fit to return the favor! I did not mean to scare you."
"I-it's okay..." she whispered. Winston figured that she must have been the shy type. Well, as if the last part of her name didn't give it away...
"You speak like such a gentlecolt," Rarity said. "I didn't catch your name the first time, mister...?"
"Winston. Winston Atlas. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Miss Rarity."
"Oh, my," she said. "Truly a gentlecolt. Well, gentlebeetle."
"It is fine, Lady Rarity, I can adjust to your cultural terms. From what I know about this whole equine business, you're a mare, and the males are stallions?"
"Yes, and the younger ones are the fillies and colts, respectively."
"You seem to use the terms interchangeably," he noted. He ignored Applejack as she began poking at the carapace guarding his wings.
Rarity shrugged. "It's just a sign of the times. The words can be used quite loosely."
Pinkie had stood staring at Winston for the longest time now... and then exploded. "OKAY! I'm totally going to plan that party now for Mr. Winston! I'll bring you lots of fruit, okie dokie lokie?! We'll hold it at Twilight's treehouse, okay, so don't be late? Well, you won't be late, you don't have any place to stay, silly! So make sure you're there, okay? Pinkie Pie... away!" She hopped away towards Sugarcube Corner.
"Is that... normal for her?" Winston asked Rarity. He received only a nod in reply.
Winston certainly found his new surroundings to be adequately interesting. Well, among other things, of course.