Twilight Sparkle wandered her castle she appreciated that she had gotten it when her library house had been destroyed. She was looking to distract herself. She missed her books reading was a favorite past time of hers. Twilight would have loved to have her nose in a book right about now. She looked at her paltry supply of books. With a sigh she decided to go check on her baby dragon assistant Spike. She found her little purple scaled companion in his bed sucking his thumb. Thinking that the sight was adorable she tasled the dragons green spikes.
The purple alicorn began to wander her castle again. Something was off today normally she could break out of her funk but today. It hung like a dark depressing cloud in the air. She suddenly felt a rapid vibration on her flank and heard the sound of a small bell.
"Finally!" She smiled, "Something to do." Twilight booked it to her castles map room. Only to find nothing. Her map was blank, just the normal mirror polished crystal with her star shaped cutiemark. A glimmer all around her drew her attentions to the thrones all around her. The thrones which numbered six exactly. Each with her friends cutiemarks. Each chairs mark was aglow with magic. The glow slowly faded what ever had caused the summoning was over, and that had her worried.
Jeric was pleasantly surprised to find his sword in Fluttershy's living room. The ivory hilt had been damaged but over all was fine. He had had one more surpise during his check up Fluttershy had discovered a tattoo on his shoulder. It showed his armored form slaying an undead and had been so graphic it had made poor Flutters squeak in terror. Skully made several wild party puns. To which he had replied remembering her making out with a cow skull. After that Fluttershy had insisted that he rest some more. She had also manager to get some bones from her bear friend's cave. Skully had devoured most of them, the unique venom in her fangs turning them to liquid for her to digest and magically convert to new mass. Jeric had taken a single rib from the pile to repair his sword. His magic converting it to a malleable state then hardning it to the strength of steel. After which he had spent most of the day in bed plotting out the best way to hunt a necromancer.
Rarity stared at her dresses wanting to create more designs. She felt limited working mostly on girls cloths. Every now and then she wanted the challenge of making men's clothes. The ideas began to flow again. , Maybe little Spikwiky would like some new cloths.' She thought with flick of her luxurious violet mane. She looked herself over in a large mirror she had up against a wall in her round building. She ensured that her her marshmallow white coat was immaculate. She stopped to admire her cutiemark three perfect diamonds. Finding that every thing was in order she decided to head for her friends castle.
After a couple minutes of walking Rarity found Twilight on the street. She watched as the alicorn flared her wings in apparent annoyance. Her main , dark puple with center red streak, parted around her horn in a ragged fashion. 'I really wish she would put more pride in her appearance. ' The white unicorn thought, 'Still better than Applejack.' She thought as she approached the fluster mare.
"Twilight dear you simply must make the attempt to look like a proper princess before leaving the castle." The white mare said.
"Wha... Oh Rarity what brings you out of the boutique. " Twilight responded looking around to see where exactly she was.
"What's the matter darling you look utterly beside yourself?" Raity asked concerned for her friend.
"Rarity can't you feel it magic strange and..." She shook her head trying to find the word, "Dark I think that's it. Its so strange and cold." As her friend mentioned it Rarity could feel it.
"Well did the map notify you of any problems deary?" She suggested helpfully.
"I think it tried busomething went wrong it failed." Twilight said still confused. She sat down on her haunches looking down. It was disconcerting how helpless she felt. She felt the tingling sensation again this time it fizzled as soon as it started. This time Twilight saw the sensation register in her friends eyes.
"Oh dear me that's what that was! " she said wide eyed.
"Don't worry Rarity." Twilight said comfortingly. "I'll try to get the map straightened out then we can fix what ever it is trying to tell us."
Fluttershy stood in her living room cinching her saddle bags on. Her new guest was some what draining on her food. 'He certainly has a healthy appetite.' She thought chuckling. Jeric came down stairs.
"Heading out?" Jeric said leaning on a wall watching the little Pegasus flap her wings.
"Oh I'm just heading out to buy some more food." She stated in that soft tone of hers. "You wanna come with I'm sure the fresh air would help you feel better." She said smiling even wider. " Besides I really want to introduce you to everypony they've never seen a human before."
"You sure that's a good idea I kinda stick out from everyone. " He said tapping Skully who was again asleep on his armor.
"Oh yeah most everypony else is a lot beaver then me." She said looking down at her hooves. "I don't think they'll be toff put by your appearance. " She finished looking up with a weak smile.
"Fluttershy I want you to remember one thing bravery is no more or less the ability to keep moving foward despite fear." Jeric said not liking seeing the little yellow pony looking down. 'I guess I should show her and meet the other neighbors.' "Alright no sense being a scardy cat I'll meet your friends." Jeric said patting his sword hilt.
"Oh you won't need that nopony will hurt you." Shesaid looking at his sword which she really didn't like. Jeric had explained not only what it was but his personal blades history, its long bloody history.
"Sorry Flutters but its not your friends I'm worried about, beside its better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it." Jeric said the hard learned lesson being repeated. "Its saved my life more then once if you remember." Jeric said remembering one of the stories he had told her.
"Well if you feel that strongly about it." Fluttshy stated sadly.
"Sorry little one but a knights sword is his life." He replied to her look of rejection. "Now let me help my pretty hostess with her bags." He said holding out his hand for the bag. She smiled and hand over her saddle bags.
"Hehe, Thanks." She said blushing, tone even quieter then normal.
"Apples fresh apple come a fill belly." Applejack called grinning ear to ear with her best salespony grin. "We got apples and apple goods. Come get your grub on." She said her souther accent thick as ever. She pulled her brown sesten hat back so her customers could see her smile better. She spied two of her favorite ponies in all Esquestria. "Rarity, Twilight what brings ya'all to this here market today?" She said happily beckoning the white unicorn and purple alicorn over. "Ya'all wouldn't want some of Granny Smith's famouse apple pie would ya?" She said sweeping up her right leg and leaning casually against her small wagon. Shemade sure her pride as an apple farmer showed as readily as her apple shaped cutiemark.
"Unfortunately dear we are here for a little fabric I convinced Twilight to let me make spike another suit." Rarity said with a smile. "Though we would certainly like a slice if we have any bits left." Her normal sophisticated speech showing her proper upbringing.
"Well then ya'all best hurry then while there's vittles left." The orange pony said pushing back part of her blond mane.
"Actually we can eat first I pay since you're giving Spike the suit Rarity." Twilight said smiling. Applejack smiled back and turned to grab a pie for her friends only to see a bag of bits and a pink pony eating most of her wares.
"Pinkie quit eating all ma vittles." Aj said trying push the pink earth pony away. Pinkie how ever was as unmovable as stone. She did however stop after consuming a entire pie in one bite.
"Okie dokie lokie." Pinkie said bouncing away as lite as air. "Oh by the way the cakes need four barrels of apples." She said bounding around as though she was on a never-ending-ending sugur rush.
"Golly ya'all sure you need that many." Aj said looking a bit reserved, she didn't like her apples being waisted.
"Sure do got big plans for Big Mac's birthday." The pink ball of energy whispered as though the information was top secret. Suddenly Pinkie Pie was air born her whole boy splayed out and she quivered all over. "Oh boy oh boy oh boy we have a new person in town and thier a doozy of a surprise!" She exclaimed taking off like a rocket.
"Well we better go rescue the pour soul." Twilight said with a chuckle
"I'll get the firstaid kit." Applejack deadpanned.
Jeric walked beside Fluttershy enjoying the lookes of the ponies gathered in the marketplace. Instead of the normal looks of terror and screams of terror his appearance normally invoked. He was only receiving looks of wide eyed shock and slacked jaws. 'projectile inbound.' Skully informed Jeric.
"Wha...?" Was all he managed to get out before he felt an impact right to the diaphragm. The force of the impact sent him backwards and to the ground. He sat there dazed for a second but recovered quickly due to his combat experience. "Ow what hit... Aah pink!" Jeric yelled seeing a massive amount of pink now on his chest. He qickly shoved the offending thing off and sitting up.
"That's...Wait that's not my name." The pony said bouncing up to all fours. "Now repeat after me Pinkie." She said pointing a hoof at herself. Not seeing the reaction she wanted. She repeated her self. "Pinkie." Jeric stood up brushing himeself off. He looked over at Fluttershy.
"Friend of yours?" He asked pointing at the pink pony with balloons tattooed to her rump.
"Hehehe yeah she's Pinkie Pie." Fluttershy replied Trying her hardest to not laugh, she was failing horribly.
"Ok hello Pinkie was it?" He said rubbing where she impacted him.
"That's me but who are you? What are you?" She said cocking her head quizzically. It only lasted a moment before she disappeared and reappeared on his back. "Why do walk on two legs, isn't four easier, what's with your hooves?" She said lback on the ground but somehow holding up his hands.
"To answer your questions. My is Jeric I'm a human Boneknight, my race all walks on two legs, no walking on four is not easier, and I have hands not hooves they make fine work easier and allow for grasping." He said with a wink to Fluttershy who nodded with the patience he was displaying.
"Wow...Hey do like parties? Oh no I'll be..." She suddenly trailed off eyes going blank. "Uhm what do humans eat? Your the first I've met." She said sheepishly.
"Well the answer to that is complex see humanity is omnivorous meaning we have to eat both plants and animals though for the most part plants are fine." Jeric answered truthfully. "Though for our part we do eat the meat after cooking it." He shrugged seeing both Pinkie and Fluttershy shudder.
"Do you atleast like cakes?" Pinkie asked worried.
"That depends." He smiled again winking.
"On what?" She was visibly sweating.
"Does it come in chocolate? " He said laughing. The party pony recovered completely.
"Of course." She said beaming. Fluttershy was happy how quickly he had befriended Pinkie. 'Hopefully it goes this well with everypony else.' She thought as jeric picked up her saddle bags and dusted them off.
" What, 'n tarnation is that." A distindistinctive voice sounded behind Fluttershy.