Prologue: Answering The Call
Heat, hot, warm, and high temperature. Within the land of Equestria, words like these were on the verge of being considered taboo. Why? It was simple, the entire nation was suffering an extreme heat wave, the likes never before seen. None of the land’s citizens really knew what brought this about, only that it was making life in Equestria miserable.
The searing hot temperatures were only made worse by the rising number of heat strokes. Unprecedented numbers across the nation were being hospitalized by the hour, to the point that Equestria’s capital, known by the name of Canterlot, had to take cases into the castle’s infirmary. Advisors and scientists across the land came in droves, trying to give theories and explanations for such a phenomenon. A summit was called between Equestria’s leaders and the most well renowned scientists available, to try and find a cause or solution for this predicament.
Within the castle’s large conference hall stood a large, round table hosting eleven chairs and two thrones. Banners depicting elegant suns and moons hung on the columns between the mosaic windows, the two contradicting designs a testament to the land’s rulers, known as Celestia and Luna. As their names and banners hinted at, the two were able to control the sun and moon respectively, garnering the respect of every other resident of the nation.
The two of them now sat within the thrones, looking across the other members called to the summit. They looked nervous to say the least. Neither Celestia nor Luna could blame them, for this was a very difficult scenario, nothing like the young brainiacs have ever encountered. But the two leaders were used to such pressures, having encountered many stressing ordeals over their vast lifetime.
Both Luna and Celestia were unlike the rest of their nation. In addition to their inherent abilities to control the moon and sun, they were near immortal, having lived through centuries as though it was but a blink of the eye. This was a dire situation for Equestria, there was no doubt about that. But they would be fine, as they always have been.
“Let us begin this meeting,” Celestia began, her regal voice projecting through the hall with an air of serene authority. “We all know what the problem is, so we need to know what caused it, and what will stop it.”
“You’ve all been called here to answer these two questions,” Luna continued, carrying more strength and power in her voice than her sister, another contrast to Celestia. “Who will go first? The sooner we solve this dilemma, the sooner everypony can rest easy.”
The table stood quiet for a solid minute, everypony looking uncomfortable. None of them were really sure of their theories, and none of them wanted their reputations injured for being wrong. Their eyes cast looks towards one another, urging somepony to start and break the tension.
“W-Well,” one mare began, pushing a pair of spectacles up her muzzle. She had a brown coat with a red mane and tail. “I don’t have too much to support my theory, but I think this is a spell cast by a group of unicorns. No weather Pegasi have hinted at anything like this in their weather schedule, and such a thing would not be easy to conceal, especially on such a large scale. Naturally Earth Ponies don’t have the resources for such a task, despite being adept in their own form of magic.”
“But for a spell this powerful and widespread, it would take a group so large that there is no way they could hide while casting it,” a unicorn stallion returned calmly. His coat was blue with a mane and tail colored teal.“Not to mention there is no record of a spell like this. Even if there was, the amount of magic it would take to maintain for any length of time would rival that of Celestia or Luna.”
“What are you hinting at,” the first mare asked, leaning across the table to look at the stallion.
“Well we can all rule out the odds of it being Pegasi or Earth Pony, right?” he started, receiving a round of nods from the other scientists. “So the options narrow down considerably with that fact. Obviously our dear rulers Celestia and Luna wouldn’t cast such magic on their subjects, and for Unicorns to pull of a spell would be a near insurmountable task.”
“The point?” another mare asked, rolling her hoof to urge him closer to his theory.
“My point,” he began, turning to look at all of them. “Is that it has to be somepony, or someTHING with a vast source of magic that can rival our leaders. Griffons can’t do magic, Zebras couldn’t cook up potion to do this, and anything that COULD do this is sealed within Tartarus….. Or stone.”
“You think this is Discord?” the first mare questioned, raising an eyebrow. She turned towards Celestia and Luna, her expression unsure. “But he shouldn’t be able to use magic within the seal, right? Otherwise he could escape couldn’t he?”
“It’s…. Hard to say,” Celestia answered, her face showing she was lost in thought. “The Elements of Harmony locked his body in stone, but inside that hard shell he is still awake and most likely scheming.”
“If there is a crack in the stone barrier, it would make sense he could project his magic outward,” Luna presented, turning towards her sister. “The Elements also make the stone absorb his magic, so any fault in that cage of his would mean a portion of magic could escape and create random moments of chaos. We should go and check the seal.”
“What should we do?” another scientist asked, motioning to the group around them.
“Go and take care of your loved ones,” Luna instructed sternly, getting a nod from her sister. “But do not breathe a word of this summit’s discussion. If others knew Discord was the cause of this problem, there could be panic and mass hysteria.”
“We will call up the Elements of Harmony,” Celestia added soothingly, causing a sigh of relief to travel through the others. “If Discord is not the cause of this heat wave, be ready to return and resume this conversation. You are all dismissed.”
With hushed murmurs, the brainiacs unseated themselves and left the room. The conference hall became eerily quiet once more, with Celestia and Luna looking back and forth, both lost in thought. It was another minute or two until the dark Alicorn of the Moon broke the silence.
“Could it really be Discord, dear sister?” Luna asked, her voice tinged with worry. “If it is, will the Elements be enough this time?”
“I do not know,” Celestia admitted, shaking her head. “But we should consider the possibility and try to solve it quickly if it is.”
“Then I shall tell the guards to send a sky carriage for the Elements,” the Night Princess returned, trying to show some confidence for her sister.
“I’ll send off a message to Twilight then,” returned the Sun Princess. “The sooner the bet-”
“Dear Princesses,” came the call from a Solar Guard at the door. He stepped from the hallway and bowed curtly. “A Zebra by the name of Zecora has arrived, saying she has knowledge to share with you.”
“See her in,” Luna answered with a wave of the hoof. As the guard left, the two of them shared an uneasy smile.
Zecora was well known in Ponyville, a small town just south of Canterlot. It was where the Elements of Harmony lived. She was not one of them, but rather lived in the dangerous Everfree Forest beside the cozy little town. Her mysterious ways and talents with potions had at first thrown the townsfolk into hesitation and fear of her, but the Zebra had proven her kind intentions time and again with herbal remedies and the like.
The zebra mare entered, wearing a dark brown cloak and hood. All that one could see of her was her black and white striped hooves, as well as the tip of her similarly colored tail. As the hooded figure approached the two thrones, she bowed deeply for a moment.
“Please rise Zecora,” Celestia smiled softly, motioning for her to stand. “You are a friend of Twilight’s so please do not feel the need to be so formal.”
“Thank you Princess,” the zebra began, standing up. “I have come for only one reason. To share the answer to this very hot season.”
“You know how to stop our predicament?” Luna questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, but there will be many trials after,” Zecora rhymed, her voice low and unpleasant. “Let us relocate first, this is a delicate matter.”
The two Princesses and zebra left the conference hall and moved to a side room where they could not be overheard. The room was small, used mainly for job interviews for people that wished to work in Canterlot Castle. There was a single desk and two chairs, one on each side, and a shelf full of dusty magic tomes. Celestia and Luna took the chairs while Zecora elected to remain standing. She removed her hood, revealing a black and white striped mohawk atop her head. Her face was decorated with tribal zebra markings, and a large gold hoop hung from each ear. The top of her neck also showed, gold rings travelled all the way down into the cloak.
“What I say is important and dire,” Zecora started, regarding both Princesses. “Heed my words, lest Equestria will feel his ire.”
“His?” Luna pressed, worried now.
“Discord is the problem, this is true,” the zebra nodded, her neck rings clicking as a result. “And soon he’ll escape his stone statue. We must act quick, must make the spell. We’ll summon now, the human whelp.”
“You make no sense,” Luna commented with a hint of anger in her voice. “How will Discord get free, and what is a human? Is that a type of dragon or dog? Please explain.”
“My cauldron shows me a young lad, on two legs he does move,” Zecora started calmly, looking directly into the dark Alicorn’s eyes. “Our problem he will solve, and your past he will soothe.”
“My…. past?” the Night Princess repeated, taken aback. “How can some stranger fix what has already come to happen?”
“A stranger he is not, or so you shall see,” the zebra returned. “A friend of yours, who smells deeply of pine trees.”
“You cannot mean-” Celestia started, catching on instantly.
“But I do, this I tell you,” Zecora cut her off, holding up a hoof. “But now we must act. Discord will return, this is a fact.”
The urgency in her voice was not lost on either Princess. The two of them nodded and stood up, going towards the door. They would call the Elements of Harmony as planned, and provide Zecora with anything she needed. While they were unsure of her plan, the knew she was trustworthy.
“What can we do to help you?” Celestia asked as the three of them walked.
“I need a room and chalk, that is all,” Zecora answered, staring ahead. Her eyes were glazed as though she was lost in thought. “After that, only time to make the call.”
“You said you would summon a human whelp?” Luna pressed, eager for more details.
“Yes, he will solve our problem,” the zebra nodded, turning to face the Night Princess. “And during his trials will a powerful love blossom.”
“But, who is ‘he’?”
I.I.I
In an entirely different dimension was a planet known as Earth. On this planet was a young man, old enough to fend for himself but young enough to be a child at heart. His short brown hair blew gently in the breeze as he stepped outside of his high school and into the courtyard. His azure blue eyes scanned the area, looking for his friends to walk home with. The school day was over, and he was eager to get home. The breeze made his gray jacket ruffle against his black tee-shirt.
‘You just want to watch cartoons,’ the voice in his head told him.
“I do, because cartoons are nice,” the young man thought, quelling his internal debate.
“Hey loser!” called an unpleasant voice behind him.
Turning around, he saw a very irate teen stomping towards him. It was the school bully. He was taller than most other students, and while his legs were lanky, his upper body was rather toned. His blazing red hair looked like fire under the sunlight. His expression was full of malice, something the young man was accustomed to with this guy.
“I’ve got a bone to pick with you,” the angry teen spat, standing in front of his target.
“That’s humerous,” the young man sighed with a laugh, wiping spittle from his cheek.
“You think you’re real funny huh?” the bully growled, hefting the boy up by his collar. “We’ll see how funny you are when everybody sees how spineless you are.”
The young man couldn’t help but snicker at the unintended pun. This only angered the teen even farther, who slammed his target into a wall. The air was quickly knocked out of his lungs, forcing him to wheeze for air after a moment. A crowd began to form around the two of them, leaving plenty of room in case a fight broke out. Or in this case, a one-sided beat down. Three people pushed their way to the front of the crowd, surprised to see who was pinned on the wall.
“Tory!” one of them called out to the young man.
“Hit him back!” another urged with a smirk. “Kick em in the gonads!”
“Don’t egg him on Cory,” the third admonished, slapping the second friend.
The young man named Tory smirked at his friends antics, feeling better despite the low oxygen in his lungs. This only further annoyed the bully, who reared back to punch him. All of Tory’s friends gasped as they saw the punch that would most likely knock him out. But just as the attack came forward, the young man caught it in one hand, and spun his attacker’s wrist around.
“A-Aaaaah!” the bully roared in pain, his arm starting to twist too far in one direction. He let go of his target, all his focus on the feeling in his arm. “S-Stop it!”
“Go home Jackson,” Tory told the teen in a calm and stern tone. “Get over whatever I did to piss you off, and forget about fighting me ever again.”
“H-How are you….” Jackson grunted, being spun around by his arm.
“Because I hate people like you, who throw their weight around,” the young man explained, taking the teen by the arm and forcing his face against the wall. “I learned a lot to protect myself from your kind, but I never needed to use it with all the teachers around. It’s not fun being on the receiving end, is it?”
“What is going on out here?” came an older man’s voice. Tory knew it right away, that was his principal.
The crowd parted to let the school principal through. He wore a simple blue collared business shirt with a red tie, and brown khakis. He had a few wrinkles around his eyes, adding a couple years to his actual age, and his hair was beginning to recede on his forehead. He took one look at the two people fighting and sighed.
“Jackson, in my office now,” the principal said, turning around to walk away.
“What about Tory?” the teen shouted angrily as he was released.
“Tory doesn’t cause trouble on a daily basis,” the older man answered with a wave of his hand. “This is his only warning before he gets punished like you’re about to.”
The crowd began to laugh at Jackson’s misfortune, which caused him to furiously stomp away from the scene. He pushed a couple people to the side as he went, which only made him look even worse.
“Dude!” Cory shouted, tackling his friend. “What…. How…. When did you learn to do that?!”
“I took Aikido a long time ago,” Tory shrugged, playfully pushing his pal. “Geroff me now, will ya?”
“But you never did anything before?” one of his other friends asked, a girl by the name of Laura.
“Never needed to,” the young man returned, standing up and dusting off his jeans. “Teachers are always around, you know?”
“But still, you could’ve stopped this a lot sooner right?” the first friend insisted, his name was Eric.
“Not really. His kind just keep coming back more if they don’t get what they want. It would’ve been worse. I wanted to save the surprise for the end of the year.”
“Oh yeah, we won’t see him next year!” Cory realized, sitting cross-legged on the sidewalk.
“That’s right,” Tory nodded, leaning against the wall by his friends. “We’re graduating this year so it’s time to make our mark however we can… Did you see the look in his eyes when I caught his fist?”
“That was good,” Eric laughed.
“That was really close though,” Laura sighed, looking sternly at her friends. “Why can’t the three of you just relax instead of pulling crazy stunts?”
“Because crazy is more fun, you should know that better than all of us,” Cory teased.
“What does that mean?” the girl countered, clenching her fists as she got in his face.
Cory quickly scrambled to his feet and started to run, Laura hot on his heels. Both Tory and Eric began to laugh at their antics. It was like this most of the time, with her chasing at least one of them around to hit them on the head. It was her way of showing she cared, in that weird way friends do. What none of them realized was that Tory had a crush on her. He’d never tell any of them, not on his life though. Eric and Laura were siblings, only a year apart, and Cory was bad at keeping secrets.
Tory looked on as the two friends ran around. Cory was a redhead, electing to have his hair in a massive afro every day. He always wore an orange shirt and blue jeans, like a signature outfit. Every day was an adventure to him, to see what new fun events could happen. He was the highlight of the group, making everyone smile.
Eric never really cared about what he wore, so long as it was clean and didn’t itch. He had really short black hair that spiked out flat against his head. He liked video games, similar to Tory, but he really enjoyed building games. In all actuality, he enjoyed building and taking apart most anything, to see if he could make it better each time. He was the calculating one, able to see more than he let on.
Laura was somewhat similar at times, although she preferred to wear mostly black outfits to compliment her long black hair. She was an avid anime fan, particularly of the classics like Case Closed. Tory could relate to that, it was what made them friends. She was the smart one of the group as well, not always at the top of her class but definitely with the best grades out of the four of them.
“C’mon you two, let’s get going,” Tory laughed, waving them to join him and Eric.
“Any plans for today?” the black-haired boy asked as they walked.
“Watch cartoons and play games,” the young man returned as his friends came over. “The usual.”
‘Although I wouldn’t mind if something different happened for once.’ the voice in his head put out.
“I’m going downtown later for a party,” Cory started, looking at the others. “You guys wanna come?”
“Not my scene,” Tory answered quickly.
“I’ve been meaning to work on my decks lately, so no,” Eric said as well.
“Homework,” Laura huffed, brushing a lock of hair out of her face. “Besides, I hear a storm is supposed to happen tonight.”
“Suit yourselves,” the redhead laughed, putting his arms behind his head. “No rain is keeping me from this party. There’s gonna be a huge cake!”
Tory honestly wouldn’t mind going, but he was awkward around large crowds of people. He felt unsafe, as though he would get attacked or mugged. But most likely he was afraid he would embarrass himself in front of so many people. He had a tendency to do stupid stuff in crowds, and a party was no exception. One time he had tried dancing with a drink in his hand, which ended up with him accidentally splashing it on a girl. She promptly slapped him across the face and stormed out, putting all the unwanted attention on him.
After a half hour of walking and joking about, everyone parted ways at a four-way intersection. Cory left for his party, Eric and Laura went home together, and Tory was walking home, eager for some rest after a long school day. He had some shows recorded that he was eager to catch up on…
I.I.I
Back in Equestria, night had fallen. Although it had come much sooner than planned with the unbearable heat wave across the nation. Celestia and Luna had agreed that the cool air of the night would counter the intense temperatures, at least a little bit, so they had told the nation that for a short time the moon would remain in the sky to cool down everything. While many ponies were reluctant, they were happy to cool down, even if it was only a little.
Zecora had isolated herself in a small bedroom, given to her by Celestia. She had taken some chalk, her cauldron, and a book on spell circles. Luna had instructed guards to remain outside her room, for protection, but the zebra had shooed them away. Something about their armor making too much noise for her to concentrate.
Currently, both Luna and Celestia were standing outside her room now, hoping she would emerge shortly with an answer to their dilemma. After exchanging nervous glances at each other, the Night Princess nodded and walked to the door, knocking three times.
“Enter,” came the zebra’s quiet voice.
“We wished to see how much progress you’ve made,” Luna explained as she opened the door.
“The spell is almost done,” Zecora answered, turning to smile at the Princesses. “When it is cast, you will be stunned.”
“What will happen?” Celestia asked, stepping into the room
On the floor was an intricate spell circle, with many archaic sigils and runes spiraling around the design. Zecora’s cauldron stood to the side, an eerie green glow within the basin causing smoke to billow throughout the room, except where the spell circle was etched in. Without any lights inside except for the cauldron, the room had a very creepy atmosphere.
“A portal will appear to let us meet,” the zebra chuckled, casting a quick glance at her tome. “That human boy will find us quite a treat.”
“What IS a human?” Luna asked with a sigh. “You keep talking about it, but we don’t know what it looks like, or if it’s even friendly!”
“He will be the best friend you could hope for,” Zecora calmly returned, turning away. She lowered her voice to a whisper as she continued. “Perhaps you’ll find he’s even more…”
“What was that last part?” Celestia asked, her ears twitching as the zebra walked to the cauldron.
“No more time to talk, between our world and his, I must now walk.”
“But we cannot leave,” Luna gasped, looking at her sister. “If something were to go wrong, who would take care of Equestria?”
“You cannot go, this I know,” Zecora sighed, rubbing her hooves to her temples. She was becoming exhausted and felt a headache forming. “I will summon him all alone.”
“Then we shall keep watch out here,” Celestia nodded, putting a wing around her sister. She could see the two of them about to butt heads. “We wish you luck, Zecora.”
“Thank you, I shall need luck to break through…”
As the two sisters left the room, the zebra began to quietly chant out her spell. The circle began to faintly glow green, growing brighter as the caster’s voice raised higher. Each word echoed off the walls, making the incantation feel that much louder. After a few more moments of chanting, Zecora gave a loud cry with the last word, and the spell circle lit up as bright as the sun. As the flash of green faded away, the door to the room opened, Celestia standing there with a worried look on her face. But the zebra was nowhere to be found, nor the circle…
I.I.I
On Earth the moon was rising high into the sky as well. Although it could not be seen tonight, as Laura had said, a large storm blew in, darkening the starlit sky with pitch black rain clouds. The rain pelted itself heavily against Tory’s window as he laid on his bed, listening to the pattering on the glass. He had managed to catch up on most of his shows, but shortly after the storm started the power went out. And not just at his home, but at other nearby houses too. He figured a transformer had been struck by lightning.
He had spent the last hour, looking up at his ceiling and thinking about the important things in his life. The vanilla scented candle on his nightstand was starting to burn low, being a tiny candle initially. As he watched the shadows dance across his walls and roof, he thought back to an old friend of his.
“Tabby would have loved meeting Cory and the others,” He reflected with a sigh.
‘She loved meeting anyone, you know that,’ His thoughts countered.
Tory didn’t respond to that. It was true, he knew that. Honestly just thinking about her really hurt his heart. She had been his first love two years ago, before something convinced her to leave everyone she loved behind. The wound was still open to the young man, even if he’d never admit it. He removed and arm from behind his head, reaching up to the dancing shadows on the ceiling for an answer.
“I’ve been surviving since the day you left your home,” Tory started to sing, his voice full of sorrow. “I never blamed you but at times I feel alone… This lonely bad dream, isn’t a nightmare. You made me stronger, you helped me get here… And I’m moving on…… Beyond the memories…”
“But I could never fall apart,” the voice in his head sung in unison. “I’m stronger with a broken heart. I guess I don’t mind being alone anyway…”
The candle on Tory’s nightstand flickered strongly for a moment, and he breathed in deeply. Vanilla was a calming scent to him, which was why he picked it. But as he inhaled, his nose tingled with the scent of earth and pine trees. While it wasn’t unpleasant, the sudden and impossible shift in fragrance alarmed him. He sat up and looked towards his candle, seeing the flame shift about in agitation. Was it about to go out on him?
A knock at the door startled the young man, making him jump in a moment of fright. He was home alone tonight, as his father was spending the night with his girlfriend, and his brother was out of town for a business meeting. Who could possibly be here at his house, not only at night but during a large thunderstorm? It was too much like a horror movie…
Tory grabbed the candle, as well as a broom to defend himself with. As cliche as it was, a broom was still a big wooden stick good for bashing heads in. He could use it for a little protection if the stranger at his door was an attacker.
“Who’s there?” the young man asked, making his voice firm.
He didn’t receive a response, save for a very loud snort and another set of knocks. Did they have an animal with them? Tory decided to simply get this over with. It was either that, or they’d break down his door trying to get in. He gripped the doorknob tightly and yanked it open, holding the broom handle in front of him to block any surprise attacks.
He didn’t see anything, nor did he feel anything attack him or the broom. In fact all he could see was darkness and rain. His feet and legs began to grow wet from the entering storm, so he stepped back to close the door. As he began, another snort reached his ears, this time he could tell it was much lower to the ground. He glanced downward and raised an eyebrow in surprise and confusion. Standing at waist height was a hooded figure, their frame rather narrow while the length of their body was longer than any natural human’s. Had someone left a hooded dog on his porch?
“Please, may I come in?” the figure asked quietly, their breath coming out in wispy mists. “This storm is truly something.”
“U-Uh sure,” Tory stammered, thoroughly confused. “I know that voice….”
As he let the stranger into his home, he closed the door to keep out the biting rain. Once that was done, he grabbed a clean towel from above his dryer and gave it to the figure. His mind tried to place the voice under that hood, for he DID know it. Part of him could already tell who it was, but the answer remained just out of his grasp.
“Here, I’m sure you’d like to dry off,” the young man offered kindly. “I can put your cloak in the dryer so it’s nice and warm, if you’d like?”
“That’s very kind of you, to help a stranger,” the voice under the hood rhymed softly. “Are you not afraid there could be danger?”
‘That voice, it CAN’T be…’ came the sudden thought.
“I do not think so, not this time,” Tory smirked, sitting across from his guest. “Not when the stranger is the zebra of rhyme.”
The figure remained silent for a moment before removing their hood. He glimpsed a pair of black and white hooves before he noticed the large mohawk, the golden ear loops, and the face of a very familiar character. It was Zecora, just as the young man had thought. But how was this possible, and why was she here?
“You know of who I am, I see this fact” she stated in her powerful accent. “Then perhaps you and I could make a pact.”
Tory’s head spun for a moment as he came to grasp what was in front of him. Zecora, a cartoon character from a cartoon world, was before him and offering some sort of deal? Surely he must be dreaming? He quickly reached over and pinched his face hard. He felt the pain run through his cheek, and knew he was wide awake.
“Why do you hurt yourself?” Zecora questioned, tilting her head slightly. “Are you feeling unwell?”
“Just….. Starstruck I suppose,” Tory answered, standing up. “What is your deal? Are you here to whisk me away to your world, so I may go on a grandiose adventure to stop some unspeakable evil? Will I make many friends along the way, some of which may die on this quest, some I will come to love more than I value my own life?”
“.....Yes,” she answered simply. “That was quite an accurate guess.”
“What’s the catch?”
“You know of my world, and the dangers it does hold,” the zebra started, her piercing gaze locked onto the young man’s. “We need one who can stop the evil of old.”
“Ha, surely you jest?” Tory laughed, crossing his arms. “Surely the Elements could defeat this evil best?”
“That they have done, twice before,” Zecora returned, a smirk on her face. “But now we must ask you to finish our war.”
“War? I’ve heard no such thing,” the young man rhymed, not realizing he was doing it. “If you’re going to lie, a good one you must bring.”
“Debate this I cannot, the time we have left is not a lot.”
“You’re on a schedule? Good to know,” Tory nodded. “Tell me the true reason, and I’ll prepare to go.”
“You are needed to solve our problems, that I can say,” Zecora shook her head. “The rest you must learn from day to day.”
“You’ll not tell me more, but ask me to forever leave my door?”
“If I could, I would speak the answer,” the zebra sighed, standing up. “But now time is short, and we cannot banter.”
“May I think on your offer, for but a minute?” Tory pressed, not sure what to think. “This could be life-changing, a whole new beginning…”
“A moment, that I can offer,” Zecora nodded, walking towards the door outside. “But I must say, you might not prosper. I ask a lot of you, to leave your home, and enter a world you’ve only dreamed to roam. The danger is real, you must be aware. In my land, you must take great care.”
With that, the zebra lifted her hood and made her way into the biting rain. Tory watched as she stepped outside, then walked into his bedroom. He wasn’t sure to think, with such a choice before him. Here he had lain, with only a candle and his thoughts just mere minutes before, and now he was presented with such a life-changing decision. Should he go, and leave everything behind? He had a good life here, with friends and family he loved.
‘But think of all the possibilities in Equestria,” the voice in his head whispered soothingly. “New friends, new chances…. New love.’
“And the danger we’ll face could kill us,” Tory returned, not sure. “Zecora explicitly mentioned that we’d be in danger. If the show is anything to go off of, we could die with relative ease!”
‘You know that not a single character has died on that show!” the thought came back, nulling his argument. “Besides, you WANT to go! You know you do.’
“I do,” he admitted, crossing his arms. “But, is it the right decision?”
‘You were called on, not anyone else,’ the voice stated calmly. ‘You have fate guiding you. The answer to their problems is you, Zecora said it herself.”
Tory couldn’t deny these thoughts. It was true that Zecora had picked him of all the humans available, and that she claimed he could solve Equestria’s troubles when the Elements could not. He sighed as he gave into the idea.
“Sometimes I hate it when I’m right,” he said to himself.
Tory quickly changed into a suitable outfit. He put on a pair of black khakis, a silver tee, and slipped on his gray jacket. Now that he was clothed, he needed to figure out what all he was going to bring. Most likely small things to remind him of his life here. But would they even survive the trip?
“Will I change when I cross into their world?” the young man thought to himself. “And…. what will my family and friends think?”
Tory shook these thoughts from his head. There could be a chance to come back, especially since Zecora had proven it was possible to cross between the two worlds. He would take a few mementos, and that was all he would need.
Tory walked over to his nightstand, and picked up a few of his belongings. He kept a small chain link dragon scale keychain as a memento of his martial arts days, from many years ago. It was given to him by one of his teachers, and he’s treasured it ever since. He grabbed his wallet, and checked it’s contents. In addition to a couple dollar bills, he had all his personal information there, as well as a couple notes and drawings made by his friends over the years. Some were encouraging words, others were hand-drawn pictures of themselves as reminders of who they were to him. The number of paper scraps in his wallet could detail his entire school life, and all the important people he’d known over the years.
Reaching into the back end of the wallet, Tory pulled out a small picture from a secret space. It showed a girl with long brown hair, and emerald eyes that gleamed with joy. Her skin was flawless, and her smile was contagious. It was a picture of Tabby, the only one Tory kept after everything happened. He let his mind wander sadly for a moment before returning the picture to it’s hiding place. There would be a time to think on her later.
In addition to his wallet and dragon scale, Tory grasped his backpack. He emptied it of schoolbooks and papers, electing to fill it up with gifts to the ones he knew he would encounter in Equestria. Some designer magazines in the living room, left by one of his sisters, would be good for Rarity. Twilight Sparkle would enjoy books on human culture he wagered, and stuffed a history tome in as well. Some comics for Pinkie Pie, he just knew it. Rainbow Dash would want something sporty….. Or maybe a good adventure novel! Fluttershy would enjoy a nature magazine he figured. That left Applejack…
“What do you get a farm girl?” Tory thought aloud. “I doubt she’ll want a book, and I don’t have anything else that’ll-”
The young man fell silent as he noticed a hat hanging on the wall. It was a stetson, given to him by his sister when they had travelled out to a ghost town remade into a tourist spot. Sure Applejack already had one, but he figured that it never hurts to have a spare, and the thought of the gift is what would matter to her.
Tory placed the hat on his head and zipped up his backpack. As he slipped one of the straps over a shoulder, he noticed his guitar case leaning against the wall. His wallet had a few picks in it, and he’d enjoy some music too. Grabbing the case, the young man felt he was ready and turned to leave his home.
“I’ll be back,” he told himself, looking at his living room for a moment. “Someday…”
With that, Tory went to his door and walked outside into the rain. It had calmed down slightly, but it still poured heavily, the large droplets pelting against his clothing and drenching him almost immediately. Making a dash for the car port nearby, the young man saw Zecora standing there, a small glowing circle at her feet.
“I am glad you are here,” she nodded, a smile on her face. “Come now, the time to leave is near. Step on this circle, and the door will show. To Equestria, you will finally go.”
Tory followed her instructions stepping onto the archaic design with no apprehension. Zecora was trustworthy, that was proven time and time again. He heard her hooves clop against the concrete ground, and saw her walking around him, a small grin visible under her hood. The green circle glowed brighter and brighter as the seconds passed in silence.
“It is done,” the zebra finally said, surprising Tory. “If you have any worries, please visit my hut during the rising sun.”
“What do you-” the young man started.
He was cut off as Zecora put her hooves on his stomach, and pushed him hard. Tory lost his balance and fell backward, now suddenly engulfed in a blinding green light. His skin tingled as he looked about, yet nothing presented itself to him save for the color. Then just as suddenly as it had begun, the young man felt gravity shift quickly behind him, and the light faded. He saw the stars and moon for a moment, before something hard collided with his back.
Tory was spun as he hit what looked like a branch, then another, and a patch of leaves came after that. He saw the ground rush towards him, and closed his eyes tightly. There was a severe pain in his face for a few moments, and then he blacked out from the pain.
He wasn’t sure when he woke up, but he knew for a fact that his everything was hurting. The young man groaned as he tried to sit up, but found his hands didn’t react, nor did his legs. He felt oddly warm though, and a strange sensation twitched on his back. He tried to open his eyes, and found the strongest shade of amethyst gazing right back at him. While his vision was blurry, he could see the charcoal black mane, and the ashy white coat on her body. A faint smile crossed his lips.
“I-It’s you,” he gasped before passing out.