Captain Richard Sharpe of the 95th Rifles wakes up to find himself in a strange new world where ponies talk and magic truly exist. If this dosen't sound weird enough, things become stranger when he finds out that he himself is a pony.
Captain Richard Sharpe of the 95th Rifles wakes up to find himself in a strange new world where ponies talk and magic truly exist. If this dosen't sound weird enough, things become stranger when he finds out that he himself is a pony.
Richard Sharpe, the man who took the French Imperial Eagle at Talavera, has survived a countless amount of battles. But can he survive in this strange new world where friendship and harmony is the ultimate weapon?
Captain Richard Sharpe groaned in pain as a massive headache hit him like the butt of a musket. He felt weak and tired, as the muscles of his body complained with every movement he made. The pain in his head was unbearable; making it feel like his skull was being crushed, while the rest of his body felt like it had a thousand needles trying to poke him with their pointed tips. Tired and in pain, he tried to bring himself upright, only to fail because of the dizziness that was upon him. He began to wonder why he felt so weak and horrible, but found it too hard because of the headache. His head hurt too much and made it almost impossible to think
He must have been sick. No man could have a headache the hurt this much if he isn’t sick with something. Knowing the tragic situation he usually finds himself in, it was probably because of a wound infection. Well, Sgt. Harper’s maggots weren’t doing a good job if that was the case.
Feeling the soft material of a mattress only confirmed his suspicions. At least he wasn’t in a crowded field hospital, where the wounded and dying were groaning and moaning in pain. But if he was sick because of a wound infection, wouldn’t that mean he could be considered in the list of dying?
Many soldiers manage to survive deadly wounds, only to die weeks later because of a fatal infection. So if he was sick because of an infection, then only the worst could be expected of him.
Well, so much for dying in battle. Sharpe would have preferred getting shot or stab, to dying slowly in a death bed. Slowly loosing life, as his loves ones watched him. Teresa, Harper, his company…
Oh, heavens above, what would happen to his company? The company he risked his life to gain, the one he fought to keep, the light company of the Sought Essex Regiment.
Composed of an assortment of green coasts and red coats, his company has been with him in almost every battle he fought in the Spanish Peninsula. With expert marksmen who carried precision rifles and brave soldiers who charged with bayonets, the light company that he commanded was one of the best fighting units in the South Essex. Under his leadership, they have won every battle they faced, time and time again.
But if he was to leave permanently, then what would happen to his company? Would another commander take over it or would Lt. Price get the promotion he always wanted and gain command of Sharpe’s company?
No, he wasn’t badly injured. He was just sick. He would soon be back on his feet, ready to fight the French.
Swearing, he shook his head as he tried to shake the pain away. All this thinking was only worsening his headache. He would like a nice bottle of brandy right now, so that the awful headache would leave. Maybe Harper would have some in his canteen. The large Irishman usually replaced the contents of his water canteen with precious brandy, something which British soldiers shouldn’t do.
But being an understanding commander and a personal friend of the Irishman, Sharpe allowed Harper to fill it with Brandy, as long as he doesn’t drink when he’s on duty. Besides, knowing how much the Irish love their Brandy, Sgt. Harper would have found one way or another to get his version of gold.
He brought his hands up, trying to run his temples of his pain, when he noticed something odd.
As he brought his hands towards his forehead, he felt them bump into something. Now this was odd. He wasn’t wearing his cap, so he doubted it if it was his cap’s visor. Even if it was his visor, why would it be directly on his forehead?
So what was that thing bumping his hand?
It was hard and smooth, probably made out of marble or any material similar to it. From what Sharpe felt, it was most likely protruding out of his forehead, which made his even more puzzled. Why was something sticking out of his forehead?
Well, there was only one way to find out. Hopefully there is a mirror somewhere here
Opening his eyes, he prepared to bring himself up and go look for a mirror when he saw something truly shocking. To say that Sharpe was shocked would be an understatement. But the word shocked was the closest thing that could be used to describe the feeling he experienced. With his hands still touching his forehead, he expected to be greeted by the sight of his arms, but instead, he saw something foreign and different.
Right in front of him, where his hands were supposed to be, was a pair of, what seems to be, hooves. He stared at the pair of hooves in disbelief as he saw the green ragged fur that covered each hoof. This can’t be right, hooves are for horses. Surely he was imagining things?
But whenever he tried to move his hands, the hooves followed. From what he could tell, the hooves in front of him were acting like his hands. No, they were his hands! For some reason, that neither he nor anyone in this good earth knew, his hands were now a pair of hooves.
At first he thought his eyes were playing tricks with him. Maybe he already took some of Harper’s Brandy and he was beginning to imagine things. But after focusing on them for a few seconds, he was sure that the hooves in front of him were real.
Quickly straightening up, he began to forget the pain he was in as he continued to examine the hooves in front of him. He heard a distinct clicking sound once he clapped them together and the image of a horse trotting through the streets entered his mind.
The thought of a horse began to circulate his mind as he began to wonder about his current predicament.
Where were his hands? Why did hooves replace them? These questions stayed in his head till another thought hit him.
“Wait a minute…” He muttered to himself. “…if I have bloody hooves, then those that mean…”
Dread began to fill inside him as he felt his heart rate increase. There only a few situations that could claim the title of making Captain Richard Sharpe shake in fear and this was one of them.
Looking down at the rest of his body, he felt his heart sink when he saw green fur where his chest was supposed to be. Eyes wide open; he couldn’t help but stare at the sight in front of him. It was unbelievable, impossible! But as he looked all over himself, bringing his hands…no…hooves upon his body, touching it to make sure it’s real, there was no denying the facts in front of him.
He swore once more, both in fear and annoyance.
How was this even possible? Was this a dream, a really bad dream? No, it felt too real, it couldn’t be a dream. But the pain his body was enduring truly hurt. So this was real, but how? Did someone curse him?
Sharpe didn’t believe in curses, thinking that they were nothing but rubbish and something used to scare children from doing foolish things. But as he looked at his body, he was starting to change his mind. It looked like someone managed to cast a curse on him and turn him into a bloody horse.
Did someone hate him so much as to curse him to become a horse? Well, there were definitely a lot of people who would probably do that, but out of all the possible curses, did it really have to be this?
This didn’t even make sense? Why a horse? Were they planning on ridding him once the curse was complete? Were they going to make him their trusty steed, riding him off to battle like a prize?
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the sound of a door opening.
Turning his head towards the door on the far of wall, he could see it swing open to reveal a lavender colored horse. The strange color of the horse and the floating tray in front of it was enough to attract Sharpe’s attention, but what really shocked him was the physical features of the horse.
On its forehead was a glowing horn while a pair of wings was attached to its back. Sharpe has heard of stories about unicrons and pegasi when he was younger, but never a creature that exhibited the physical structures of both. This was impossible! Then again, he was a horse…
Moving inside the room, the creature’ face turned towards him, as it noticed him staring.
“Oh, hello there.” It said with a smile. “I’m glad to see that your finally awake, my friends and I were really worried about you.”
Whether from the exhaustion he felt or the shock of the moment, Sharpe didn’t know. All he knew was that he blacked out and fell back on the bed, wishing that all of this was a bad dream and that he would be waking up to see Harper looking down at him and grinning, while he held a cup of Brandy.
Because he knew that knew would need one after what he has seen.
Twilight looked down at the table where a weird looking contraption lay on top. From what she observed, the contraption was made out of a long metal barrel that was placed on top of a wooden frame. On the end of one side of the barrel was some kind of mechanism that Twilight couldn’t understand. Even with the knowledge she had and all the books she used as references, the contraption in front of her looked unfamiliar and foreign. None of her books had anything written about it, it was as is if the contraption wasn’t supposed to exist. But it did and it was on top of her table, along with the other objects the found beside the unconscious pony.
“Well…” Her friend Applejack said, moving next to her, as she looked down at the table. “…what do you reckon it is?”
“I’m sorry Applejack, but I just don’t know what it is.” She said, shaking her head.
“Well, maybe we should ask that pony what it is.” Pinkie suggested, as she bounced around the room. “Then we can throw him a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party and show him around the town and then we can introduce him to everypony. Do you think he likes cakes? Because I think he likes cakes. Oh, it would be so fun…” The pink pony continued to ramble on, as she bounced around the room as if she just consumed an entire cup of sugar.
“Yeah, I guess you right, Pinkie.” Twilight said nodding. “This is his stuff in the first place.” She said gesturing to all the objects pilled on the table.
Earlier that day, Twilight and the rest of her friends gathered at Fluttershy’s cottage, when she flew to them, asking for help. When they arrived, they found an unconscious green unicorn, lying on the ground, near the Everfree forest.
Twilight had never seen this pony in Ponyville before and concluded that he must have been from out of town. But why would somepony, out of town or not, even go near the Everfree forest? Surely he must have known that the place was littered with creatures that could pose a great threat to a pony who was exploring it on his own.
Whatever he was planning, it was cut short when he was knocked out of consciousness.
Twilight didn’t know what could have caused it, but whatever it was, it sure did a harmless job, seeing that there were no injuries on the pony.
It was like he just fell down, for no reason at all. Good thing Fluttershy found him, when she was feeding her animals, or he would have spent the night on the cold ground, with the chance of being attacked by Timberwolves or creatures far worst.
Along with the poor pony was a strange assortment of objects, which was lying on the ground beside him. They composed of a black cap (With a weird symbol in the middle), some sort of horn, a worn out green jacket (Which was slightly darker than his fur), two weird looking saddle bags, a heavy steel sword, and finally, the weird contraption that she was trying to study.
With no injuries on his body, it seemed that the pony didn’t need medical treatment. Other than the fact that he was unconscious, the pony seemed to be fine. So she and her friends decided to bring him to her newly received castle, which replaced her library home, where they can treat him.
So they gave him room and left him to rest, hoping that he would be fine for the time being. With no visible injuries on him, Twilight decided that a couple hours of rest would do him good.
“Maybe he’s a member of the Royal Guard? Rainbow Dash said, hovering above the table. “Aren’t members of the Royal Guard issued swords like this?”
“Well, that would explain the sword…” Twilight said, nodding. “…but I don’t think the Royal Guard issues uniforms like this.” She said gesturing to the cap and jacket. “My brother used to be the Captain of the Royal Guard before he went to the Crystal Empire and I don't remember him mentioning any unit in the Guard with uniform like this.”
“Well it’s probably because it’s a fashion disaster.” Rarity exclaimed, eyeing the torn jacket as if it were a rug. She then levitated the jacket, surrounding it with her magical aura, and brought it in front of her. “Just look at it, this thing has more holes than a sponge!”
“Oh, Rarity, you think everything is a fashion disaster.” Rainbow Dash said, grabbing the jacket and looking at it. “Besides, maybe those holes are scars of battle.” She said excitedly. “Who knows, maybe he fought during the Changeling invasion or maybe he took on a fully grown dragon and those rips on his jacket were caused by its claws. Think of all the awesome stories he could tell us!”
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight said, grabbing the jacket with her magic and putting it back on the table. “You and I bought know that he is in no condition on telling us stories. He’ll probably be too tired to entertain you, he needs his rest.”
“Oh, come now, Twilight.” Rarity said in a softer tone. “Are you sure he’s in now condition on telling us stories? I’m sure that a well-toned stallion like him has plenty of stories to tell. Do you think he would be interested at a mare like me?” She said, grinning.
Twilight stared at her friend in disbelief. “Rarity! You barely even know him, heck; you haven’t even talked to him, none of us have. Besides, last time I checked, you were complaining about his jacket.”
“So?” Rarity asked. “It doesn’t mean I don’t know a hunky stallion when I see one.” She said, making Twilight blush. “Besides, I was only complaining about the jacket, not the stallion. Like have you seen him? He’s quite the looker, if you know what I mean. Other than that awful scar on his right cheek, he is one handsome stallion.”
“Rarity!” Twilight exclaimed, hoping to stop her friend.
“What, it’s not my fault that he looks too handsome.” Rarity stated. “Besides, don’t act like you weren’t checking him out. I saw you staring at him and admiring his muscles when we were levitating him back to your castle.”
“Rarity!” Twilight exclaimed once more, now blushing scarlet red. All this talk about the mysterious stallion was making her flustered as she tried to hide her embarrassment from her friends. Although it was true that she was staring at the stallion earlier, she was doing it to check him from any injuries. Sure, those muscles were quite distracting, and she had to admit that the stallion did look handsome, but whatever she did, she was not, ‘checking him out’!
Embarrassed and red as a tomato, Twilight stood up and stomped her way out of the room. She had enough of Rarity’s malicious intents for one day and didn’t want any more thrown at her.
“Hey, Twilight, where are you going?” Rarity asked, watching her leave the room.
“I’m going to check up on him…” Twilight called, still a little annoyed at her. “…he could have woken up by now.”
“Well, be sure to say hi for me.” Rarity said, as Twilight groaned in frustration as she trotted towards the kitchen, deciding to give the pony a meal so that he wouldn’t have an empty stomach once he woke up.
Sharpe looked around the bloody streets of the town, as bodies of both red and blue piled up in every corner. They had made the charge down the slopes of the ridge and into the town of Fuentos de Oro, where a brutal battle of hand to hand combat ensued. Earlier, reserves from the 74th, 45th, and 88th Connaught Ranger charged down towards the town, in hopes of rescuing it from the French onslaught. Although they managed to hold them off at first, theirs initial success was bogged down by French Reinforcements. In order to save both the battle and himself, as Sharpe was about to face a court inquiry, he managed to convince his superior, Col. Runciman, to reinforce the British forces with his Light company and Real Compania Irlandesa.
Now, as the French started to fall back and leave the town, Sharpe watched from their side as the enemy stumbled down the stream and back towards their lines. The mass of blue, that only hours before were attacking them, now fell back as they helped their injured comrades cross the water.
The British soldiers cheered at their victory, while taunting the enemy as the fell back. Some sporadic shots were taken, but no reply came. The enemy was beaten and was not going to come back soon. Instead of shooting back, they tried their best to get away from the fighting. Their officers desperately tried to rally them and continue the fight, but their spirit was broken. They were tired and defeated, with little ammunition left to shoot.
Watching the French officers swing their swords and push the men back, Sharpe’s eyes fell on one particular man. Wearing a grey coat made out of wolf’s fur, the man stood above a broken bridge as he tried to urge the retreating French back into the fight. He shouted at the men and pushed them, but none of them would turn back and face the British.
Staring at the man, Sharpe knew who he was. The man who was notorious to the guerilleros and feared by all in France, Brigadier General Loup. Known to kill both fighters and civilians, Sharpe and his men manage to capture two of his men, when they were committing acts of atrocities on a small Spanish village. Feeling sick and disgusted, Sharpe ordered the execution of both, bringing him on list of Loup’s enemies, as he swore to kill Sharpe at all cost.
He already tried once and Sharpe knew that this man wouldn’t stop unless he killed him first. So without hesitation, Sharpe moved towards the stream’s bank, swords at hand and ready to kill the man who has killed so many innocent lives.
“Loup! Loups you bloody bastard!” He shouted, charging the man as he prepared to swing his sword and finish what he began.
Loup turned his head towards the rifleman as he watched him approach. Sharpe could feel the cold dead eye stare at him and knew that it wouldn’t do so in a few moments after he was done with him.
He was about to swing his sword at the man when he felt a searing sharp pain hit his chest, causing him to fall and hit the soft dirt of the stream’s bank. The intensity of the pain caused him to drop his sword and stare up at the sky, as he groaned in annoyance.
“Loup, you cheating bastard.” He muttered under his breath.
A shadow soon hovered above him, soon to be followed by the face of the brutal French man, who was now looking down at him, with sweet pleasure plastered on his face.
“I’m sorry, Captain, but a man must do everything to exact his revenge.” Loup said, with delight in his voice. He then pointed his fully loaded pistol at Sharpe and aimed for the head.
“I hope you understand.” He said, before pressing the trigger.
The last thing Sharpe saw was a flash of bright light, as the gun ignited, and a dreadful pain on his forehead.
***
“Aaaaaaaaa!” Sharpe screamed in utter horror, as he tossed the blanket on top of him and shot his eyes open. The dream he had was all too real and graphic, a terrible nightmare of his own death. The blood, the pain, the awful shot, and his untimely demise. All shown in one terrible dream, a dream ended with him dead on the banks of the stream near Fuentos de Oro.
But that was all that, he assured himself, only a dream. Nothing more but a figment of his cruel imagination as it continues to torture him. None of it was real, he was safe and alive. Sleeping on the soft bed, inside the nice cool room of… Wait a minute, where was he? He didn’t remember spending the night inside a nice room like this where the mattress was as soft as the clouds. So where in the world was he?
Quickly straightening himself up and looking around, he was shocked to see that the walls of this room were made out of some kind of crystal. Bright and shiny, they twinkled like stars from the light inside the room. If he rented this room in a drunken spree, he was sure that it would have cost him his life earnings. To have crystals for walls? Where did they eyen get this much crystals in the first place?
“Oh, it’s glad to see you awake…again…” A feminine voice said, making Sharpe turn his head to meet it. Facing his head towards the voice, he felt his blood run cold as he saw something that he thought was only a dream.
Standing in the room, all eyes staring at him, were six horses of different colors and physical looks. Their eyes were filled with curiosity, as they gave him a worried smile. Except for the pink one, who was giving him the biggest smile he has ever seen. Wait, smile? Can horses do that?
Remaining silent, because of the shock that hit him, Sharpe looked at every single one. That was when he noticed the one of the horses, the light blue one, was hovering above the floor, as it flapped its wings like a bird.
“That’s it…” Sharpe muttered to himself. “…this is either another weird dream or I am drunk.” He reminded himself not to let Harper give him too much to drink during their after battle celebrations.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t think you’re dreaming, unless me and my friends are in the very same dream with you.” The lavender one said, as she moved closer to him.
“So, this isn’t a dream?” Sharpe said putting his hand on his head, only to see that it was a hoof. Looking down his body, his suspicions were confirmed. He too was a horse. ‘Oh, not again…’ He thought to himself, confirming that his early image of being a horse was not a dream.
“Yeah, everything around you is real.” She said, nodding.
Sharpe looked away from his body and stared at the lavender horse, their eyes locking together. He kept his eyes focused in her, without blinking, as he tried to confirm if she was serious. Under Sharpe’s intimidating gaze, he could tell that she was feeling a little uneasy in front of him.
“So are you telling me that you’re really a talking horse?” He asked.
The lavender horse nodded. “The proper term is pony, but yes, I guess…”
“So, I’m apparently a talking horse too?” He asked, pointing a hoof at himself.
“Again, ‘Pony’, but yes.” She said, trying to hide her annoyance on his persistence on the word horse.
“So I’m a ‘pony’…” He said, thumping his chest with his hoof. “…that somehow talks and has this pointy thing sticking out of my forehead?” He said, acting a little hysterical. The information he was getting was overwhelming for him, as he wondered how he was going to act sane in a situation like this. He was a horse for crying out loud!
The situation was absurd and impossible, making a part of him refuse to believe it. But the voices and the touches felt too real, telling him the situation in front of him was actually happening. How it’s happening, he didn’t know.
Trying to calm himself down, he decided to tackle the situation in a slow and steady way. His usual rash and quick thinking won’t get him out of this situation. Nothing made sense right now, so he must try to gather as much information he can, before formulating something that would get him out of this predicament. That is, if he could get himself out of it.
Sighing and swearing under his breath, he buried his face on his hooves. The suddenness of this situation was bringing too much stress to him, as he felt the headache return.
Noticing this, the lavender pony approached him and put a hoof on his shoulder.
“Maybe you want to discuss this over some tea?” She asked. “I also got some cookies if you like.” She added, as she gave him a small smile.
Looking up at her, Sharpe tried his best to return the smile. “Some tea would be nice…” He said, knowing the warm liquid could calm down his nerves. “But I would need something stronger once this is over…” He added, hoping these ponies drink Brandy.
***
Sharpe watched as a tray of cookies and tea was levitated in front of him and gently placed on top of the table. He was amazed at the sight of having an object float in thin air, without anything pulling it up. At first he thought it was impossible, that it was some sort of trick of the eye, and then he remembered his current predicament of being a pony and concluded that some things here were just possible.
“How are you doing that?” He asked, giving the lavender colored pony a puzzled look.
“How am I doing what?” She asked as she took a sit next to him.
“That levitating thing, how are you doing it?”
“You mean this.” She said, levitating a cup of tea, engulfing the cup with a purple aura. “Why magic of course. Any unicorn can do it, even you.”
“Even me?” He said, looking confused.
“Of course…” The white pony who sat next to her said. “…have you forgotten that you are a unicorn? Or even worse, have you forgotten how to use magic.” She concluded her sentence with a dramatic gasp, as she looked towards her friend. “Twilight, is it possible that he suffered amnesia? Maybe he was knocked down by something and forgot all of his memories.”
“Well, it is possible…” The pony named Twilight said, as she thought it over. “…but a simple test would be able to answer our suspicions.” She then turned her attention back to Sharpe.
“Are you having troubles with your memory?” She asked. “You know, like forgetting your name of something.”
“No, mam, I think I remember everything that has happened to me.” He said, in a polite manner. Seeing that these ponies were kind to him, he might as well return the favor. Even though he was no gentleman in his life, it didn’t mean he didn’t know how to act kindly to others.
“Alright, let’s put that to do test. You wouldn’t mind if I ask you some questions, would you?” She asked. Sharpe shook his head. “Good. So, if you do remember everything, what is your name, where do you live, and what is your job. There, seems basic enough.” Without hesitation, Sharpe quickly answered the questions thrown at him. It’s not like it was too difficult.
“Well, my name is Richard Sharpe. I currently live with the British army, if you consider that proper place to live that is, and as for my job, I am currently the Captain of the Light Company of the South Essex Regiment.” He said, taking pride at the last part. It took him grate difficulty to get and keep his command of the Light Company. But after a countless amount of struggles, he can finally say that he was the proud commander of the Light Company of the South Essex.
“You see, I told you that he was a member of the Royal Guard!” The light blue pony said, as she hovered off to the side.
The Royal Guard? Sharpe doubted it if he was Royal Guard material. With all the shiny boots and neat uniforms the House Guards wore, Sharpe, who had no title and wore a ragged uniform, would not be allowed near the Guard, let alone a member of it. So what made her think that he was a part of it?
“Now, mam, I can assure you that I am not a member of the Royal Guard.” He said, waving it off.
“Oh, yeah? Then explain that sword we found next to you.” She said, with a smug look on her face.
“Sword, what sword?” He asked, curious to see what she was talking about. Could it be his swords? The old cavalry swords that he carried throughout the long campaigns in Portugal and Spain. The sword that helped him win almost every battle he fought.
“Why that swords over there.” Twilight said, pointing towards the table on the other side of the room. “We found it along with some other objects that we thought were yours.”
Feeling the need to see if it was truly his sword, he immediately got up and head towards the table. He managed to trot towards it without stumbling down on his stomach. At first, walking on all fours seemed odd and strange, ending with him falling on his belly. But after a couple of goes, the quick learning Sharpe managed to get the hang of it and he was soon walking on all four hooves.
Standing in front of the table, he looked down to see a sight that made him smile in happiness. He felt a sudden rush of joy, as he was relieved to see the objects that he considered precious to him. On table was his sword, the 1796 pattern heavy cavalry sword, was known for being heavy yet powerful in battle. Sharpe considered the sword as his pride and joy and he was happy to see it with him, in this strange new world.
Along with his sword was his Baker Rifle, one of the most accurate weapons in the British Army, as well as its ammunition pack and power horn. Sharpe knew that he had at least sixty cartridges in the pack, while he had the powder horn filled to the brim with gunpowder, in case he needed to adjust the amount for his rifle.
Finally, the last three things on the table were his pack, rifleman’s jacket and his cap, which had the symbol of the 95th Rifles stitched in front of it. These two pieces of clothing showed to the world that he was no ordinary soldier, but a Rifleman. Someone who has been chosen for his skills and abilities. These to facts made him proud every time he wore his uniform, for the green jacketed rifles were one of the best units in Wellington’s army. ‘First on the field and last of it.’
Moving his hoof towards the sword, he brought it towards the handle when he realized one problem.
“You got to be kidding me.” He groaned in annoyance, as he realized that it would almost be impossible to use the sword with hooves for hands. Sure, he was able to grab the swords and carry it, but it was almost impossible to swing it or trot around with it on his hooves. Might as well use it as a mantel piece, seeing that it was basically useless without hands. But wait, how did ponies use their swords? Surely they are able to use them, seeing that they know what a sword is. Sharpe would bet forty shillings that they use it with their ‘magic’.
“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked, as she moved up to stand beside him.
“It’s this bloody hooves!” He exclaimed, waving his right hoof in front of her. “You can barely do anything with them except trot and pick things up.” With a groan filled with frustration, he slammed his hoof on the floor and sighed. “I wish I had my hands instead of these useless things.”
“Wait, did you say hands?” Twilight asked, giving him a puzzled look.
“Yeah, hands…” He said, still annoyed at his hooves. “…you know, complete with five fingers each.”
“Oh, no, Twilight!” The white pony exclaimed as she looked at Twilight. “He’s starting to talk like Lyra!”
“Who?” Sharpe asked, raising an eyebrow as he switched glances at the two.
“She’s talking about Lyra.” Twilight explained. “Just some silly pony who believes humans are real. Somehow she is obsessed with them and she keep talking about hands and stuff like that…”
“But humans are real.” Sharpe said, before pointing at himself. “I’m a human.”
“Umm, are you sure? Because you look like a pony to me.” She said, confused at Sharpe’s remark.
Sharpe snorted as he shook his head. “Well, I might look like a pony right now, but I can assure you that I was a human. For some reason, which I don’t know why, I find myself here, as a pony.”
“I don’t know…” Twilight said, not convinced to what he was saying. From her point of view, Sharpe looked like a crazy pony who was talking about nonsense.
Sharpe had to convince her that he really was a human, trapped in a pony’s body, but how? If he tried explaining things to her, she would just think he’s crazy. There had to be another way. Something that would really convince her that he was telling the truth. That was when he got an idea.
“Twilight, that’s your name right, Twilight. Anyways, you want proof right? Well how about you look through that pack over there and pull out a coin.” He said, knowing that his pack was filled with coins, coins that he earned through fighting.
“Alright…” Twilight said, giving him an uneasy glare, as she used her magic to open the pack. She then pulled out a coin and levitated it out. “…but I don’t know how a coin can convince me…”
She stopped midway through her sentence as she gasped at the engraving of the coin. Staring at the coin, she couldn’t believe was she was seeing.
On the face of the coin was the image of a strange looking creature, which had a weird looking face and long hair. Although Twilight wasn’t obsessed with humans, it still didn’t mean she didn’t know how one looked. ‘Georgius III DEI GRACIA’ it read. Sharpe, who saw the shocked expression on her face, looked at her with a smug grin.
“Convinced now?” He asked, as she slowly nodded in reply.
Staring at Sharpe, Twilight kept her eyes locked on him as she examined the green unicorn for any falter in his expression. But the Sharpe kept a straight face, not changing his expression, as he stared back at the alicorn. The two were sitting once again, with all of Sharpe’s valuables lying on a nearby table. The coin, which was foreign to their world and held symbols unfamiliar to her, was still under her magic’s grasp, as she levitated it beside her. Sure, it could be fake, but that still doesn’t explain the weird contraption he had. Besides from a quick magical scan she made, the coin was made out of silver, which was very expensive in Equestria. If this was some kind of prank, then this is one expensive prank.
A scan of Sharpe’s body also showed that he had high doses of magic all over him. This could have been the cause of his earlier state, knocking him out of consciousness. Twilight knew, from all her studies, that doses this high could only mean a high level spell. It was as if he was transported from one place to another. Or maybe, one dimension to another?
Breaking away from her stare, she glanced towards the coin before looking back at Sharpe.
“So you’re telling me that you were a human.” She asked, in an investigative tone. She wanted to make sure if he was really telling the truth or if this was just one elaborative prank.
“Yup.” Sharpe said cooly.
“From another world.” “She said, raising her eyebrow.
Yes, mam.” He said, nodding.
“Who somehow ended up in our world?”
“Seems to be right.”
Twilight’s face suddenly lit up, as she began to bombard him with questions. A human from another world! She had so much to ask him, so many questions she wanted answered.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” She said, excitedly, making Sharpe feel uncomfortable. She was practically bouncing in excitement. “I got a real life creature from another world with me! There are so many questions I want to ask. What does your world look like? Do humans really walk on two legs? What do you humans eat? Who moves your sun and moon? How many species live in your world? Do you have a book about…”
Twilight manage to speak in a speed that would make Pinkie proud.
She said all of those questions so quickly that it started to make Sharpe feel dizzy. He could feel the pain from his headache return once more, as the torrent of questions continued. Putting a hoof on his forehead, he tried to ignore the pain but found it too hard.
So caught up with the questions and possibilities that were ragging in her head, Twilight failed to notice his distress.
Luckily for him, Applejack, who was sitting nearby, noticed this and decided to cease the bombardment of question.
“Hey, uh, Sugar cube. I think you should lay down on the questions for a while. Our partner over here is still trying to recover, remember?”
“Yes, I agree with Applejack, dear.” Rarity said, nodding. “Besides, you’re starting to sound like Lyra, with all this questions about humans.”
“Hey!” She exclaimed. “I do not sound like Lyra!” She said it as if it was an insult. With Lyra’s theories about humans, most ponies in Ponyville thought that she was crazy. But with a human turned pony in front of them, Twilight started to think that they owed her an apology.
“Really? Because the only thing that is coming out of your mouth is humans, humans, humans.” Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes.
Twilight grunted and shook her head. Turning her head to face Sharp, she gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry about that, I guess I got carried away…” She said. “…do you want us to take you back to bed, so that you can get some rest?”
“Yeah…” Shrape said, nodding slowly. “…my head feels like it was thrown in a canon and shot out of it.” He tried to rub the pain away, but found it hard with the use of hooves.
“Did somepony say canon? Because I got a party canon right over here!” Pinkie exclaimed, pulling out her party canon. Sharpe was actually surprised when he saw this, wondering what kind of trickery was happening. How was she able to get that out of thin air? That was impossible! Then again…he was a pony in a world of magic.
Pinkie was about to ignite the canon and let confetti fly out of its muzzle, but was stopped by Twilight.
“Maybe another day, Pinkie.” She said. “Our guest here is in no shape for a party and needs his rest.”
“Okie dokie.” Pinkie said grinning, as she nodded her head. “At least it will give me more time to plan for his ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party and his ‘Welcome to Equestria’ party.” With that, the pink pony bounced off, leaving the room to make her preparations.
“I swear, that pony never gets tired of parties.” Applejack said, shaking her head as she watched Pinkie leave.
“Well that’s Pinkie being Pinkie for you.” Twilight said, shrugging it off. “Now come on, let’s help Mr. Sharpe get back to his room, so he can get more rest.”
“Please…” Sharpe said. “…just call me Sharpe.”
***
Sharpe stood on the balcony, looking around the new landscape he was in. The town was peaceful at night and was a drastic change to the regular setting that he was accustomed to. Instead of a town filled with soldiers, trying to keep warm and safe, the village was quiet and calming, with its inhabitants safely within their wooden homes. The streets were almost empty at night, with no one but the cool breeze patrolling the area.
It was such a strange and foreign sight to him, yet it was also relaxing and comforting.
He had been in the army most of his life, spending another good portion at war. He has seen many horrors, fought many enemies, and survived every challenge and battle thrown at him. This made him tough and ready for anything that happens. His experience made him deadly in battle and weary of anything that looked out of place.
But in a world as peaceful for this, he felt out of place. Everyone seemed so friendly and trusting. It was strange to have everyone so kind, but it was also welcoming at the same time.
With all the troubles he has seen and all the battle he fought, to be able to rest in a place that is as peaceful as this was a gift from heaven. Although he knew that his place was back in the army, were scoundrel like him rot till their death, this new world was something that he always dreamed off.
The army gave him his home and kept him alive, but it also tried to kill him and disgrace him. But no matter how much it tried, Sharpe continued to trek on, knowing that he had no choice. It was a fight for survival and it was one that he was growing tired off.
Officers who bought their own rank, rubbing their wealth in front of him, while getting their men killed. It was outrageous! Time and time again, Sharpe found that most of his enemies came from those in the British side, instead of those in the French side.
But that didn’t mean the French were his friend, as his country’s enemies also tried to kill him. Men like Loup, who use terror and deceit to fight his enemies, killing the innocent to scare anyone who gets in his way.
These were the people he had to fight off, the ones he killed to keep others alive. But now, in this place of peace and talking ponies, they were nothing but a memory. They could not bother him here, nor touch him. They were not here, yet he was, in a place of peace.
But once he returns, he would face the same old problem. The same old rotten life, with man killing man, greed controlling the weak minded, and stupidity leading to the death of thousands. He didn’t know if he could stand it again.
Sighing, he shook his head. Even in another world, the terrors of war continue to haunt him.
The sound of hooves attracted his attention, as he turned around to see Twilight behind him. With a small smile on her face, she moved up next to him.
“Well it looks like somepony likes spending his time admiring the night.” She concluded. “Princess Luna would be happy to learn that.”
“Princess Luna?” Sharpe asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Oh, I forgot, I happened acquainted you with the Princesses.” She muttered. “Got to put a mental note for that one.” She then turned back to face Sharpe, only to see that troubled look on his face.
“Hey what’s wrong?” She asked.
Sharpe hesitated for a moment, not knowing if he should tell her. But the caring look on her face and the worried tone on her voice soon got to him.
“It’s just…” He said. “…this place. It feels so peaceful and calm. It’s very different from where I came from.” He shook his head and sighed once more. This place was what he always wanted, away from war, yet he knew that he would have to go back in the end.
“Let me guess, you’re homesick?” Twilight said, putting a wing on his back as she tried to comfort her guess. She could see the sad expression and was worried about this.
“Not really…” He said, shaking his head. “…in fact, I actually feel more at home here, than from where I came from. You are all kind and accepting, despite the fact that I’m a complete stranger.”
Back in the army, he was an officer, but despite his commission, most officers did not consider him as a gentleman and usually shunned him away. But his rank also meant that he was not an ordinary soldier anymore, creating a gap between his men and him. This basically put him out of place. A long time ago, he considered the army his home, but as the years passed, it started to become less and less like home, and more and more like prison, where they exhaust his skills.
From what he has observed, the only time others were kind to him were during the moments before a great task. The army was using Sharpe, using his great feats and capabilities to do the job, knowing that he will accomplish it, no matter what, before burying him in the dirt in the end. They were just using him till he was dead.
But ever since he got here, everyone seemed to be kind and polite to him. Helping him and taking care of him. For some reason, he felt accepted in this kind place. He felt a homely feeling that he hasn’t felt before.
Having lived a terrible life, from the orphanage to the army, he had never seemed to find a place where he can be at peace. But here, despite the strangeness of the place, he felt at home.
“Well…” Twilight said, thinking. “…you know what they always say, ‘Home is where the heart is’.”
“What?” He asked, looking towards her.
“Well you know…” She said, trying to explain it to him. “…home is a place where you want to be, not where you should be. If you feel welcomed in one, compared to any other place, then it means that you belong there, despite who you are.”
Sharpe smiled nodding, as he understood what she was trying to tell him. Home was not just a place, it was somewhere were you feel you belong.
Seeing his happy expression, Twilight smiled and removed her wing from his back. She then trotted back towards the castle and away from the balcony.
“Now come on, you still need you’re rest. I don’t think you’re supposed to stay up this late.”
“Yeah, coming, coming…” Sharpe said, shaking his head. Giving one last glance to the landscape before him, he went back inside.
Whether they are able to get him back or not, Sharpe felt that this was his new home.
Sharpe entered the kitchen, satisfied to have finally have found it after a long search. After spending most of the morning trying to locate the kitchen, he was really glad to be able to have finally found it. This castle was just huge and it was impossible to memorize the entire place in one go. With a castle so large and complex, it would take Sharpe a map before he can properly navigate through the place. Even then he might still encounter problems, knowing that map reading wasn’t one of the best skills he had. He was better off leaving a trail, so that he could just follow it around.
“Oh, good morning, Sharpe.” Twilight said, as she saw the green unicorn enter. “I trust that you had a good night’s sleep.”
“Yeah, but I did encounter a problem on making my way through the place.” Sharpe inquired. “Probably got lost a couple of times.”
“Tell me about it. We have been here for week and I still get lost sometimes.” Spike, the purple dragon said as he passed by. Sharpe was actually surprised when he first encountered the dragon and was actually amazed on how small he was. But Twilight did in from him that he was still a baby dragon and that seeing him grown up wouldn’t be pleasant for anyone, especially with the greedy tendencies of dragons.
“Now which way was it again to the library.” Spike thought out loud, knowing that he had to arrange the books today.
“Go straight ahead and make a right, you’ll find it right over there.” Sharpe told him, remembering the library’s position when he went by it.
Sharpe was awed to see so many books in one gigantic room, with shelves packed with hundreds upon hundreds of books and their infinite knowledge. Seeing that this was Twilight’s castle, he concluded that it must have been her private collection. But could anyone, magical pony or not, really read that many books?
Moving towards a table, he took a seat opposite of Twilight and examined the assortment of food that was laid before him. Most of the food there were the one’s Sharpe expected to see on a proper breakfast table. Toast, butter, oats, eggs, and some fruits, with a pot of tea and some milk to wash it all down.
Apparently, most pony meals weren’t all too different from theirs. Well, probably except for the meat part. Unless these were carnivore ponies, which Sharpe highly doubted, seeing that he hasn’t seen a single speck of meat on the table or the kitchen.
Well, he would just have to change his diet, unless he wanted to be run out of town.
Deciding that a nice plate of eggs would be a decent meal to start the day, he moved his hoof towards a nearby fork. But once he grabbed it, he found it flimsy and difficult to control. Sure, he was able to grasp it, which actually amazed him, but controlling it was a different story.
Slowly moving the fork towards the plate of eggs, he gently lowered it so that he would be able to get a large chunk of the protein filled substance. But as he was about to take a scoop, the fork slipped from his hooves and fell, causing Sharpe to frown.
He tried to pick it up again, but found difficulty on trying to retrieve the fork. Sharpe was starting to learn that hooves weren’t the most effective tools on picking up objects.
“Oh, come on!” Sharpe, exclaimed, as the fork fell from his grasp again. It was starting to become more and more frustrating, as every attempt led to failure, and failure was something Sharpe was not accustomed to. “How are you even able to eat with these things?”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot…” Twilight said, with a sheepish look on her face, as she watch Sharpe’s temper rise. “…you still don’t know how to use your magic… “
Magic was something that was vital for unicorns, as it helped them do almost every task in a more convenient manner. Seeing how he was having trouble using his hooves, Twilight knew that Sharpe would be grateful once he learned magic.
But teaching it to him would be a difficult job. For somepony who hasn’t experienced magic in his entire life, the task would be equivalent to teaching a foal to levitate their first object, if not even more difficult.
“Well, I guess a magic lesson is in order, the sooner the better.”
“Yeah…” Sharpe snorted. “…unless you want me to starve to death…”
“Oh, don’t be such a grumpy old pony…” She said with a giggle. “…try eating the toast instead, it’s much easier to grasp with your hooves. Unless you want me to spoon feed you?”
That last line really put a punch on his pride.
With eyes wide open and growing red from embarrassment, Sharpe pushed away her suggestion and grabbed the toast. After a couple of tries, he managed to hold on to it and get at least something in his stomach.
“Try to eat as much as you can, because I’m going to teach you how to use magic right after breakfast.” Twilight said, taking pride that she was going to teach somepony about magic. Sharing her vast knowledge and skills was something that always made her happy and proud.
Sharpe ate a couple more slices of toast till he was satisfied. It was nice and crunchy, while it’s warmth gave it a nice add to flavor. Back in Spain, food this good were usually reserved for officers of high rank and it was good to finally taste something that was better than the rations that the army supplied them.
Feeling full and beaming with energy, Sharpe knew that he was ready to tackle the day’s challenge. But little did he know, learning magic was just as difficult as fighting a French Grenadier.
***
Standing inside one of the many large rooms of the castle, Sharpe poured all his mental strength to finish the task given to him. Right in front of him, on top of a small table, was a pillow, which he was assigned to lift with his magic. Twilight decided that they should start with something simple, so she chose a pillow, since it was light enough to lift, while at the same time soft and harmless, in case he accidentally flung it across the room.
But right now, the chances of him flinging around something were zero, since he could barely lift the object from the table. Despite his best, he just couldn’t figure out how he was able to use this so called ‘magic’.
Earlier, Twilight explained to him how a unicorn is able to use magic and how he would be able to use his mental skills to transform it to some kind of magical action. The conversation became very technical and all the data and explanations actually confused Sharpe. The process of casting magic seemed more complicated than reloading a rifle.
By the time the lecture was over and the time of application came, Sharpe was left baffled on what he should do.
So he tried his best, concentrating his attention to the pillow and trying to make whatever part of his unicorn brain do the lifting. He kept his eyes focused as he starred at the pillow, waiting for a glow of magic to lift it up from the table.
But no matter how much he tried, the pillow stayed there, still on top of the table. Whatever he was doing, it was obvious that he was doing something wrong.
No matter how hard he concentrated and no matter how hard he tried, no magic was coming out of his horn.
“This is impossible!” He said, stomping his hoof on the floor, as he let out a frustrated grunt. He didn’t have enough patience for this and ever attempt was making him more and more annoyed. Learning to use magic was hard and stressful, but if he didn’t do it, then he would be left with nothing but the use of his hooves.
“Oh, don’t give up now.” Twilight said, trying to urge him on. “I’m sure you would get it sooner or later. How about you take a break first and we’ll try again later.” She then levitated a glass of water from the tray she brought earlier and offered it to him. “Care for a drink?”
Sharpe, who was parched from the earlier exercise, decided to accept it. His head already hurt from the meticulous concentrating and he could feel that his throat was dry. He felt incredibly thirsty and the nice glass of water would do a good job of quenching it.
With a quick nod, Sharpe moved towards Twilight to accept the drink.
Unconsciously, Sharpe managed to pick up the glass with his magic, surrounding it with a blue aura, and levitate it before taking in a large gulp of water. He was so thirsty and the water was so refreshing, that he failed to notice his achievement. His need to drink must have triggered something inside him, making the use of magic possible. It just came naturally, without him even noticing the difference. With eyes closed from the refreshing drink, he took long gulps as he unconsciously conducted magic.
He kept on drinking the water, ignoring the fact that he was levitating the cup.
But Twilight, who was standing in front of him, managed to see this feat, and had her eyes wide in surprise. She stared at him, as he drank from the glass, holding it with his magic.
Eventually, she shook off her initial surprise as a grin drew on her face. Happy for his achievement, she let out a squeal of joy and excitement as she tried to draw his attention.
“Sharpe, you did it. You did it!” She told him in a cheerful tone. “You’re finally doing it. Look, you’re levitating that glass of water!”
This caught Sharpe’s attention, as he began to wonder what she was babbling about.
Opening his eyes to see what Twilight was talking about; Sharpe was surprised to see that she was indeed telling the truth, as he saw the glass of water in front of him. He stared at it with wide eyes as he realized that he was levitating the glass with his magic. This caused a surge of both amazement and shock to pass through Sharpe, causing him to spit out the water he was drinking as it almost choked him.
He let out a cough or two as he dropped the glass, which was quickly caught by Twilight, as she grabbed it with her own magic and gently placed it back on top of the tray.
She then moved towards Sharpe, concerned about the unicorn’s state after the initial shock.
“Oh, my gosh, Sharpe. Are you alright?” She asked, moving closer towards him.
Sharpe, looking up after his coughing feat, managed to nod.
“Yeah…” He said. “…I think so…”
Suddenly it hit him. He could do magic. He could finally do magic!
“Wait…I just managed to levitate that….” He murmured. “I…I manage to do magic…”
“Indeed you did.” Twilight said, nodding. “Looks like all you needed was a little motivation, just like the urge to drink. Hmm, well magic does involve a lot of psychological factors.”
Moving towards the pillow, Sharpe tried to repeat the process. When he was levitating the glass, it felt like he was using some kind of invisible hand. So he decided to try it and see if it would work again.
Imagining that he had some sort of invisible hand, he concentrated on the pillow and closed his eyes, hopping that his idea would work. He imagined that he was grasping the pillow and slowly lifting it up.
Slowly his eyes, he was met with the decent sight of the pillow levitating in front of him, covered in a blue aura that he assumed was his magical force. It was an amazing sight and Sharpe still couldn’t believe that he was doing it.
He moved the pillow left and right, trying to get a little more feel on his new abilities. It really felt like an invisible arm and hand, as he moved it around the same way he would move an arm. Well, at least he wouldn’t have to deal with the use of his hooves on forks.
In fact, he could do a lot more than just that. There was a whole array of possibilities he could do with his magic, he would just have to ask Twilight for advice on learning them.
But right now, there was only one thought, which lingered in his head, on what he should use his magic for. With flexible and stable control of his magic, he wanted to test if it was useful for something he wanted to do.
Barging out of the room, he raced through the maze of halls, as he headed towards his room, where his rifle and belonging lay.
“Hey, wait up!” Twilight exclaimed, chasing after him and wondering what he was up to.
Sharpe and Twilight hid behind the bushes, keeping low as they were covered by the shrubbery around them. Sharpe tried to keep low, as he urged Twilight to do the same, so that it would be difficult to spot the two of them from their position. Sharpe kept his rifle close to him, his hoof gently caressing the wooden material of the stock. Scanning the ground in front of them, Sharpe could see a nice open field, with green and fertile grass and without a single obstruction that could possibly block his view. Perfect hunting grounds for a marksman like him. He could see the grass blades sway from the cool breeze and with that, he could adjust his shots and compensate for the wind direction.
Twilight, who was lying beside him, was very confused on what he was trying to achieve. He had dragged her all across town with the intent of showing her how his weird contraption work, but during their entire time here, they did nothing but lay on the ground and hide behind the bushes, with him staring at the field in front of them, staring blankly thought the tall grass as if he was looking at something she could not see.
She didn’t know whether this was some sort of human tradition or that Sharpe was completely and utterly insane.
But Sharpe wasn’t insane, for he knew perfectly well what he was doing. Keeping silent, he concentrated on his senses, using it to his advantage. He could sense the environment around him and could hear the gently hops of the small creatures that lived there. Keeping his eyes closed, he listened to the sounds, trying to calculate where they went and how far they were.
He learned this skills of listening after spending long hours waiting, being patient as his target walked right in front of him. After surviving in a country where food was hard to get by, no thanks to the Supply Corps, hunting was a skill that he immediately learned.
To be able to sense the environment around you was key to survival back in Spain, because it meant you can keep you belly full after a long day of fighting, as well as helping you figure out where the enemy was during an ambush.
The sound of tiny paws moving closer attracted his attention, as his ears perked up and a grin grew on his face.
Moving his rifle forward, he gave it one last check before grasping it with his magic.
Sharpe had already loaded the rifle, using his new ability with magic. The complex prose of loading the rifle had already been engraved in his head. Taking a paper cartridge, pouring a little on the plate before pouring the remaining contents in the barrel, then pacing the ball before ramming it home. It may seem hard and complicated for a new recruit, but for a veteran like Sharpe, the process was as easy as putting on your shoes. The process of reloading had been drilled over and over, till he could do it in his sleep.
With magic, the process seemed the same, although he was slightly slower than usual, but a couple of sessions of practicing it would most likely solve the problem.
Now, with the rifle loaded and ready, he pulled back on the hammer, using his magic, before lifting the rifle next to his face and looking down its sights. His hold was still a little shaky, but it seemed good enough, especially at the range he was currently at. So he tried to keep his aim straight as best he could, as his target loomed in front.
Right in front of him, just a couple of yards away, was his target, a white rabbit that was hopping around and sniffing the world around it. Sharpe had seen rabbit bigger than that one, but he didn’t care. It wasn’t like he was going to eat it, since he couldn’t. The rabbit would just be a test, on whether he could shoot a living, and moving, object with the use of magic instead of hands. A good rifleman must always make sure that his skills are sharp and steady, and this simple test would gladly prove it for him.
Slowing down his breath, he tried to keep his aim steady as he kept his sights on his target. He watched the surrounding grass, trying to compensate for the blow of the wind, knowing that it could possibly steer away the bullet as it flew towards its target.
Like he did all so many times ago, he concentrated on his prey, waiting for the perfect time to strike.
Now, Sharpe wasn’t the best rifleman in his company, since the title went to Hagman and his marksmanship, but he did consider himself as a pretty good shot. Although he could pull out great feats of sniping, he could still hit a target in a fairly good distance and in good conditions.
Twilight, who was watching his actions, was finally relieved to see him use the contraption. She watched him look through the long barrel and concluded that it must have been some kind of ranged weapon, as it had sights and mechanisms that could prove her theory. But as she watched him, she couldn’t help but grow curios at what he was aiming at. Last time she checked there wasn’t any significant target he could properly use for target practice, so where was he pointing his weapon? Was he just aiming at nothing but the air or was there something his sights were pointing at.
Deciding that there was only one way to find out, moved a little closer to him and gazed towards the general direction that he was looking at. But once she did, her eyes grew wide as panic hit her.
“Wait, Sharpe, no!” She exclaimed in her panic, nudging him hard to try and prevent him from doing anything.
But her action surprised him, as her action threw off his aim as well as causing him to pull his magic on the trigger while the rifle was pointed slightly away from his target.
The loud exploding sounds of the rifle going off surprised Twilgiht, as she covered her ears and yelped in panic. With her close proximity to the weapon, the sounds of it going off caused a ringing sound to echo in her ears as she was temporarily deafened.
Sharpe, who was use to the sound of the rifle firing, was unfazed by it, as he only let out a growl of frustration. Looking back towards the direction of the rabbit, he could see it scatter from fright, as the sudden misfire of his rifle scared it off. He sighed in frustration, shaking his head, knowing that his prey was now gone.
Turning his attention to the cause of this, he stared at Twilight, as she started to regain her hearing. “Can you kindly explain to me what that was for?” He asked, trying to hide the frustration in his voice. Although he was slightly angry at her, the gentleman within him didn’t want to bring the full fury of his short temper on the poor girl.
Sharpe expected a sheepish explanation from her, seeing that Twilight was a kind and gentle pony, who didn’t seem to have to get angry quickly. So you would imagine his surprise, when she suddenly lashed out at him, angry at his actions.
“You want me to explain? I think you should be doing the explaining here.” She said, her voice filled with anger, fear, and panic. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if she hadn’t intervened, knowing all too well that a weapon that could make a sound that loud would be something that was deadly to anypony who it was aimed at. Her worries started to gather up inside her, as her body shook as she thought of the possible events that would have had unfold if things went differently.
“Me?” He asked confused. “Why me?”
“Yes you.” She said, standing up and looking down at him. “Didn’t you know what you were aiming at?”
“Yeah, a little rabbit.” He stated. “What’s wrong with hunting some rabbit?” He asked, still not getting the point of her anger.
“Hunting? What are you a Griffon or something? We don’t hunt for food here in Equestria! We don’t need to and we don’t want to, it’s too cannibalistic.”
“I know, I know…” He said. “…but I wasn’t planning to eat the little bugger. I was just hunting it for fun. You know, for the thrill of stalking it and testing you’re skill at aiming. Like a sport!”
“For fun?” She said, staring at him as she slightly backed away, not sure if she should trust somepony who hunted for fun. “Sharpe, whatever you had planned is taboo here. Nopony in Equestria would dare hunt, especially doing it for fun. You’ll be viewed as a monster if you do that.”
“A monster?” He growled the words, feeling that it was an insult to him and his pride. But as he played the words inside his head, he began to wonder if she was right. Sure, it was completely normal for humans to hunt for sport, but for ponies, it was something unthinkable. It wasn’t that he turned into a monster, as it was that he was a monster for being who he was.
With half his life spent with killing his foes and slaughtering his enemies, his life had been nothing but gunpowder, blades, and blood. A soldier may have been trained to kill, but as they kill more and more, they grow addicted to it till they couldn’t stop. It becomes a part of their life, till they couldn’t get enough of it.
He may bear the appearance of a pony, but he still had the knowledge and instinct of a human. He might look the part, but he still had the thinking of a foreign creature. A creature that would have scared all of the ponies if they knew of the things that they have done. A creature that was in a way, a monster.
Looking down, he felt depressed at the thought as he realized that he was a monster in a foreign world. He shouldn’t be here and knew that he wouldn’t be wanted, especially when they learn of his past.
“Maybe I am a monster.” He muttered, to himself knowing that it might be true.
Twilight, seeing the sad expression on Sharpe’s face, decided to approach him. She didn’t mean to insult him, but she somehow managed to do that with her short outburst. Her words must have hit deep within him, as she felt his sadness.
“Now, now, don’t go sad on me like that.” She said, trying to comfort him. “Listen, I didn’t really mean what I said; it was just sudden burst of expression. I tend to do that when I panic and I would like to apologize. “
“No, Twilight, I think I should be the one apologizing. I should have known better than to act foolishly like that.” Sharpe said, knowing that it was mostly his fault.
“Look, I know you didn’t really mean what you did, so I’m going to cut you a deal, I’m going to teach you on what you can and can’t do here. I’ll tell you everything about our world, so that you would be able to understand you’re surrounding and be a part of our community. You’re no monster, Sharpe, but just another lost soul. So, what do you say?”
Sharpe looked up and stared at her. Despite accusing him as a monster, she seemed to be giving him a chance. Not only that, but she also offered to teach him about this strange new world. To allow him to learn more about it and to be a member of the community.
He wasn’t sure if she believed her own words or was just saying all that to make him feel better. But as he looked at her eyes, he could see the flame of compassion and forgiveness. Maybe she was giving her a chance to integrate himself. A chance to seize this new world and forget his past.
