//------------------------------// // Part 1 // Story: Sterling // by Roan //------------------------------// STERLING FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC LOVE IS ELECTRIC Twilight. Daybreak. That would be the time if there were any opposition to the emanations of the artificial sun orbiting Cyrias, the planet this particular story begins on. The tale of a single skirmish, in contrast to a whole war. We could talk about the entire conflict, but all we need to know is the cassas for now. Five hundred years ago, humanity was enticed by the fantasy of independent space travel. With the idea of individuals making an excursion into the void dashed before any attempts could even be made on that front, droves of people pushed for the possibility of groups, as small as families, to have the option to travel the cosmos. The general public found out eventually that such a thing would never be possible. Humanity yet hoped for a chance to grasp the stars. That's when they came. Giegamurs, "Eaters of the Dead." Reapers. They offered spacious nirvana to an avaricious and cynical race. Blinded by our own ambition, we We took their offer. The price: the death of two thirds of the human population, dead, overnight. They took the richest, the most capable of being received, of humanity and brought them to Cyrias. Today, we’ll see a divergence from this tale of desperation. One man has thrown away just about everything he has ever owned all he held dear, to save the people he loves. Not capable of comprehending the nature of his actions, have written it off as a romp. A romp that has left thousands dead. They claim he has gone mad, they call for him in the hopes that he will face his own persecution. But he can’t have that. He has one last thing to do before they can know what it was all about. A man stood on the a small platform, held in front of a swirling mass made up of waves that appeared to be emanating and absorbing light, facing it and staring right into its heart. He wore a suit, almost completely covered by the graphite like substance that it was made of, notably iridescent and shining in the light of the mass in front of him. His face was shrouded by a tinted visor. His head held atop it a black fedora. The light given off by the ball of energy showed through his suit, in an x-ray like fashion, revealing the silhouette of the wearer. He was missing his right shin, and left forearm, but the suit replaced them with it's own mass. A younger man ran onto the platform, stopping behind the suited man. He had His brown hair was done up in a scruffy mullet, lightly coming off to the sides. He wore a dark grey t-shirt, and a pair of almost neon orange baggy shorts. This was all standard issue for stable dwellers... These were all standard pieces of attire for station dwellers, the only piece of personal flair was a turquoise button keeping a pocket on his pants closed. He was barely past the age of 18. He was barely old enough to shave. "Stop! I won't let you just walk away from the consequences of your actions. You've killed thousands-" "You have no idea what I've done," the other man said. Seemingly out of nowhere he pulled out a briefcase, turned around, and lay set it on the ground. "If you find the time in the coming perils, I hope you look through the contents of this. Maybe you'll be willing to ‘see it my way,’ like old times." As he finished speaking, he leaped backwards into the mass, spreading his arms wide as he vanished into the void. Left there with just the case, the younger man opened it to see what the other was talking about. Inside, he found a letter. It was headed "An Introduction to the End." The letter went as follows: "It is with the last bit sincerity this world will afford me that I insist your beliefs that I 'have lost it,' 'started killing for fun,' and have become a 'psychedelic psychopath,' are wrong; any actions you have made under such assumptions have been equally so." "If your law's lists detailing my 'kills' were accurate, then they would begin, and end, with the name: Tom J. Reeds." "The problems you face go beyond this reality, as do the 'tragedies' you've seen me commit." "That is why I'm leaving a record of my actions and all thoughts pertaining to them with you now. Soon, you will see the fruits of my labor, or if I have failed, experience firsthand what I was trying to prevent." "This isn't like what they did on Earth. They can circumvent the effects of a vindictive crop, guilt will not stop the harvest." "Hello?" Tom called out into the pitch black scape. He had expected death upon entering that energized ball of darkness and light, not portage. Without even feeling for it, he knew his fedora had fallen off, just a few feet away, and leaving it so for any period of time had drastic consequences and he quickly snatched it up. Upon placing it on his head, a light appeared a couple of yards from the spot his hat had landed. "I'd like to make a deal with you." a feminine voice said as the light grew in size. "I came here for death. If you're not offering anything of the sort, I'm not interested." "Your release can be arranged." The light stopped it's expanse, and Tom could make out a shape inside it. It was a . . .   Horse? No no, a white alicorn with hair reminiscent of the aurora borealis, silly! Having seen stranger beings, the form of the speaker wasn't surprising. He was far more perplexed by not having been taken into death's mantle. "Who are you?" "I am Princess Celestia. I, and my sister Luna, reign over the land of Equestria. A world populated by ponies. We have a problem that we failed to prepare for, and having seen your success in-" "Training the other 5 'heroes' of my race, you want me to speed along the teachings of yours before the exodus." "Yes. But it is the belief of I and my sister that we can avoid that disaster entirely through the use of a Tyrant's Heart . . ." Tom paused at hearing that. The “Tyrant’s Heart” was a very important item that could save the lives of millions if used correctly. But acquiring it meant killing an intelligent being. While others may assume that he’d do such a thing on whim, that was just not so. He didn't like being a killer. The moniker Walker especially peeved him. "A man that treats murder like a morning stroll . . ." Not realizing it, Tom had said that last thought out loud. Though only a mumble, Celestia still heard it. Time passed, no hyperbole needed, as I can assure you it was quite a while. Celestia broke the silence. "You won't be killing any 'living' thing. In fact, I would hardly describe anything you'd be doing as a romp-" "Everything I do is a romp and nothing will change that." ". . ." "But I accept the deal all the same." "There's one condition." Tom stepped forward, leaning toward the princess, before saying "And that is, that I must become one of your subjects during this excursion, right?" "Yes." as she ended her reply, her horn started to glow, and then shot off a ray towards the suited man. Seconds later, he was standing on 4 hooves, in the same suit, same fedora (now with 2 small holes that let loose his elongated ears, still suited), and an equine body. His visor had been adjusted such that only covered the top half of his muzzle instead of his entire face, the insignia of Star-Tech (damn them) now adorned his flank instead of his chest, and he was sporting a loose black tail. "That was quick." Tom thought. "You can still decline at this point. The changes aren't permanent." "As long as I am given release at the end, I'm in." "Good. Now that you've been physically acclimated, let's get you mentally prepared . . ."         Celestia had told Tom, in the briefest ways she could come up with, all about the peaceful land of Equestria. The nature of it’s inhabitants. Its general history everything. And then . . . "Now we can talk about Nightmare Moon's defeat, and the Elements of Harmony-" "These Elements, are they made up of 6 virtuous concepts?" "Yes." "Go on." Taking a deep breath, Celestia continued. "1000 years ago, my sister grew jealous of my reign over the day. She believed our subjects didn't like her night as much as the day. She asked for extended night hours and things of the like, and when I refused, her ire turned her into the shadowy beast Nightmare Moon." "Was Luna a penumbra?" Beings can be classified within two archetypal groups, penumbras and emanations. This classification does not determine a creatures paradigm in regards to good and bad intentions. Penumbras are rational thinkers. Often their countenance is such that rational actions cannot be completed, like if they're too shy to speak up. Emanations are emotionally minded beings, described as creatures that think with their hearts more often than their heads. Feelings often get the better of them. "No. I'm a penumbra, she's an emanation." Tom basked in the irony. The sun was a secluded thinker, and the moon an outgoing sensie. Neither had much of a chance to be with beings of their own ordinance. "Continue." "Just 11 months ago she returned. My student, Twilight Sparkle-" "What kind of name is that!?" "It IS her name, what's wrong with that?" There was a small lull in the conversation, during which Tom suppressed his laughter as best he could. After a time, Celestia rolled her eyes and promptly continued the briefing. "Names aside, I sent her on a mission to find friends." Tom asked, once again interjecting, "And those friends happened to be the bearers of the elements?" "I think it would be best if you stopped interrupting." Another pause. This time, Tom was the one to break the silence. "Fine." A few seconds after he said that, a low tone came from Tom's suit. It was unnerving at first, but as the silver pony tensed up it became softer, sweeter. With terse movements, he craned his neck at an angle that looked quite painful, the tone seemed to follow his movements. Moments more of these strange reverberating contortions later, and the princess was met with a pony with a completely different posture than it had exhibited before. The stance didn't last for but a second before he slumped over, with undeniable grace, at Celestia's hooves. Startled by the sudden movement, she stepped back. In a voice alike, but not quite the same as the one used prior to the strange performance Tom had just put on, he said "Sorry about that. Changing one's countenance takes a lot of energy if done in such short time. I can assure you that if it was not for the fact I came here expectant of death I would not have done so with my cockier set of ordinances. "Yes, yes I would. As I was saying, they were the bearers, and together they defeated Nightmare Moon and freed Luna. Since then, they've been through numerous trials without the aid of the elements. But now . . . Well, as I told you, Luna succumbed to her jealousy and became Nightmare Moon. Something of the sort has happened to me. An impostor, or perhaps another wicked persona, has taken my place and banished me, or at least this part of me, to this place. I cannot directly contact the element bearers. So that's where you come in. You will have to warn them of the danger lying in Canterlot, and train them to combat it." "If I may interrupt . . ." "You may." "Would I be right in believing that this is where the Tyrant's Heart comes in?" "Yes. If extracted from the impostor appropriately, it can be used to bring me, and anyone lost along the way back to Equestria." "Ahhhh. Please, continue." "With your help . . .  Oh no!" "What?" Celestial pointed a hoof towards Tom's back half. Looking there, he saw the problem. He was slowly disappearing. "I can't keep you here any longer. I was hoping I could give you the bearers' descriptions, but there's no time!" She placed a hoof on his shoulder. "When you awaken in Equestria, you will be in the presence of one of the elements. The element of laughter . . ." As the rest of his body faded, he said "I'll do my best." Or, that would be what he said if he didn't pass out mid sentence. "Ooh! Who are you? You're so shiny! Is that armor? Why do you wear a hat like that if you're in shiny suit of armor? Rarity would say you look atrocious, but I like the clash! Can I wear your hat?" Tom opened his eyes, and was met with a smile he would not soon forget. A pink pony, with a poofy mane and tail of a just barely darker shade, was lying her snout right right on his visor. "I'm . . ." Before saying his name, he remembered his incredulous response to the name of the princess' student. 'Twilight Sparkle,' this time he remembered to NOT think out loud. He decided it would make things easier if he had a name alike the beings of this world. But before making one up, he answered the pony's other questions while he still remembered them. ". . . Wearing armor, it's sort of my thing, maybe later." As he answered her, he noticed how his voice had grown much deeper, and gravely. "But what's your name?! I can't introduce you to my friends if you won't give me your name." "What's your name?" "I asked first!" He had a plan. This being's archetype just happened to be one of the more malleable ones. With just the slightest bit of tact, he could make HER name him. The perfect facade is the one you already have. If naming worked the way he thought it did, he'd need a pretty accurate one to pass as a proper equestrian. Lightly masking his voice (he was sure it was strange to the pony, if not frightening), he began the execution of his cunning schema. "Let's play a game." "I like games! Sure." "Can you guess my name?" "Hmmmmmmmmmm . . ." ". . ." "Fullmetal Jack!" "No." he thought, and said. That would imply he was a soldier, suited to kill. Or worse, to maim. Additionally, he knew a Jack, and that was not the kind of colt he'd want to be in the peaceful society the princess had told him about. Actually, who was this mare that knew terminology with such a violent subtext, especially enough to form a pun like that . . .  And more importantly, possessing a demeanor so carefree as to make a joke out of such a loaded object? "Laughter . . ." "Oh Silver Star, you're so crazy!" "What? "I figured out your name, Silver Star! You're all shiny, and your cutie mark has a star in it!" Silver Star? That would work perfectly. But what did she mean by cutie mark? The only thing with a star on his person was the insignia, which had moved from his chest to his flank . . . And then the mare turned around, chattering about party supplies, and he saw it. Her 'cutie mark.’ 3 balloons, sprinkles of confetti to the left and right of them. But there was something off about it. Like there was more to it. Something was hiding there, underneath the 'cute' exterior was another mark that he was slowly getting a better look at . . . It was a grey circle, with axle coming out of the middle. 6 smaller circles containing what looked like ammunition for a weapon he knew couldn't have existed in this world until he carried one into it were placed around the axle. He knew what this was. The revolving cylinder of a magnum. This pony had another side. And she knew how to hide it. Just seconds after entering this world, he’d found a being of his ilk. Another killer. Someone who’d also committed the unforgivable sin. Murder. But unlike any other act of this nature, it was the first. The first the beings of this world had experienced. It had to have happened thousands, if not millions of years ago. This pony was a reincarnation of the first killer ponykind had ever birthed. "Yes! I am Silver Star, sorry for not confirming that while you, uh, planned my party or whatever. Now what's your name!?" "I'm Pinkie Pie!" Her voice faltered at the end in just the way Tom, err, Silver Star expected. She was lying. 'Pinkie' went back to her party talk, and Star listened intently to her while looking about the room they were in. Actually, the first thing he noticed was that he hadn't noticed the room at all. Not that it's appearance mattered, because moments after this revelation he found what he was looking for: A picture of Pinkie Pie as a filly. Her hair was straight, oddly, and she was pushing a rock on a well tilled field. Well tilled, but rock filled? Why would someone till a field and THEN remove the rocks from it? It looked like some kind of punishment, given the miserable look on the filly's face. And then, accompanied by several digital and acoustic tones that drew the attention of Pinkie Pie more so than what prompted them, Star screamed "Ah ha!" in the most playful voice he could muster. "I know your REAL name, miss Pie!" "Really?" She said as her face lit up with a smile that was so memorable, Star's perception of it contradicted and crushed his previous mental statement exclaiming that he would never forget the face he just forgot in lieu of the one he was now presented with. "You are . . ." "Yes . . . ?" "Blissful Diane Sundae, or, should I say Bluh D. Sundae!" Her smile was immediately replaced with something almost sad looking, but not quite. Her hair lost its curly nature and became straight. Her cutie mark faded and was replaced with the one seen earlier, which Star had just decided to call a "melancholy mark." As the transformation from Pinkie Pie to Bluh-D. Sundae was completed, a small frown took over her face. A frown, and a well of tears. She plopped down on her rump and looked up to Star. "I know what it's like." "No. No you don't. Not if you’d show up, and ruin my facade. Just like that!” said as she brought her hooves together in a glancing clap. “I worked hard to become Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie is everypony’s friend! Nobody likes Bluh-D . . ." She continued sobbing quietly. Star trotted to her side and gave her an awkward hug. "Would you like to know my real name?" ". . . Sure." "It’s Tom J. Reeds." "I knew it!" she exclaimed as she pushed him away and pointed at the colt with at least a small amount of excitement before slumping down and weeping, an integral but hardly notable step up from sobbing. She received, with a more than complacent motion, another hug. If she could see his name, then that confirmed that she was indeed the being he made her out to be. Killers can tell each other apart, and see who they are. This was the second time he’d ever met another killer, and what had happened so far was occurring just as it had then. To get his name, the mare would have to have some understanding of his archetype. Who he was. The only thing he had presented her with was a willingness to tell the truth . . . "Then you know I wouldn't tell anypony." Wait, when the hell did I pick up that bit of vernacular . . . ? Star thought for just a second before his thoughts drifted back into a consoling mindset. She nodded in response. "Would a story, from one Killer to another, cheer you up?" "No." despite the negative implications of the response, she perked up as she said it. "Do any of the others know?" "Others?" She wiped away the last of her tears, and Star continued. "The other ‘heroes’ . . ." “Heroes?” She doesn’t know? If that were the case, then he could only go forward by asking her about the elements. “I was told that I’d be in the presence of an “Element of Harmony,” and I’d need to find the other bearers.” Bluh-D shot up quickly and stepped away from Star, giving him a confused, angry, look. "Who told you, and how do you know about the elements?" "I was brought here by princess Celestia to train them for something. I would know exactly what, but something or other forced her to drop me here earlier than she had intended." Maintaining what the colt now realized was a scowl, Bluh-D raised an eyebrow. A couple of knocks coming from the door made both of them jump a little. "Pinkie! Twilight wanted us to get all the girls together at the library for something important! Come on out!" "Quick, cover my flank." Bluh-D whispered to Star. "Way ahead of you." he said as he spread body in such a way that whomever came into the room would not be able to see her mark. As more knocks came from the door, Bluh-D called out in her happier, peppy voice from earlier "Come in, Dash!" The door began to open, revealing a blue pelted, rainbow maned pegasus. She froze, either from seeing Star or her friend's appearance. Probably both. "Uhhhh . . ." "Sorry Dash, I don't really feel good tonight. This colt’s here trying to help me get over a sad bump . . ." Star looked at Bluh-D, giving her an unfortunately unviewable but very disapproving glare. Dash seemed to regain her composure. She leaned forward slightly and put on a stern face. "We don't have time to fool around, Pinkie!" "I'm not leaving here without him at my side." she said in the angrier voice, this time. "Ugh, fine, but when we get there and Twilight doesn't let him in, don't ask me to vouch for him!" Star and Bluh-D left the room in such a way that Dash wouldn't see the altered mark. He stuck between the two. Luckily, as they left what Star now knew was a bakery and continued to the literal tree-house, the darkness did more than a good enough job of hiding it from any venues the suited colt could not cover. "So," Star whispered to Bluh-D, "I'm playing as your coltfriend, eh?" Perhaps my mind was altered too? That would explain these equivalent mannerisms . . . "I thought you'd like the role." Looking back into her face, he noticed for the first time that she had blue eyes. Mentally adding that to the list of similarities the two ponies (which he’d started after looking into her to uncover her mark), he found an appropriate reply. "I'm pretty sure that would be narcissism." "Oh, are we really so alike that it makes you feel a little perverse?" “You could say that." Bluh-D smiled at that. Though she didn't send the look towards him, Star knew whom it was meant for. They turned a corner and caught sight of the library. "Quick, once we're through the door, get me in between you and Rainbow, the ponies inside will see my mark if you're the only one covering it." And so they entered, and rushed to get into formation with a less than complacent pegasus. With Bluh-D's flank effectively flanked by the suited colt and Rainbow Dash, they were in. The only suspicious element left o the pink pony was her hair. But the problem wasn't Bluh-D's appearance, it was Star's. As they sat down, all eyes were on him. Though he didn't know it at the time, his appearance unknowingly warranted a distended amount of worry in a certain yellow pegasus. Not that the colt would know it was out of the ordinary. "So, Twilight, you were saying something was wrong with your last couple letters from the princess, right?" said that yellow pegasus, eyeing Star with an aura of fright. "Yes, thank you Fluttershy," the purple unicorn responded, "but before we talk about that, I want to know what HE's doing here . . ." now pointing a hoof in Star's direction. "I'm Silver Star." "That's a nice hat yah got there, Star." the orange pony said. She was wearing a brown stetson herself. He turned his head towards her and said "Thanks." "What's wrong with your face?" a white unicorn asked with an accent reminiscent of a long gone culture. A fancy one, at that. "He's wearing a suit." Bluh-D said before Star could form the words himself. The white mare gave Bluh-D and Star a quizzical look. "I've never seen a suit that was so . . .  shiny, before. Where'd you get it? What's it made of?" Star pondered the origins of his primary article of clothing, looking down as he did so. And then . . . "WHO made it?" He tensed up at that particular question. Never again . . . "Can we get back on topic? If what you were talking about was so important that you had to interrupt me and Star from, various things, then I think we should get back to it. Immediately." Bluh-D said in her more serious voice. Star really didn’t like the implications of her statement, false or not. "Yes, again, thanks, but why is he here, Pinkie?" the purple unicorn asked. "He's with me, and that's all you need to know. For now. Let's get back to the letters." Twilight gave the pink pony a look that Star couldn't quite make out. He thought it may have been one of surprise, or worry, for the irregular attitude he could only assume Bluh-D now held. "So . . .  They were odd." "Odd how?" the yellow pegasus asked in a much quieter voice than the one she used when Star entered the library. "Well, a couple of weeks ago, she asked me to find a couple of books and send them to her. After I got them into the postal service, she sent me a message forbidding me from so much as looking at the books in question. I sent her a letter asking why she would change her mind like that on such short notice, and her reply ignored the question altogether." A noise, one that seemed to only be heard by Star and the yellow pegasus, arose. "To be specific, the response asked me to bring all of us together at the old castle we defeated Nightmare Moon in." Perfect. Confirmation. Star now knew these were in fact the mares he was asked to find, protect, and teach. Now he needed to find a way to get them to trust him. Though he was presently a being of the same form as them, his appearance was still xenologically questionable. And there was no way the suit was coming off any time soon. What was inside would be more than a good enough reason to not trust him. "So then, we’ll be going too?" said the orange pony. "Well, Applejack, I think we should have a vote on it-" "What IS that noise! It sounds downright dreadful . . ." What Star had previously regarded as a mere change in the ambiance of the room had grown to an easily noticed series of screeches and buzzes. Bluh-D, having moved out of the protective entrenchment made up of Rainbow Dash and Silver Star while no-one was looking, galloped out the front door. The rainbow maned pegasus followed, and shouted "Pinkie, wait!" She managed to catch up to the pink pony, pinning her to the ground. "What's up with you today? First you're with suited coltfriend who came out of nowhere, with whom you look depressed, then you get all serious, and now you're running off to who knows where to do who knows what, and, and . . ." Dashed panted over her friend. Everyone from the library had now left to see what became of the two ponies, and what was making that noise. Bluh-D pointed a hoof to the scene unfolding behind Rainbow and the others. Everyone turned. A multicolored throng of flies were eating away at the houses and vegetation on one side of the town. Even having not seen such creatures before, Star could tell there was something unnatural about them. "Are those, Parasprites?" Twilight said with a drained face. "Yes. But they're . . .  Different." Fluttershy stated in a voice that contradicted her name. "They're . . ." "Screaming." "Dash, if you'd not tackled me, I'd already be leading them away!" "Sorry!" Rainbow said as she let loose the pink pony she had trapped under her. As soon as she was freed, Bluh-D was off to the bakery. Star, not knowing much About the situation aside from a presumption that the 'Parasprites' were like locusts, decided to trot besides Twilight. "What are these ‘Parasprites?’" he asked. "They're insects that eat plants . . .  But ever since I accidentally modified their eating habits incorrectly in an attempt to stop them from ruining an important event, they've taken to wood and other building materials . . ." In the distance, perhaps so far off that the others couldn't see it without a large amount focus that they simply could not muster as they witnessed their town get eaten away by the swarm, Star saw exactly what he hoped he would not see in a situation like his. A resident of a formerly upright home was galloping out into the road, covered head to hoof in parasprites. Moments later, no more than a skeleton remained as a sepulcher for the pony. "Di-Did they . . ." the purple unicorn stammered. Star answered by yelling "Everypony, RUN!" Everyone galloped to the other end of the town. Bluh-D was nowhere to be seen. Star followed the others. Along the way, Star tried to look away from the horrible demise of several more ponies. The mare with the stetson, Applejack, got the group together and brought them down a road to a farm that Star guessed was her own, or at least where she worked. "Everypony okay?" Applejack asked. Everyone gave affirmations of their well being. Most were panting heavily and thus gave only simple nods. Rainbow, however, said "I-I'm o-okay . . ." while shaking on the ground in something close to the fetal position. "Is P-pinkie . . . H-here yet . . ." "Sorry sugar, nopony saw her on the way here. I'm sure she'll be fine . . ." "Bu-but, how w-will she-" Star stomped his front hooves to get the ponies attention. "I'm going back to find her." "Woah there, Silver! Ah know yah two might be in a relationship-" A stare from the colt made the orange mare falter in her speech. "Uhhhhh . . .  Point is, yah cahn't run off into something like that . . .  Ah'm sure Pinkie'll get away alright, she . . ." Before Applejack even had a chance to end that statement with another pause, Star was off. Not at a gallop like the ponies were expecting, but with a trot. As he reached about fifteen paces, he seemed to speed up, but at the same time it looked like he was going at the same speed he started with, and certainly the same autonomous series of trots. He seemed to jump ahead along the path spontaneously, it was as if he crossed the distance within the blink of an eye. An odd melody hung in the air, even after the armored stallion was long out of sight. As he entered the town once again, Star felt around his torso for his weapon. He hoped that Celestia had not taken it off of him in a not unreasonable bid to keep Equestria's inhabitants from acquiring and utilizing anything designed to kill or maim. To his surprise, his magnum was still holstered in a position analogous to it's original (around his belted hips, under the suit). But it wasn't the same . . . The only things that appeared to be relatively unchanged was the revolving component. The rest had been acclimated to better suit a pony, one way or another. It now had a horse shoe grip, and spring loaded barrels that surrounded the rounds. Of the 6, only the topmost barrel would be sprung at one time, and only when it the gun was not being placed on the ground. It was designed to function as both a gun and a shoe. Feeling awkward with just one raised hoof, he felt around for another gun. His hoof brought back one that couldn't quite recognize with the modifications. It had a black finish, contrasting with the more flashy sterling one his magnum had undergone, and was magazine fed. He assumed it was a Mi, a cheap pistol that he had picked up purely out of the necessity for its increased bank of loaded ammunition (16). It had received the same treatment as his other gun. Now it's magazine was circular, and the barrel slid back into it with each step just as the other gun's did. He didn't know how to fire either of them, but he figured it would come to him once he needed to know. He continued his trot through the street until he heard a scream that WASN'T part of the ambient parasprite screeches. He advanced towards the noise. Turning a corner, he saw a pegasus flying in a low circle barely evading a small group of parasprites. Leaning back on his hind legs, he fired into the small colorful mass of insects. Everyone of them dropped dead. The pegasus stopped for a moment, just long enough for star to get a good look at it. She was a pegasus mare, grey, with a straight blond mane. She said something that sounded like "Thank you!" but it wasn't loud enough to be heard over the noises that had just sounded across the street. As the mare flew to safety, Star turned to face the unmistakable sounds of gunfire, something he, again, did not expect to hear from anything other than himself in this world. He should have gotten the hint earlier, when he found his own guns turned into functional analogs. Or earlier still when he saw Bluh-D's melancholy mark. Having not heeded to the foreshadowing in either, he was dumbstruck by the sight of the pink pony he was looking for now equipped with two rifles strapped to her sides, dispatching large numbers of the swarm effectively on her own. The guns were firing at such a high speed, and with so little user interaction that they had to have been automatic. Bluh-D would bite down on the two mechanisms sprouting from the pieces to her face to shoot them. Literally firing from the hip. Once he got closer to her, and found a decent position, he opened fire on the parasprites. As soon as the two had effectively cleared the immediate area of the beasts, they stopped firing and looked towards each other. Silver Star took off his hat and hooved it to Bluh-D. "Here. I said you'd have a chance to wear it. This is it." "Pfft, narcissist." she said while placing it on her head. Locks of hair returned to the poofy state Star had seen when he'd arrived in her room earlier in the night.