//------------------------------// // 2. A Quick Debriefing and Suddenly in Equestria // Story: My Little Ninja // by NoMoreNormalcy //------------------------------// A springing sound of magic later, Randy found himself on a floating chair in a house he would describe as "grandparents trying to be hip" style. It seemed that gravity was sporadic as there were also furniture on the ceiling, the walls, also floating, or a couple on the floor normally. A tea table with the obligatory tea kettle and cups floated in the space between him and the miss-matched being across from him in a high-backed, overstuffed chair also in the air. He was sipping on tea sparing a glance at the still suited Randy. "Uh, what the cheese going on?" "Really? That's what you kids there say?" The being let go of his teacup and it sprouted wings to hover in place, so he could scratch his chin before replying, "Well, not only are we going to change that ever so slightly, but I'm going to turn you into a pony." "Weirdo say what?" And with a snap of his talons, he turned Randy into a pony version of himself. Still in the suit. "What?!" "You said it, not me," the creature chuckled. "Okay, so you can stop referring me as a monster, creature, being, or beast, I do have a name." "I never called you that, and why am I a pony!?" "My name is Discord. The Now-Reformed Spirit of Disharmony and Element of Chaos." "Reformed? And you still didn't answer my question-" "Hold on, I have an exposition to dump to fill you in on some things first before I get you to Ponyville," and snapping his talons again, Discord summoned up a crystal ball that had colorful images flashing on it. With a flick of his wrist, the orb flew across the room and right into Randy's face, popping like a bubble. "What the juice was that-" and his eyes widened and glazed over as information of Equestria was suddenly imported to his mind. The two sisters that ruled the day and night, how they raised and lowered the sun and moon respectively. The legend of the Mare in the Moon and how it turned out to be real. How Nightmare Moon, Discord himself, and the changelings were reformed. How Chrysalis attacked the Canterlot wedding and was defeated. The fact that the Crystal Empire exists again. The information of a student of the Princess of the Day ascending into alicorn-hood. What an alicorn was, and pegasi, earth ponies -for one of which he was- and unicorns. Knowledge of magic, importance of friends, and what a cutie mark was. Especially what a cutie mark was and stood for. How to walk and run as a pony. Sayings and colloquialisms. Once all the information was deposited, Randy shook his head. He was then curious. Did he have a cutie mark? What did it mean? He brought a hoof too his jawline and remembered a few things: One, he had hooves now and made it harder to hold things unless he focused his held them in his fetlock -oh yeah, he knew what a fetlock was now. Two, there was still the matter of Discord staring at him. "What?" "So, remove the mask and then we can get you on your way! Don't worry, you will still have your book and jacket. It's also normal to be mostly naked." "What!?" "Don't worry, I can wait." He looked at a watch on his talons that wasn't there before. "You have five seconds." In those five seconds, Randy determined that if this Discord nabbed him, even though he's never said his name, it was almost out of respect for some reason to not have him have a meltdown. At the tail end of those seconds, he yanked off the mask and as the ribbons unraveled and fled into the mask in a golden light, Discord snapped him to a new location. Luckily, he was stashing the mask in an inside pocket the promised jacket he still wore. Once all the light disappeared, he noticed he was on the outskirts of a medieval-looking town. Cobblestone walls and thatch roofs. There were a few sights already that stated that this wasn't all true. A train station was to his right. Forward and to the left was a building that Hansel and Grettle would fight a witch in. Further forward and a bit to the left was a building styled like a carousel. And straight ahead was the largest building in town. A crystal castle shaped like a tree. Realizing he was still seated, he stood and started walking. Big castle, belongs to that new princess, right? She'd know what is happening. As Randy trotted, he got a good look at himself. He was a little on the lanky side with peach fur. Pulling his hair -or mane, now- down, he noticed it was still its royal purple. His eyes were likely still the same. His jacket was still tied around his waist. The only thing that made him frown, was the lack of a cutie mark. "So wonk." In a now soured mood, he kept trotting forward, accustomed to his new body only thanks to Discord's exposition dump. "Other than see the princess, what should I do?" He barely had a chance to think on it when a pink blur raced up to him. Once it stopped in front of his muzzle a hair’s breadth away, he saw bright, light blue eyes, pink fur, and hints of a dark pink, curly mane. "Hi! My name's Pinkie Pie! You're new to town, right? Of course, I'm right, because if I wasn't then I would have seen you before and I'm sure I haven't. Hold on real fast, I have to get my Welcome Wagon ready!" He voice was bright, cheery, and sweet, with a whole lot of pep. She backed up a bit and turned to reveal her cutie mark of three balloons and a wagon hitched up to her. Unhitching herself -somehow-, she then pushed a button on the wagon which activated a song that she sang along and danced to. "Welcome, welcome, welcome! A fine welcome to you! Welcome, welcome, welcome! I say how do you do? Welcome, welcome, welcome! I say hip hip hurray! Welcome, welcome, welcome! To Ponyville today!" "Wait for it." She said as then the wagon churned and then spat up burnt confetti from what was now identified as the oven and cake batter was thrown into the air by a horn and onto Randy. The whole while, he starred wide-eyed and confused. "What the juice was that?" "Whoops!" Pinkie Pie snorted and chortled. "I accidentally swapped the cake batter and confetti. Again! That, my new friend, was my Welcome Wagon! Were you welcomed?" He couldn't help but pause a bit at the question before responding with a hesitant, "Yes?" "Yay!" She proinked in place, bouncing up and down before settling and smiling at Randy. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name, and you are?" Physically shaking himself out of it -and the cake batter out of his fur, he tried to give his best smile, "Randy. Randy Cunningham. Nice to meet you, Pinkie Pie." "That's a nice name, Randy! I'm sure we'll be good friends, and if you need more, I know everypony in Ponyville, so just ask and I'll introduce you!" She then re-hitched herself to the welcome wagon. "Well, I've got to get back. If you need something to eat, just head to Sugar Cube Corner! It's the shop that looks like it's made of gingerbread! Mmmmm, gingerbread...." And with that, she trotted off, wagon in tow. "That was weird. Nice, though." He turned to explore while he mulled things over. So that girl -or mare, I guess- was pretty nice. Don’t know what exactly is going on here. Maybe I aught to shloomp on it? He then trotted around and found an alleyway. After deeming the cost clear, he reached to the Ninjanomicon, 800-year-old book of ninja knowledge, and placed it in front of him. Once fully opened and Randy had stared at its pages, his eyes glazed over, and he fell roughly on top of the book. Within his mind, however, he was falling through the pages as sketched clouds. He cried out as he hit five clouds, bouncing between them on his way down. Once on the ground looking up, the clouds swirled together and formed words that Randy read aloud. “When a threat appears thwarted is when a ninja is at their weakest, what the juice is that supposed to mean?! The Sorcerer is totally defeated, and I doubt McFist is going to try to send any goons after me now without his precious super power.” As he cried out he looked to his right and saw a sketch ninja of himself in pony form. “Oh hey.” The sketch then picked him up by his scruff of his neck before turning around and bucking him back into the air. He screamed the whole way back. Awaking with a start, Randy wiped the drool from his muzzle and put the book back in its rightful spot in his jacket. He idly thought about wearing the jacket normally, but the reminder of his blank flank came back, along with the implanted knowledge that a kid -or it was probably colt now- his age wasn’t without a cutie mark. “Really convenient that Discord did that. Why did he?” His question was unanswered. “Well, may as well ask the princess here. Oh!” His eyes widened as he realized something, “Maybe she’ll know what the ‘Nomicon meant!” With that, he made a brisk canter for the crystal castle.