//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: My little Pony: Rise of the Arcadia // by Geek Crossing //------------------------------// -Princess Celestia’s POV Canterlot, Equestria in the royal garden night- I strode through the garden this very night to clear my head of the troubling thoughts spinning around and around. It had been a tiring day with the noble ponies demanding more bits for their trivial pursuits of entertainment and greed all the while the common pony struggled to make ends meet and provide for their families. Some nobles, such as Fancy Pants and his wife and famous actress, Fleur De Liss, tried to help their fellow pony by donating to organizations to help the less fortunate and made trips to local Soup Kitchens and provide food for the starving and allow them shelter. Unfortunately it was not enough and the common pony kept getting poorer while the nobles kept getting richer. She cursed under her breath at the thought it was her nephew Blueblood who orchestrated this whole debacle as a means to take the throne. He didn’t succeed mind you but many noble ponies supported him and his ideals that unicorns were superior to the other races and that they deserved no compensation for their efforts to grow food and care for the animals and the simple things that made life grand and beautiful as it was “trivial commoner’s work”. “Faust I beg of you, send us a savior to aid us in these troubling times. I fear for my little ponies and the lands beyond my own kingdom. Please! Give us a sign!” Celestia cried out in anguish before sobbing. Then she heard hoofsteps behind her followed by a voice saying, “My princess, good evening. What troubles you?” Celestia turned to see a cloaked stallion standing behind her with a worried gaze. “Oh forgive me my subject,” she said wiping the tears from her eyes, “it’s nothing you need to worry yourself over. I will be fine.” “I see. Well I’d hate to interrupt you but may I ask a favor?” The stallion asked calmly. “Of course my subject. What do you desire?” Celestia asked. The stallion shifted through his cloak before pulling out a knife. “You’re eternal silence.” The stallion said before rushing towards her in an attempt to assassinate her. -hours earlier on the edge of the whitetail woods- Michael slowly woke to the bright light of the sun piercing through his eyelid before rubbing it and sitting up. He looked around to find himself in a field of dandelions at the edge of a forest of maple trees. “Well this is great. I got whisked away to a forest. Must have drank something with alcohol in it and gotten so drunk I wandered here. But I don’t have a migraine or feel sick or anything.” He said confused then looked ahead of him only to find a weird protrusion that wasn’t his nose. He felt it with his hand to find out it was a peach muzzle, then traces his hands to the top of his head and found horse ears. There was only one thing that he could do at the moment: Scream. “AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I’M A HORSE!!! WHAT THE HELL?!!” He ranted then suddenly he punched himself in the jaw, “ OOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!! Ok not dreaming. Mother puss bucket that hurt!” He then slowly got up and dusted himself off before seeing the bottled Arcadia next to him and grabbed it. He then decided to find a river and once he did he went downstream and then came across a sign that read: ‘WELCOME TO PONYVILLE’ ’So, I ended up in Equestria. An Anthropomorphic Equestria judging by my ability to walk on two legs instead of four.’ Mike thought and began walking through town noticing there was no pony about the streets. He then looked up at the sky and realized it was early in the morning so no pony had woken up yet. As he walked he found a trashcan with a newspaper inside and took it out and read it. “Well, seems the Canterlot nobility for the most part controls the very lives of the rest of Equestia. That is not good. I knew the nobility to be full of themselves and at times xenophobic to anyone outside of themselves but this?! This makes my blood boil.” He then sees a tabloid telling him about a campaign to swear Blueblood onto the throne and an article on a possible coup attempt on the princesses, “Strike that. this makes me livid!” He then tossed the paper into the trash again and began his trek back to the field and then tried to think. ’Now how do I get to Canterlot without causing suspicion? I can’t afford the train as I have no money.’ he then glanced at the bottle in his pocket and took it out again before asking himself, “I wonder...?” He then popped the cork on the bottle and suddenly in a flash of light found himself in the Arcadia’s bridge with the planet Equis below him. “Well that went better than expected.” He said as he stepped up to the wheel and saw next to him a small control panel with various buttons and knobs and switches with labels below them. He saw a button that said “quick transport” and then an image of him appearing in a beam of light like the teleportations from Star Trek at the surface of the planet came to mind and he smiled, “Perfect.” -hours later in the gardens- Celestia could only sit in fear of her assailant as he came towards her to end her existence. But before he got close a loud bang rang out and the stallion stopped before dropping the knife and looking at his chest to see blood pouring from where his heart would be and finally looked up before falling to the ground dead. Behind him stood another stallion wearing a black coat and cape with a skull and crossbones on its front, blue Jeans, and brown boots, a strange saber like weapon in his hand the tip of it smoking, looking up to her to show his scarred face and single brown eye with the other covered by a patch, his chocolate mane blowing in the wind. “A pirate?” Celestia said still visibly shaking at the thought of her almost being assassinated but only sat there in awe. The pirate stallion quickly sheathed his weapon in a holster along side his belt and then looked to her with a kind smile. “Are you alright my lady?” The stallion asked with genuine concern. “Y-yes I’m f-fine. Thank you for saving me.” Celestia quickly said coming out of her stupor, “W-who are you?” “My name is Fetlock. Captain Fetlock.” The stallion now known as Fetlock said before bowing then said, “I’m afraid I must leave you now Princess but before I go I must ask you to tell your guards should they ask that I am a friend to Equestria and her ponies as well as all creatures save for Blueblood and his ilk. I do not wish anypony harm unless they attack me, my ship, or any innocent ponies or creatures. With that I bid you goodnight.” He then turned and began walking away but Celestia stopped him. “Wait! Why have you come here? I must know.” She asked his retreating form. “To save Equestria from threats both domestic and beyond. Farewell.” He said and like that he was gone. Celestia sat there quietly before a guard came and asked what happened. “A great stallion saved my life.” She said before smiling and walking away as the guard disposed of the assassins body properly before returning to their posts.