Location Unknown
“God damn it!”
“Well, that hurt.”
Thomas tried to hold up the Transportalponder, but it fell from his grasp. “Damn it.” He leaned over to where it was and made to pick it up. For some reason, though, it just wouldn’t happen. “What the fuck?”
“Oof!” The sound of something metallic and very heavy hitting the ground sounded next to Thomas. “What happened to my hand!?” he heard Veronica scream.
He rolled his head and saw a pony on their back, looking at their hoof. Any distinguishing features were completely hidden under a set of heavy armour. It took him a moment to realise that he was looking at what closely resembled a set of T-51b, though why it was made to fit a pony was beyond him.
“What the fuck?” The third voice was not one he was familiar with. On his other side was a unicorn mare. Unlike the other pony, he could see that she had an off-white coat and blood-red mane, along with an incredibly ferocious scowl. As she struggled to her hooves, she shot a glare at him. “Thomas, you never said anything about this.”
“Anything about what?” He tried to stand on two legs and managed it for all of four seconds. His balance abandoned him and he fell onto his back. Pain unlike anything he had ever experienced before shot through his body as a pair of somethings on his back were pushed into his body. “Motherfucker!”
The unicorn mare jerkily made her towards him, a metallic clank accompanying every other step, and rolled him on his stomach before shoving her muzzle so close her head was the only thing he could see. “Thomas, you have five seconds to tell me why we are ponies,” she hissed.
“What?” He carefully pushed himself onto all fours, a position that felt far too natural, and looked at his hands. Instead of hands, though, he was greeted by a pair of dusty-brown hooves. “What!?” He looked behind him and saw not only a pitch-black tail swishing behind him, but a pair of wings poking through holes in his duster. “WHAT!?”
The other pony was lying on their stomach and was trying to force off their helmet. Eventually, they succeeded, revealing a mare with a dirty blonde mane and a coat the colour of iron. “Thomas...” the mare said in Veronica’s voice. “What’s going on?”
The man-turned-pegasus turned to the unicorn. “Dom?”
“Who else?” she asked back, her scowl hardening.
“Why do I have hooves?” Veronica asked.
“This didn’t happen before,” Thomas muttered.
“What, pray tell, didn’t happen before?” a cold, unamused voice asked. The three looked up to see a tall, imposing figure walking towards them. The lone stallion gulped. “And just what are you three doing in the gardens at this hour?”
Thomas looked around, noticing that they were indeed in a garden of sorts. Their weapons and belongings had scattered, though nothing seemed to be broken. He looked back at the speaker, having recognised who it was the moment he had heard her voice. “Hello, Luna. Long time, no see.”
“I have never seen you before in my life,” Luna replied, ruffling her wings. She pointed her horn at the group, at Thomas in particular. “Give me your name, lest I call the guards and have them force it from you.”
“The Courier.” The words had an immediate effect. It wasn’t the one he had been expecting, or the one he had wanted.
“You spineless, two-timing coward!” A blast of concussive force shot out of the princess’ horn and sent the shocked pegasus into an uncontrolled flight.
“Argh!” he screamed, his wings flaring from the shock. He hit the ground with a thud and rolled onto his side. “Ow...”