"I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
"Huh, what? Where am I?" I try to open my eyes but can't, I can't even feel them.
"Well the where is hard to explain." says an all too familiar voice.
"Wait I know that voice, death?"
"Indeed, and I see you are yet again in quite the perdicament."
"Oh shit! The lion things! Don't tell me I'm dead again!" I begin to panic, if I could feel my eyes I bet they'd be bugging out right now.
"Luckily no, though you are in a state of near death right now. Those ponies you met took you to be treated after you fought those manticores."
"Manticores? Is that what those lion things were?" Seems legit.
"Yes, though I must admit while what you did was stupid beyond belief. It was also extremely brave." The voice was warm and comforting. It almost made me forget that I was talking to the voice of death.
"Really? Cuz to me it was more stupid desperation than anything. I ran in head first into a fight against a pair of unknown enemies with super strength that I still can't fully seem to control, by the way what's up with that?" I ask the disembodied voice.
"It might have something to do with the world you're on right now. In your world magic wasn't as abundent as it is here. The very planet itself radiates it. And you soak it up like a sponge, though instead of being able to do anything new it enhances your physical abilities much like how it enhances an earth ponies ability to cultivate the earth or their strength. You lack the ability to fly and cast magic, so all the magic that is being collected into your body instead enhances your natural abilities making you far stronger than before."
"Well that makes sense I suppose." So basically my cells are being super charged by 'magic' making every cell in my body stronger and more efficient at what they do. It seems a bit iffy to me but it'll do for now.
"Well it seems it's time for us to part ways again. Hopefully when next we meet it wont be for a long, long time. Farewell."
Then the voice disappeared and I awaken to a pounding headache. Imagine if some one took two jackhammers and placed one on either temple, yeah it was that kind of pain. I try to open my eyes but quickly shut them when a bright light assaults my sensitive retinas. I roll my head to the side and try again to open my eyes, I have to blink them several times to fully open them though, but I eventually succeed.
I am finally able to take a look at my surroundings. Everything was a bleach white, the walls, the floor, the ceiling, even the sheets that covered me. I sit up, still feeling the pain in my head but ignore it. I am on a sterile looking white bed with dull silver head and foot board, where my Bleach Hollow mask t shirt once was, a green hospital gown covered my chest, though my blue jeans were still in place. I look around the room again picking up the smaller details, to my right was an EKG machine giving off a soft steady beep and a simple IV both hooked up to me. I scan around to my left and see a short bedside table with a empty glass and a good sized pitcher of water with plenty of ice floating in it.
I completely ignore the glass and take the pitcher and begin chugging as much of the life giving liquid as possible, my throat felt like the damn Sahara and now I felt like I had just gulped down liquid ecstasy. Water never tasted so good in my life.
"Oh god yes, I needed that." I say as I wipe my mouth with my hospital gown and place the now three quarters empty pitcher back on the table. Just then though I hear a clatter and turn my head to see another pony.
This one was a pure sterile white, with a soft pink mane done up in a tight little bun at the back of her head. She didn't have any wings or a horn. She had a stethoscope around her neck and a red med cross on her flank. I guessed this to be a nurse of some sort.
"Uh, hey there..." I say before letting a long awkward silence loom between us.
Before I could break the silence, however, she turned around quickly and galloped off yelling for a doctor. Not two minutes later she returned with another pony. This one was a stallion and a hair taller than the nurse pony and a unicorn. He had on a white doctors coat with sleeves that went down his fore legs. He had a stethoscope on his neck as well. His fur coat was a milk chocolate brown, and his mane was a dark shade of orange and was cut short and straight, just above where his neck met his torso. On his flank was a syringe and a scalpel in an X pattern.
"Impossible..." The doctor said in a low voice, but I still picked it up.
"So what's the damage doc." I say as I raise an inquisitive eyebrow.
"You should've been unconscious for at-least another three days, there was enough manticore venom in you to kill three good sized stallions in an hour!" The doctor almost shouted in an amazed tone as he quickly trotted up to my bed and began looking me and the EKG machine over.
"That sounds bad...so how long was I out for?" I ask the doctor pony. he whipped around from the machine before putting on an air of professionalism.
"Only one day, after that manticore stung you, you were brought here immediately by Ms. Twilight Sparkle and her friends and were given quite a few doses of anti-venom." He paused to look at the clip board that he levitated from the foot of my bed...wait a second.
"Dear sweet raptor Jesus." I mutter as I intently watch the clip board dance in the air while glowing a faint chocolatey brown.
"What was that?" The doctor asked as he looked up from the board.
"How are you doing that?" I ask as I point at the floating clip board.
"You mean levitation? It's very basic magic, almost all unicorns can do it." I just stared, like if I turned away the clip board it would start dancing to 'hello my baby'.
"Uhm, sir?" The doctor waved his hoof in front of my face.
"Oh uh, sorry I kinda had a...moment there." I stare at the doctor.
"Well, ok then. I'll need some information if that's ok with you?" he held up another clip board.
"Ok, shoot." I sit up in the bed and place a pillow against the head board and sit against it.
"Alright then first question, what are you? your species I mean."
"Human, or to be more technical, Homo Sapien, primates of the Hominidae family."
"You're a human?" He asked almost incredulously.
"Yeah, have been all my life, unless I'm forgetting some thing." I add a bit of sarcasm to my remark.
"But humans are just a myth."
"Well pegasi, unicorns, and manticores are myths where I'm from. I've always believed that just because no one has ever seen it before doesn't mean it's not real." I had a point too. For the longest time Gorillas were thought to be just a made up creature from stories, a 'myth' yet look at the present.
"I...I suppose I can understand the logic in that. Ok then next question."
And the questioning went on for a little while after that. Just the usual stuff doctors asked, do you drink? do you smoke?
age, any prior medical history, the same old crap they always ask. And just to point it out, I do not drink or smoke (gotta save what brain cells I got left). As for my age I am 21 and outside of a scar I recieved to my fore head when I was eight I have never had to go to the doctors outside of regular check ups and crap.
"Alright then that should do it for questions. I must say you have the strongest immune system I've ever seen in a living creature." The doctor commented before putting the clip board he had into a pocket in his jacket.
"So when can I leave doc?" I ask as I take the hospital gown off, damn thing was too small and uncomfortable as heck.
"Well I'm afraid you can't leave until Ms. Sparkle has returned and spoken to you directly."
"Really, well damn." I cross my arms and stroke my chin in thought. "There anything I can do to kill time?" I ask turning towards the doctor before he left.
"Hmm, not much really. If you like I could have a nurse bring you some books."
"I'd like that very much, thanks doc." He nodded once before trotting out the door.
I began to think as I sat there for what seemed like hours, ok maybe it was more like five minutes, I have the attention span of a rodent so sue me.
'I am in a world full of talking, sentien, colorful, magical ponies.' This is strange even for me. I began fidgeting in my sheets before just leaving the bed to wander around the small room.
I didn't notice before, but there were three beds in here. I was in the one farthest from the door next to a good sized window, which showed a beautiful bright sun shiney day just passed the glass. The other two were bare, with the exception of the mattresses and sheets. The EKG machine was taken out of the room during the questioning but the stand for the IV was left behind. So as the responsible, mature adult that I am I did the only thing sensible. I took the mattresses and the pillows and made a fort.
The outter walls of my fort were made from the three beds turned onto their sides, the three beds just long enough to cover one wall to the other parralell to the wall with the window. I tied the three bed sheets together, corner to corner, making one long sheet. I then took this new super sheet and used the IV stand to prop it up into a tent shape while tying the corners to the window sill and bed frames. After that I arranged the six pillows in the room as a half circle in front of my fort for a pretend mote, and the two wooden chairs I had flipped upside down with the legs pointing away from the fort as a sort of spike wall. I heard hoof steps and quickly took cover behind my new awesome fort...... Just cuz I'm 21 doesn't mean I have to act like it.
"He's right in here Ms. Spar....." The sentence got cut off as the door squeeked open.
I peeked out from between the beds and eyed the intruders who dared set foot in the kingdom of Whiteingham. Twas seven ponies in total, the six from before plus the white nurse from when I woke up. I cracked the beds apart just enough to stick my head out.
"Who dares set foot in the teritory of I king Archebald Victorian the fourth." I spoke out in a regal voice.
"We dare, for we are here to take thine castle in the name of the Frosted kingdom." The pink pony said as she stepped forward with a ruler in her hoof held at her side like a sword.
"Think not so lightly of my armaments, foul murauder. I will have thee in the stockades before nightfall!" I boomed as I closed the beds together.
"We shall see who falls this day Archebald, for I Pinkie the knight of frosting shall tear thine walls down and take your hold for my own." The pink pony brandished her 'sword' before dramatically striding towards my fort.
"Taste my blade!" I shout out as I part the beds with a ruler of my own I found in the drawer.
As I thrust forward with my 'sword' she parries it to the side and comes at me with a thrust of her own. I side step it and bring my 'sword' about in an over head chop. She sees this and quickly rolls to my right and lightly thwacks at my leg with the ruler.
"Yargh, not me leg!" I let out a faux scream of pain as I fall to one knee, as if my shin was cut off at the joint.
She gave me no moments reprieve as she spun around behind me and took my other knee. Now kneeling I thrust to my left only to get my arm 'cut off' as well. Then in an attempt to fight back I reach for the 'blade' with my right and got it 'chopped' off too.
"Victory is mine." The pink pony exclaims as she hold her sword ruler high into the air.
"Not yet it's not." I say as I fold my arms behind my body still on my knees.
"Surrender good sir, you were an admiral adverasry." She sheathes her 'sword'.
"Come on ya pansy."
"You have no arms."
"Yes I do." I argue.
"Then what's that then?" She points at where my invisible dismembered limbs lay.
"I've had worse." I say nonchalantly.
"What are you going to do bleed on me?" She asks with a questioning look.
I stand up and take the pink ponies hoof as she stands on her back legs and do a grand bow with my co-star. We bow a good three times to silence before letting go and assuming a normal standing position. Relatively speaking of course.
"And that my good audience was a scene from, "The Knights of Confection", please return next tuesday for the full show, now good day." I walk off behind the bed sheet like a curtain.
"Uh... excuse me..." said a familiar voice.
"I SAID GOODDAY!" I say cutting her off while peeking my head out of the sheets.
"Ooh he's fun." I heard the pink one exclaim.
"Alright enough of that sillyness." I say as I step out from behind the bed sheets and begin straightening out the room, hauling the beds around with one hand each.
"Sorry for yelling just now, I was still in the 'zone' so to speak." I apologize to Twilight after I remembered who the voice belonged to.
"It's ok, I guess, any way we weren't expecting you to be up and about yet, let alone...this." She points around the room as I finished deconstructing my fort and resetting the room to its default look.
"Yeah, turns out I'm a super hero so I totally have super immuneity and healing factor." I nonchalantly shrug.
"A super hero? But you don't wear a suit or anything." the white one with purple mane said as she eyed me up and down in a odd way, as if measuring me. I think I saw a slight smirk on her face when she looked at my bare torso.
I was by no means out of shape. I was also by no means 'ripped'. Yet I still had just visible muscle tone, since I did go to the gym regularly before my 'trip'. I also had some slightly defined muscle tone in my arms. Though it seems that with my magic charged muscle cells, my musculature had become more defined. My once barely noticeable abs were now more well defined as were the rest of the muscles on my body. Also my once dull green eyes were now a vibrant emerald color. And my medium length raven hair seemed to shimmer in the light, and was now silky soft to the touch. I looked at myself in the mirror that was on the wall behind the door, one phrase escaping my mouth as I fully took in my new appearance.
"I am one sexy beast." I muttered to myself as I subconsciously flexed my muscles at my reflection.
"Ahem." I was interrupted from my self admiration and turned to see six slightly blushing ponies, who were all staring at me.
"Uh...this is awkward." I said as I stopped flexing and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Well, as I was saying, we weren't expecting you to be awake so soon, but nevertheless I sent a letter to the princess about you, and she should be arriving very soo....." A blinding light engulfed the room which forced my eyes shut.
As the light finally faded I opened my eyes and beheld one of the most regal looking creatures I have ever seen. I'm assuming it was female by its slender shape. She was taller than the other ponies but still equine in form. Standing straight we were about the same height at the tip of her horn, which was a lot longer than twilights or the unicorn doctors. Her coat was a brilliant white that almost seemed to glow with beauty, her magnificent wings only adding to her impressive sillouhette. But what got me the most was her mane. It was multi colored rangeing from a light blue to a soft pink, but that's not what caught my eye. It was the way it seemed to flow in the wind even though there was no wind to be found. The only words that I could find to express what I saw, I also bluttered out like an idiot.
"Freaking beautiful."
"Why thank you." A regal, caring, soothing voice rang forth from her mouth. Filling my ears with a grace it has never known before.
Out of sheer impulse I drop to one knee and take up one of her forelegs and kissed it just above the joint that would have joined the hoof and leg. Every pony in the room, save the one before me, gasped as if I had just committed a horrible crime. Who knows maybe I did, but I don't care. You can't be in the presence of such grace and not show the due respect. Unfortunately no one else shared this sentiment as I was immediately dog piled by four ponies, which turned into six as I heard Pinkie shout "DOG PILE" before jumping on top with the yellow one. Even with all that weight however, I was still able to stay upright in my kneeling pose.
"Forgive my forwardness your grace." I bow my head before standing to my full height, the mound of ponies stumbling unceremoniously off my back.
"But I have never known anything in my world that could even hold a candle to your elegance. And as a gentleman I was compelled to show you due respect as is accustomed with my kind." I bow once more while standing.
"Well you sure are quite the gentlecolt aren't you?" She looked at me with a warm smile, and a bit of a mischievous grin.
"Now am I correct in assuming that you are this 'strange' creature my faithful student has told me about?" She asked as her caring demeanor curved into serious mode.
"Why yes, your grace, I am Damien the now super human." I bow once more.
"And my name is Princess Celestia, co-ruler of the land of Equestria, and goddess of the sun." She says it so non-chalantly it almost passes over my head.
"...Princess...ruler...and goddess...damn. You win." I say as I sit crossed legged on the ground and fold my arms.
"Indeed." She smirks at me before sitting on her haunches.
"However the only thing Twilight has told me is that you crashed through the statue in town square and fended off not one but two manticores. If you'd indulge my curiosity I'd like to know more about you, however, I would like it if you came with me to Canterlot so that my sister, Luna, may hear your story as well." She said with the same warm smile, and I couldn't find it in me to say no.
"Of course your highness, I will tell you anything you could possible want to know about me, within reason of course, and I would very much like to meet your sister. Am I right if I assume that since you are a sun goddess that she is the goddess of the moon?" I inquired.
"Why yes she is. Quite perceptive of you." She stands up and motions me to follow her out the hospital room, with the other six ponies following behind me.
After a short walk out of the hospital we come outside and see a large chariot. It was primarily an ivory white color with gold trim, a wing of gold emblazoned on the sides that held the wheels. It was a bit bigger than what one might imagine a chariot to be considering its romanized design. Next to it was a somewhat smaller chariot similar in color pallette but instead of simple wings emblazoned to the side it had intricate detailing that looked like a horned pegasus mid flight. At the head of each chariot were two pegasi, each one seemed to be a clone of the other. With only bleach white coats visible under their armor, also roman in design, feather plumed helmet and everything. I had no idea their mane or tail color since it was covered in their brilliant gold armor.
"We will be arriving to Canterlot on these chariots, I made sure to bring a large one for you and your friends Twilight." Said Celestia as she entered the smaller chariot.
The six ponies along with myself entered the larger chariot. (Twilight took it upon herself to formally introduce me to the others. There was Pinkie Pie, the one who played along with me in my little improv. Applejack, the cow-pony. Rainbow Dash, the speedy prismatic mare. Rarity, the alabaster fashionista. And finally Fluttershy, the most adorable thing in the multiverse). It was large enough to accomadate all of us with some room to spare. I held on to the railing as the chariot jolted forward and left the ground. How two pegasi can haul a chariot full of six ponies and a human and keep it level was beyond me. The ride was rather boring so I decided to do what I always do to kill time, sing a song. I looked through my Iphone looking for the right song, earning curious looks from my equine company. And before any of them could even open their mouths to question me the song began and I stood up in the chariot to give my performance.
I start off dancing doing my best to do Chris Farley proud. I still lacked a shirt so it was perfect.
Everyone's watching, to see what you will do
Everyone's looking at you, oh
Everyone's wondering, will you come out tonight
Everyone's trying to get it right, get it right
Everybody's working for the weekend
Everybody wants a little romance
Everybody's goin' off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance, oh
You want a piece of my heart
You better start from start
You wanna be in the show
Come on baby lets go
I get Pinkie Pie, Apple Jack, and Rainbow dash to join me in the dance somehow balancing on their back legs easily following my arm movements.
Everyone's looking to see if it was you
Everyone wants you to come through
Everyone's hoping it'll all work out
Everyone's waiting they're holding out
Finally Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy join in on the fun.
Everybody's working for the weekend
Everybody wants a little romance
Everybody's goin' off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance, oh
You want a piece of my heart
You better start from start
You wanna be in the show
Come on baby lets go
I really start going all out, going as far as balancing my self on one of the wheel wells of the chariot as I continued my dance.
You want a piece of my heart
You better start from start
You wanna be in the show
Come on baby lets go
You want a piece of my heart
You better start from start
You wanna be in the show
Come on baby lets go
As the song died down and I jumped back into the chariot proper I was met with a round of applause from my new companions. Well more of hoof claps.
"Oh darling that was so much fun, I didn't expect you to be quite the singer." Rarity complimented as she straightened out her mane.
"Yea that was super duper funerificly fun! You gotta sing and dance at the next party I throw...GASP!!!" Pinkie cut herself off as she closed in on me and got right in my face.
"I never got a chance to do your "Welcome to Ponyville" party!" she seemed genuinely upset so I tried to cheer her up.
"It's ok Pinks, you can throw me an awesome party later, how's that sound? I'll even sing a bit too." This seemed to cheer her up.
"Okie dokie loki, I'll hold ya to it." She suddenly disappeared and appeared right next to Rarity like she never moved.
"Oh but must we wait till then to hear another song?" Rarity asked.
"I don't see why not, I think I have the perfect song too." I searched through my phone's library of songs before I found the one I was looking for.
"Ok so this one is one of my favorite songs ever, it pretty much describes my outlook on life perfectly, we have no idea when it will end so live each die like it is your last. I did."
My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride
If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
If today was your last day
Against the grain should be a way of life
What's worth the prize is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live like you'll never live it twice
Don't take the free ride in your own life
If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
Would you call old friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you finally fall in love
If today was your last day
If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are
So do whatever it takes
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothin' stand in your way
Cause the hands of time are never on your side
If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
Would you call old friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you finally fall in love
If today was your last day
I look around and see smiling faces adorning my little audience. I love that sight. If I can even bring one person to smile, whether it be by my antics or with a song, then I feel truly happy.
"That was a beautiful song Damien." Twilight said as she walked over and sat next to me.
"Yeah, it sounded great and it kinda makes your heart feel good." said Rarity.
"Yeah, I guess it does." I sit back down and lean my back against the side of the chariot.
"I've always had that kind of outlook on life, I have no idea when it'll all end, but instead of worrying about it I treat every day like it'd be my last and try to go out with a smile on my face."
"Well that sounds like a mighty fine way ta' look at things if ya ask me." said Applejack with a genuin smile.
We sat in the chariot for a little while after and just talked abit. Nothing much, mostly about the ponies. I asked them if they could hold off on questions about my personal life until we got to this Canterlot place so I wouldn't have to explain it twice. They didn't have a problem with it.
I learned quite a bit about them. Applejack runs the apple farm where I fought the manticores (a shocker I know!). PinkiePie was a pastry chef that worked for a couple known as the Cakes in the local bakery. Rarity made custom order dresses and suits of what I can only assume is the highest quality. Fluttershy is an expert with animals and takes care of any critter that needs the help. Rainbow is apparently charged with the weather around Ponyville, which apparently needs to be manipulated by pegasi. I'm not saying it's magic, but, it's magic. And lastly Twilight is the town librarian and was sent to Ponyville to study the magic of friendship.
We finally arrived at Canterlot and let me tell you something, it was freaking magnificent looking. The entire place looked like a stereotypical fairytale kingdom, only polished to an almost mirror finish. At the center was a massive ilustrious castle and surrounding it were several more mansion style houses. The further away from the castle however the smaller the houses got. I assume that the less wealthy ponies lived in the smaller houses.
"Wow." was all I could say as we were taken over the city and towards a large balcony on the side of the castle.
For some reason, I'm not entirely sure why, I decided to do something stupid. So with out any warning what so ever, I stood up, walked over to the edge of the still in mid flight chariot, and swan dived into what looked like a pool near the bottom of the tower that the balcony we were aproaching was on.
"DAMIEN!!!" I heard all six ponies shout as I fell from the chariot at alarming speed.
I looked up, or down considering I was falling head first, and saw a rainbow streak coming my way. So in an attempt to pick up speed I flattened my arms. She never even got close as I made contact with the water. I braced myself and felt the water hit my body, though it didn't hurt all that much. I felt a bit numb but that's good considering I'd be dead if it weren't for my awesome new magic powered body.
I sank like a rock before I righted my self under water and re surfaced. I looked up and saw a stunned, but still angry looking Rainbow. Above her were the rest in the chariot also looking rather steamed. Except for Pinkie who held up a card with the number 9.5 on it. Atleast I nailed it.