//------------------------------// // Act I: Chapter Two: Three is a Crowd // Story: Innocent // by Puzzle Piece //------------------------------// The only thing Zacon found odd about the fact that he’d just hit the ground at around sixty miles an hour was that it hurt. He would have bounded back to his feet right away, but he wasn’t feeling right. First of all, he felt lighter than normal, as if he’d put down a large load. Another thing that wasn’t right was the position he was lying in. His limbs didn’t feel like they were pointed in the right directions. He knew none of them were broken because they didn’t hurt enough to be broken. Then there was the pain itself. He’d hit the ground hard but it hadn’t been any harder than he’d shrugged off before. The side he’d landed on ached and he felt the shock of the impact throughout his entire body. He decided that lying there wasn’t going to do him any good so he pushed himself upright and blinked his eyes open. As he did so, he became aware that there was more wrong with his situation than he realized. The cave was gone. He was now outside near a thin forest. His limbs weren’t responding correctly either. He called out to Cor in confusion. The response came shortly and from close by. “I’m here…wherever here is.” Zacon swiveled to find him. All he saw was a…Unicorn? Yes, a green-coated Unicorn. It had a darker green mane with bright highlights. It was looking around as if dazed. It put its forelimb to its face to try to steady itself, but stopped and stared as if surprised to see its own hoof. Then it looked directly at Zacon with strangely familiar grey eyes. When it opened its mouth, he heard Cor’s voice. “Zacon?” The Unicorn stood up uncertainly. “Is that you?” “Why wouldn’t it be?” his base voice rumbled, though he already had a bad feeling that he knew the answer. He looked down at himself and grimaced. His own equine coat was steel grey with streaks of white, not unlike the silver scales he’d had before… before whatever had happened. Getting to his feet himself, Zacon took in his surroundings. There were woods to the left, hills leading to distant mountains on the right, and a road nearby. He took a step and wobbled slightly. Cor was having a harder time of adjusting. He had so far managed to fall on his face twice in his last three steps. Zacon looked back at his tail mournfully and found something that distracted him momentarily. “Cor, what do you think this is?” “Huh?” he said from the dirt. “What’s what?” “This mark,” Zacon said without looking. He pointed to the picture on his flank, which seemed to depict a bloody fang. “It resembles a brand but it doesn’t look like it was burned on.” Cor looked at the mark his friend indicated and then searched himself for a similar mark. He found it in the same location but the mark was different; a single, rich green leaf. “It could be painted on, I suppose.” Zacon continued absently. “I don’t think that’s what we should be concerning ourselves with.” Cor slowly propped himself upright. “Right now we should try to figure out where we are and how to get back home. We can worry about the why’s and how’s later.” “I don’t think we need to be in such a rush.” Zacon continued to look himself over unconcernedly. “The others can handle themselves. They’ll have their chance at the glory while we’re away.” “Still,” Cor said slowly as he took another stab at walking. “We should make getting back our first priority.” Cor froze. He cast about desperately for a moment. “Where’s my bow?!” Zacon glanced over in minor concern. “Wouldn’t it be difficult for you to use it now?” “Oh, sure it would, but I still need to know where it is! If it’s lost, or worse, damaged…that bow was a gift from my father; it was his bow when he was a Ranger!” Zacon was about to respond but they both stopped at the sound of something approaching. They had been so preoccupied that they hadn’t noticed the pony pulling a cart as she trotted up the road. Now it was too late to hide. They stood and waited as she came to a stop. She had an orange coat and a braided, blond mane. The cart was full of apples. Zacon could see at a glance that her slight form belied the strength in her lean muscles. He made note of it but otherwise considered her no threat. Her words virtually confirmed his conclusion. “What are ya’ll doin’ in the ditch? You don’t need help, do you?” “Um, actually, we might.” Cor said, glancing uncertainly at his friend. “Do you know where the nearest town is?” “Well, sure. Ponyville is just a mile from here.” She gestured up the road. “I’m on my way there now with these here apples. I’ll take you there.” “Yes, thank you.” Cor glanced at Zacon and added under his breath, “Better than sitting around here.” Zacon only shrugged and followed. They had hardly gone a dozen steps when Cor cried out and leapt off the road again. Zacon and the orange mare looked down at him curiously. “My bow,” he stated simply. “I found it.” He fumbled with it for a moment before he managed to balance it on his back. He stepped out of the ditch and they continued on. ~*~*~ Applejack’s forehead scrunched up in puzzlement as they walked. This was certainly an odd pair of ponies. The Unicorn was having trouble with…just about everything. He tripped up repeatedly, couldn’t manage to keep his bow balanced on his back and, when it fell, he clumsily used his hooves to pick it up instead of magic. Neither one seemed knowledgeable about this part of the country, or Equestria for that matter. Normally she would try not to judge others so closely, but some of the things they’d said had caused her to do double takes, especially the Earth Pony. These two were discussing some kind of fight that they’d been in, but the big stallion was so nonchalant about fighting that she was starting to feel uncomfortable near them. He was well built, like her brother. In fact, without him here to compare, she wasn’t sure who was more muscular. They kept saying things about this other place where some fight was and how they could get back. The discussion was impossible to follow. She had almost had enough and was about to insist they explain what in the hay they were up to when she heard something that brought her around abruptly. “Magic was flying pretty thick. I’m just saying anything could have hit us while we weren’t looking,” the Unicorn was saying. “That doesn’t explain how we were transported here and changed like this.” The Earth Pony returned. “The shaman couldn’t possibly have had that kind of power.” “Well, we were surrounded by all of those crystals. Maybe they had some strange property that was activated by the energy bolts.” The Earth Pony considered that silently. “I’ll bet we were hit with the same type of blast that got Jason,” The Unicorn continued. “He disappeared right when it went off. Maybe…” “Did you say ‘Jason’?” Applejack broke in. Her companions exchanged a suspicious glance. “Yes. Why?” “It’s just, I met somepony a day or so ago with that name. Jason Faircastle? You wouldn’t happen to be talkin’ 'bout him, would you?” She was almost certain she was right but she didn’t expect the response she got. The Earth Pony was instantly towering over her. “Where is he? Where did you see him? Take us to him NOW!” The Unicorn stepped in between them, allowing Applejack to back off hastily. “Wait, Zacon. She said a day ago. It couldn’t be him. We’ve only been here for a couple of hours at most.” “It couldn’t not be him, Cor!” Zacon snorted. Cor opened his mouth to respond but nothing came out. Instead, he turned to address the slightly trembling Applejack. “I’m terribly sorry,” he said. “We are in a somewhat pressing situation and have very little information to work with. I apologize for our rudeness. We hope you will still take us to this town and, if possible, to Jason?” “S-sure. ‘Tain’t a problem. I understand.” She took a moment to compose herself before leading them on. “Enough anyway,” she added under breath. ~*~*~ When they reached the edge of town, Applejack gave them directions to where Jason should be and excused herself to attend to some business. Zacon would have insisted she stay with them until Jason was located but Cor accepted before he could start and thanked her for her help. “So the library we’re looking for is built from a tree,” Cor mused as they walked. Zacon muttered something that sounded like “Elves and their damn trees.” “Is something wrong?” Cor glanced at him. “Oh, walking on four legs isn’t anything, but my tail? It just feels so…” He shook his head disconsolately. When he saw the incredulity on Cor’s face, he continued. “Don’t you start! It isn’t just the tail; it’s the scales too. Do you know how much that landing hurt? More than it should have! I hate being so…so…soft!” Cor laughed out loud. “This is coming from the noble warrior; the bloodthirsty powerhouse; the one who always scoffed at what he saw as weakness in the rest of us ‘soft-skins’?” When Zacon growled at him, he went on more soberly. “I’m just saying that it isn’t the worst thing that could happen. I get along just fine without scales. Tough it out.” Zacon continued to grumble but Cor tuned it out. He was more concerned with finding this library and Jason with it. The town was simple but lively. Ponies of all colors went about business with what Cor could only call excessive cheer. Almost every pony he saw was smiling. Those that weren’t, were laughing. Talk filled the air and mingled with the sound of their hooves in the well-traveled dirt roads. In fact, it was noisy enough that Cor had no trouble ignoring Zacon’s continued complaints. He enjoyed hearing their bright voices engaging in merry conversation all around him. It was a welcome change from the unending demands of the court or the deafening cacophony of battle. He took in the surroundings without really seeing them. Instead he paid attention to the sounds. Short fragments of the lives around him were his to share for a moment and the mundane nature of it all was soothing. Too much of his life had been war, he thought, allowing a small frown to show itself. He’d been fighting for most of his life. He struggled to remember what life had been like before the wars. To add to it all, being made Prince halfway through hadn’t helped. He missed so many things from before he was royalty. Even childish things like running through the streets with his friends. Now, when he was in the capital, he couldn’t go ten feet without some sort of interruption. If he was honest with himself, he was glad the wars had allowed him to escape that at least. But was the price worth it? His reflections were interrupted by a heavy thud and an all-too-familiar shout of rage. “In the name of the Matriarch, get off of me!” Cor stood very still and tried hard not to sigh. He should have known the moment wouldn’t last. “Sorry, but I saw that you looked a little down in the daisies!” a slightly shrill voice proclaimed. “So I thought I’d give you a little extra spring to your step. I guess I gave you a little too much. Hehe.” “If you touch me again, I’ll hit you so hard that your sick, little smile will turn upside down permanently.” There was a slight edge of desperation in Zacon’s voice that told Cor just how much this condition was actually affecting him. It also told him that the situation was about to spiral out of control. As vicious of a fighter as he was, Cor knew Zacon wasn’t blindly violent. But he was under unique stress and sounded fully prepared to carry out his threat. Turning, he saw a pink mare who was literally bouncing with energy. As he watched though, she was in the process of reacting to Zacon’s show of anger. The height of her jumps decreased dramatically and her eager stance shifted to one of submission. Cor could still see the shadow of the offending smile on her face. “I only meant that I wanted to make you smile.” The hurt in her voice caused her words to decrease in volume as she went on until they were hardly audible. Zacon continued to seethe. The mare gulped and decided to risk another nervous smile. Cor stepped calmly between them and faced the pony. “I didn’t see what happened but I’d ask you not to repeat it in the future. We’re in a hurry and haven’t time for interruptions. I hope you’ll excuse us.” He didn’t wait for a response. He steered Zacon away with him and directed them back to their original course. “What do you think you’re doing threatening random ponies?” Cor hissed. “We don’t need to draw attention to ourselves.” “She tackled me! She practically ran me over Cor!” “And that’s sufficient reason to want to hurt her?” Zacon’s silence was a moody one. Cor glanced back at the mare. She was bouncing circles around a pair of fillies as if nothing had happened and even appeared to be singing. “I just hate being a squishy little meat bag,” Zacon said when he finally spoke. It was obvious that his pride had been hurt more than anything else. Cor nudged him none-too-gently in the side. Zacon glared at him but Cor started speaking quickly. “I get it, okay? This isn’t easy on either of us. At least you’ve had practice walking on four limbs. Look, I think I see this library we’re supposed to find. We’ll just figure this out quick and put it behind us, and I won’t say a word about being,” Cor snorted once in laughter, “‘Squishy’.” Zacon was dubious. Cor wiped the smile off his face and tried to look as sincere as he felt. It seemed to do the job. Zacon looked just about ready to drop the subject when a voice right behind them caused them both to jump. “He might not mention it again, but I think I’ll try to get some mileage out of this one.” They spun around to find Jason laughing at them. Despite the fact that it was an equine face he saw, Cor could tell who it was. This pony’s mane was a black, spiky mess. The coat was tan and well groomed but the shadow of several shallow cuts remained. A saddlebag was slung over his back. His stance appeared at first to be relaxed enough that he was ready to collapse, but upon further observation, Cor could see that it was his friend's practiced looseness that allowed him to spring into motion on a whim. It was his mane and eyes that did it. Neither one could have belonged to anyone else. The disorder of Jason’s hair was practically a trademark. And the eyes? Well, the eyes were more subtle. They were the eyes of one who had seen much; things that normal eyes could never look upon. But they also were the eyes of one who refused to be brought down. The raw determination dwelling just beneath their surface was unmistakable. At least it was for Cor. He’d known Jason his whole life and he knew what those eyes had seen. Maybe he could see it because he just knew what to look for. “I should have known you’d find us first. But how did you know it was us?” Jason glanced around conspiratorially. “Zacon is the only one I know who shouts oaths to the Matriarch.” Cor nodded in understanding and glanced at Zacon. Zacon just looked away aloofly. “So…what’s going on?” Cor asked. It was a question that could be expected in this situation but not one that was easy to answer. “As far as I can tell,” Jason began, “We’ve been teleported to another world and have taken on the forms of this world. Since they’re mostly ponies here, that’s what we’ve become. As to how it happened, I have no idea.” “Actually, Zacon and I have been discussing that.” The three started toward the library as they talked. “We believe that the crystals in the cavern had some unique property which was activated by the energy bolts that were being fired at us. They were ricocheting everywhere so it was hard to tell, but it’s the best we could come up with. We saw you get hit with one of those blasts just before the two of us ended up here. I can only assume we took one as well.” “It makes sense,” Jason mused. “I didn’t think anything those shaman had could do this. If those crystals are involved, it could complicate a return journey. Still, knowing the likely cause will probably help. I’ve been working with a Unicorn who lives in town to find a way back. I was just going back to see if she’d made any progress since our last meeting.” “Hold on a moment,” Cor said slowly. “A pony told us that she met you yesterday. How is that possible? We’ve only been here for a few hours.” Jason contemplated this for a moment. “I suppose time has passed differently for us because we were sent here separately.” “You’re the expert.” Cor said, dismissing further speculation. “It doesn’t make too much difference to me how it happened. What I want to hear about is the plan for getting back.” Jason didn’t answer but stared at Cor, or more accurately, what was on Cor’s back. “Is that your bow?” Cor looked at it and then back to Jason. “Yes. What about it?” Jason paused for a moment of astonishment. “How did it get here?” he asked at last. “What do you mean? It was just sitting on the ground a few feet from where we showed up.” “Wait for me at the library. I’ll be there in a minute.” Jason said, backing away excitedly. Without offering any further explanation, he sprinted off. Cor raised an eyebrow at Zacon, who grunted neutrally. The library was built from a tree just as their guide had said. Cor noted that it appeared to be the only building in town that was. The windows visible at odd angles throughout the canopy hinted at multiple levels. They came to the door and stopped. Cor looked at Zacon. Zacon glanced from the handle to Cor. Cor cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I’ll just…um,” he said, putting his forelimbs to the handle and attempting to force it open. After fumbling with it for a few seconds, he got it to give. The door swung in and he landed in a heap on the threshold. A barely contained fit of laughter greeted him as he righted himself. Zacon stepped in and swept the room with a stern gaze. Cor made his own appraisal when he’d gotten his legs under him. It was an adequate size but much larger than one might have thought from the outside. Despite the unexpected size, he was not impressed. Cor did not spend more time than he had to in towns, and even less in any kind of library, but he expected most were better cared for than this. Books carpeted the floor; opened to random pages and lying in heaps. Precarious stacks covered the available desks. The shelves themselves were almost bare. Picking his way through the mess, he attempted to find the pony Jason had mentioned working with. Instead, he found a small reptilian creature. “Can I help you two?” It spoke with a decidedly male voice, as it came down a stairway that led to an upper level. From the sound of its voice, Cor guessed that it was what had laughed when he’d ‘entered’. “That would depend on who and what you are,” Zacon grunted. “I’m Spike, Twilight Sparkle’s assistant.” He spoke with obvious pride. “And I’m a dragon.” Zacon stared. Spike fidgeted as if he’d expected a different response. Zacon sat down heavily where he was. He didn’t say a word but continued to fix Spike with an unblinking gaze. “Okay,” Spike said uncertainly. He turned to Cor. “And what about you?” Cor shrugged off Zacon’s moodiness once more. “We’re waiting for a friend to meet us here. I don’t think we’ll need any assistance until he arrives.” “Well, I’ll have to ask you not to move anything around.” He gestured at the mess that took up most of the room. “There’s some important research being done. Twilight wouldn’t like it if it got disturbed.” Cor figured Zacon wouldn’t get into anything in his current state so Cor worked his way over to a shelf that still had books in it, propping his bow against the wall. As he scanned the titles, the dragon went back up the stairs. Finally selecting one, he tipped it off the shelf and used his nose to open it. Its cover read A Brief History of Equestria, v. VII. He had no idea where the other volumes could be but he decided he didn’t care enough to look, so he just lay down and started reading the one he had. It described several mundane events that he couldn’t make heads or tails of and a few matters of state that reminded him so forcefully of his own royal duties that he just flipped the page. There was only a handful of notable information he was able to gather: the name of this country’s leader was a ‘Princess Celestia’; its capital was Canterlot; and that the ponies of this world were directly in control of the weather in most of Equestria. That last piece interested him most. He was flipping to a portion that addressed it specifically when he was interrupted by a voice from behind him. “What are you using your hooves like that for?” Cor looked up at Spike. He was standing at the base of the stairs just behind him, watching Cor read. Cor glanced at his hoof, which was resting on the page he had been about to turn. “What do you mean?” he asked. “What I mean is why don’t you just magic the pages instead of pushing them around like that?” He flapped a claw to illustrate “magic”. Cor remained motionless. He had no idea what magic this world had. Was he doing something wrong? He was just running a few possible excuses through his mind when the door opened. A purple Unicorn walked in with a basket floating beside her. Cor blinked several times. Then he noticed the faint purple aura that surrounded the basket and the corresponding glow of her horn. The Unicorn started speaking the moment she was in the library. “Spike, I need you to lay out these new ingredients. I think they’ll work better than our previous attempts.” “Good.” Spike leapt down the stairs. “The noise the last one made really hurt my head.” “I’ve thought it over while I was getting these and I believe it was feedback from the magic used to keep the ingredients in place during the spell.” She set the basket down on a center table that Cor had thought was just a very wide pile of books. “Now, where did I leave that decanter?” When she turned to look for it, she spotted Zacon and Cor. She gave Spike a questioning glance. “Oh,” said Spike. “And we have some visitors.” Cor got up and stood beside Zacon, who was watching the entire scene with a detachment that told Cor he wanted no part in any of this. “I am Cor Hightalon and this is Zacon Crimsontide. We were just waiting to meet our friend. He said he wouldn’t be too long. We will try to stay out of your way until he arrives.” Cor bowed respectfully and nudged Zacon. Zacon snorted once and dragged his hooves across the room and seated himself by the door. The Unicorn shook her head to recover from the unexpectedness of the encounter. She thanked Cor for his thoughtfulness toward her project and turned her attention back to it. Cor went back to the book he’d been reading but hesitated. If he’d been doing something wrong and the Unicorn noticed, things could get awkward. He decided his best bet was to put the book back and just wait for Jason. As he nosed the book toward the bookshelf, he hit his head hard on the lower tier of shelves. He fell back, eyes watering in pain. Something was strange about it though. It felt like he’d nearly ripped his scalp off instead of just bashing himself over the head. He also couldn’t understand how he’d hit the shelf in the first place. He was almost a foot away. “Are you alright?” The Unicorn asked, coming to his side. “Oh, no, I’m fine.” He blinked enough to see the concern on her face. “Just hit my head there.” He curled up and put his hooves over his head. Then he had a few questions answered. First, he had a horn, which is what he’d actually hit. Second, if he was a Unicorn, he could probably use the same kind of magic that this Unicorn had. That must have been what Spike was referring to. He decided he could think about all that later. Right now he was going to concentrate on whether or not he was bleeding. “You really should be more careful. Libraries aren’t exactly dangerous, but smacking your head into walls isn’t safe anywhere.” She laughed as she went back to her experiments. Cor grinned through watering eyes. Looking down at the book again, he wondered how he was supposed to use magic in this world. He didn’t have a chance to try anything though, because the door opened again and Jason entered at a run. “Cor? There you are. I found it. It was just a few yards from where I landed, just like you said your bow was!” He wove through the book piles and held up a glowing sword. At least it looked like it was glowing. A tan aura surrounded it but Cor knew that it had nothing to do with the sword itself. The sword was black as pitch, except where the light caught it and gave it an indigo sheen. It was crafted in the style of a Wakizashi and had an unusually keen edge. Cor knew it instantly as the blade Black Guard soldiers were equipped with. “What’s going on?” The Unicorn inquired, craning her neck to see what Jason was holding. “Oh! Nothing!” Cor said hastily. Then he hissed at Jason, “Hide it quick.” “Relax Cor,” Jason said, brushing back Cor’s attempt to shield the sword from view. “This is Twilight Sparkle. She is helping me find a solution to our problem.” “These two are friends of yours then?” She asked, looking from Cor to Zacon. “So, she…knows?” Cor questioned. “Yes and yes.” Jason said, swinging his head back and forth to answer them both at once. “I’ve explained everything I…well, almost everything I know about the situation. Which reminds me; the two of you had something to add.” He nodded at Cor. “Oh really?” Twilight stepped forward eagerly. “Because I’m kind of running out of workable theories.” Cor cleared his throat and began. “We noted that the caves we were in before being sent here were abundant in some type of crystal. We don’t know what kind they are; I’ve never seen them before myself. The magic energies in the area were ricocheting everywhere and we believe that a blast caused by them colliding with the crystals was the reason we were sent here.” Twilight thought about this new information for a moment. “If it was a reaction of a spell and some crystal, then I’ve been going about my experiments all wrong. I’ll have to recheck my sources for types of crystals that could conduct magical energies.” She looked back at the books littering the entire room behind her and blinked at them as if noticing them for the first time. She grinned at her guests in embarrassment. “Sorry about the mess.” She called Spike over and together they began the process of sifting through the piles for what they needed. Cor turned to Jason. “So you still have your sword.” “Yes, but only one. And my armor is gone too. You have your bow but…?” Jason leaned around him to see it. “But no quiver.” Cor finished. “Well, even with arrows, what good would it be in a place like this?” “That reminds me,” Cor looked at his bow and then down at the book. “How do you use that magic? Unicorns have magic right? Or do we not because we’re from another world?” “We’ve got magic like they do,” Jason nodded. “We also have our own magic still. At least I’ve got mine. The Unicorn magic can be specialized to do just about anything but you’re talking about the telekinesis. And that’s all it is; normal telekinesis. The only difference is that you concentrate it through your horn.” Cor nodded in understanding. “But I’ve never been good with telekinesis.” “Well then, I think you’re in for some crash course lessons because it’s the most common thing Unicorns do.” “As long as that’s all I have to deal with, I’ll be able to get this thing off my back in no time.” Zacon stomped over. “The way you’re carrying on about your weapons, someone would think they’re going to get us home. It already bothers me to no end that we’re ponies. But how can it be that your weapons are here but I don’t even have my scales?” “When we changed form, we lost our physical characteristics.” Jason explained. “I suspect that our heightened senses are still intact but any trait that depends on…” “Sure, whatever.” Zacon dismissed him with a wave of his hoof. “I just think it’s unfair.” “Who said anything about fair?” Cor raised an eyebrow at him. “You know,” Jason chuckled. “If you’re feeling left out of the ‘still got my weapon’ club, you could always try to summon the Axe.” “I’m not feeling left…” Zacon began indignantly, but stopped to consider the prospect. “Actually, I’m going to try it.” He turned and started for the door. Cor and Jason looked at each other. “We should probably keep an eye on this,” Cor said. “That’s your department.” Jason picked up a few books with his magic. “I’m going to see if there’s anything I can do here.” Cor took a deep breath before heading out after Zacon. The streets were mercifully light on traffic at the moment. Zacon was standing at the edge of the roadway, preparing to call down the Axe. Cor watched curiously. He didn’t have to do anything except make a request for the item. That was all it had ever taken before. Would it be the same now? Would the Matriarch be able to send it to this world? Cor glanced at the few ponies on the street. It appeared that they could sense something was about to happen because they were all watching and waiting as well. Cor almost hoped nothing would happen, except that would mean they would look crazy instead of dangerous. Zacon raised his head to the sky and called out in a strong, clear voice, “High Queen of the Dragons, grant me your blessing that I might bring glory to your name!” Silence answered. Cor looked all around and saw nothing. Zacon simply stood expectantly where he was. Cor noticed the other ponies begin gathering to whisper. He couldn’t hear what was said but it was all suspicious. Suddenly, a glow appeared in front of Zacon. He grinned triumphantly back at Cor. The Axe materialized before him, floating a few inches off the ground, apparently waiting for him to take it up. The Axe was a wide double blade at the end of a four foot staff. A single large emerald set in a heavy golden head adorned the end of the pole. The pole itself was a deep red wood and was polished to a shine. The body of the Axe was a glowing gold with brilliant silver blades and a platinum spearhead. The head was shaped as a rising dragon. But that wasn’t all. The same glow as before appeared around him. A second later, the Armor of the Dragon Matriarch formed as well. Only, it was fitted for a pony instead of a Dragonite. The gold plates streaked with silver bands covered him from the shoulder to his flanks and hung midway down his legs. A loose fitting plate hung across his chest, allowing freedom of movement. The helm cupped his ears from behind and let his mane flow from a gap down the back. The mouth was unobstructed but the top of the muzzle was adorned with a plate that extended to the nose. The plates that ran over the shoulders were tipped with silver blades meant for charging a target. The hooves were booted, with the lighter pair in the front and a heavier pair in the rear. Cor boggled at it. Zacon regarded it with mild curiosity before smiling broadly with confidence once more. The armor locked firmly in place and settled. The Axe remained suspended in the air. Zacon’s grin wavered slightly for a moment. “Cor?” he said, half turning to his friend. “How am I going to carry this?” That was when Cor realized Zacon wasn’t a Unicorn. “Um, maybe you should ask Jason about that.” Zacon stared at the Axe for another moment. Then he just took it in his mouth and walked back inside. Cor paused to observe the street-goers' reactions before he followed. They were muttering still but the tone now seemed to be that of awe. Cor did not look forward to explaining this one. Back inside, Zacon was holding the Axe before him proudly while Jason expressed his surprise and congratulations on his success. Zacon spun the shaft in his mouth around expertly and planted it solidly on the floor. It remained there, motionless as it waited for its master’s touch. “I guess it wasn’t that hard to figure out after all,” Cor said. “No,” Zacon responded. “Once I had a hold of it, it became clear how to wield it, as if I’d done so my entire life. It seems the Matriarch truly blesses me in my service, for even in this form, her grace allows me to serve her. It even feels nearly weightless on my teeth when I hold it.” “Have you tried your hooves?” Jason suggested. Zacon looked at his hooves for a moment before rearing up on his hind legs. After gaining his balance, he reached out and let his forelegs rest on the shaft of the Axe. He waited another second before gripping it with both hooves and lifting it. He was able to grip it behind the heels of his hooves and it seemed that the boots of his armor were designed to accommodate this arrangement. He swung the Axe once and it whistled through the air. He took a step and wobbled. Setting the pole across his back and holding it steady with one foreleg, he dropped back to the ground. “You’re a natural,” Cor said, with a hint of sarcasm. “Now will you stop your bellyaching about being in this world?” “Very well. I’ll deal with it for the time being,” Zacon said. “Just find a way back.” “Well Jason?” Cor turned to his friend. “How are we doing on that?” Jason glanced at Twilight. She was pushing a stack of books away and turning to another. Spike set another stack down beside her. “Not much closer than we were a few minutes ago.” “There isn’t by chance anything we could do to help?” Cor asked. “Not unless you suddenly became knowledgeable in the workings of sub-physical fluctuations and leyline parallelization.” Jason tilted his head sideways as he read the title of some of Twilight’s notes. Cor made a face and sat down. “Your what hurts?” “Exactly. In fact, I think I’m out of my league by more than a few levels here.” He backed away from the workspace as Twilight bustled past him without glancing up from the three different tomes she was poring over. “Why don’t I take the two of you someplace where I can fill you in on some things.” “Sure,” Cor shrugged. “Things making sense sounds good for a change. Zacon?” The warrior glanced over from his improvised practice session on holding objects. “Whatever. Can we get something to eat while we’re at it?” “Twilight?” Jason called. “We’re just going to leave you to it then. Alright?” There was no response from the Unicorn but Spike gave a thumbs-up before diving back into the books behind him. Jason took it as good enough. “Where are we going?” Cor asked as they shut the door and started down the street. Jason pointed with a hoof. “To Sugarcube Corner.”