DISCOVERY
Solaire slowly waded into consciousness, his groggy vision shifting as he attempted to control his contracted illness. His head rang with the constant pain of a recently inflicted blow as he laid silently upon the forest floor. Strangely, his helmet had been removed and his blood-stained face was exposed to the light.
Solaire ceased his internal quarrel as his ears detected the voice of an unknown soul. When there was one, there was another, and then another... Solaire was in the midst of a set of beings under an on-going conversation above his motionless body. As his wits began to clear from his blurry episode, he could identify the distinction in their voices:
They spoke with a womanly pitch, the definite touch of feminism in their wording. One spoke with a delicate and soft tone, almost hesitant to continue speaking. The other, spoke in a demanding, but questionative manner that pressed on the discussion with her constant prodding. Finally, the last of the group boasted with a raspy, almost masculine tone that assisted in the argument, seemingly eager for action.
Solaire groaned and began shifting his head to its sides, the pain slowly building up in his skull. The once heated conversation grew silent as Solaire could sense the watchful eyes of the figures. Solaire strengthened himself to focus his eyesight, revealing the close observance of the creatures above him.
They were not human, that is to say the least. However, they bared a friendly look about them, almost angelic in their light shades of various colors as the sun beyond shone to their backs, creating a dramatic shadow upon them. Their eyes filled the largest space upon their faces, it being the most noticeable appearance from closer inspection. These creatures bared a striking resemblance to a knight's own partner, killed off long ago from the demon's emergence.
The realization suddenly hit him; Equestria, horses, the quadruped figures.... he was in a land of pastel ponies! Solaire scoffed over his distaste on the situation. To trudge the whole of his lifetime ravaging demons and monsters alike, only to be 'captured' by these innocent looking ponies?
Solaire would of laughed if it didn't intensely pain his sides. The 'ponies' gave off multiple reactions in utter silence as Solaire attempted to upheld a word of question towards them.
"Who.... are... you?" Solaire worked out, his mouth parched dry from the previous encounter. The figures gasped and exchanged looks towards each other, then quickly focusing back upon him.
the lavender colored 'pony' cleared her throat and stepped forward hesitantly, and then raised herself to speak. She spoke slowly to him, almost like a child; "I. Am. Twi-light Spar-kle." she pointed to herself with one of her hooves. She then pointed towards him. "Who. Are. You?"
Solaire rolled his eyes at her long pauses and over-expressive movements. He lifted his arm and prodded himself in the chest with his thumb, playing along.
"I am Solaire.... of Astora." he calmly replied.
The group once again exchanged quick glances, Solaire was unnerved at the uncertainty. It was obvious to him that they do not intend harm upon him, but the slow build-up of an awkward conversation irked him highly. He decided to take the initiative:
"Did... Did you fight that beast?" Solaire questioned, his nearest recollection concerning the approach of the hoofed figure that Solaire had witnessed stand headstrong towards the incoming beast. Surely these creatures couldn't of defeated such a hideous monstrosity!
The two 'ponies' of the group eyed their one friend for a response. Her body language promoted a shy and timid attitude, as the yellow and pink-haired being shifted her gaze to the floor.
She replied in a whisper: "Well um... no. I-I am... really good with animals..."
Solaire showed his confusion. "That...that was no animal! How did you fend it off?" He queried once more.
She whimpered at the response, but worked her courage to reply. "I... told him to go away"
Solaire's eye twitched, unable to comprehend how such a noticeably weaker creature intimidated it enough to just 'go away.' Suddenly, a quick shot of pain erupted and spread along his side to which he grunted in pain.
The once incomprehensibly shy pony sprung to attention after his bout of pain and questioned him confidently.
"Oh my are you hurt? What's wrong? I can help!" she reared in close, unaware of her uncomfortably close position, scanning his strange figure, searching for the source of his pain.
Solaire was no fool, his condition was grave. Seeing how this forest almost murdered him, it would be an unwise move to deny help from this seemingly friendly creature.
He replied with an urgency in his voice. "My hip, I think it's fractured... I'm wearing this armor over my body-" he tapped the iron-plated torso with his knuckles, signifying it's defense.
"Bleeding... under... I-I have a concussion..." He etched out from his pained tongue.
The yellow pony took no time to question. Her gaze snapped towards the oddly colored 'rainbow' maned pony that hovered impatiently above the ground.
Solaire made a mental note: Flying ponies... no, Pegasus.
"Rainbow Dash, it is too heavy for us to carry. Go get Applejack and bring back a cart to put it on!" She instructed the intrigued light blue pegasus.
Rainbow Dash responded with glee; "Finally! Something to do rather then staring at this thing!"
Solaire shot a look at the pony, an unintended feud had begun between them as she grinned and took to the sky, leaving his view at a shockingly rapid pace.
The once nervous pony met Solaire almost eye-to-eye, she brought about looks of genuine worry as she continued to observe him closely, searching for any further signs of harm.
The lavender pony known as Twilight, that had remained silent throughout the recent event, brought herself to attention, quizzing Solaire eagerly.
"So... Solaire is it?" she carefully worded his foreign name. "What are you exactly?"
Solaire looked intently at the confused creature. Is it possible that these ponies have never seen a 'human' before?
He sighed and replied in a raspy tone, his throat impeccably dry. "I... am a hu-man." he worded to her, pointing to himself. "Male... to be exact."
Twilight's mane pushed back to reveal a protruding horn, something Solaire had misslooked.
Solaire made his second mental note: Magical ponies.... Unicorns.
her horn began to glow a moderate violet as Solaire witnessed a small notebook levitate magically in front of her face. Solaire had witnessed such a feat from the scholars at the Vinheim Dragon School practicing such magical arts. He beared a vague look of impress as she scribbled text with an also levitating quill.
Solaire grunted at the sudden reaction of pain. The yellow pony shot backwards in alarm.
"Oh I'm so sorry! I was just looking! I didn't mean-" Solaire cut her off with a hand raise; Twilight took note of his dragon-like appendage.
"It's... okay." He replied, attempting to soothe her fears. He returned to his original position upon the grass, lying back as his 'rescue' echoed the sounds of advance from the unknown reaches of the forest.
Through the rifts in the trees the sun shone wonderfully bright as it penetrated the darkness of the forest. Solaire closed his eyes for a brief moment, overlooking his pained head and side. He enveloped the warming touch of the sunlight as he reminisced his own experiences.
The battle, Lord Gwyn, the Warriors of Sunlight. What became of them? What becomes of me? Do I stand behind the foundations of reality, or within a realm of my own innocence? O' my beautiful sun, how you stay unchanging in a world that I see so strange... Guide me a safe passage.
Solaire became weary from his own thoughts; pain transcending into non-existence as he laid quietly, the yellow pony attempting to work herself around his iron plating to no avail.
Solaire took notice of the figures fading into appearance from the forest's shadows as a new face pushed a fairly large cart from behind.
Twilight continued to closely observe his behavior as he took focus. Every movement, every reaction, everything! To her own recollection, nopony had ever seen something so monstrous, yet, so elegant and wondrous. His figure, at first glance, told her inner-self to run away, yet her own imagination and the light encouragement from her veterinarian friend to closely observe this 'beast'.
A new letter to Celestia perhaps? Twilight thought to herself, placing the quill to her chin in contemplation. She shook her head and scribbled a new note into her enclosed notebook.
"Ah Rainbow Dash..." questioned an unfamiliar voice. Solaire could not identify her tone of speech, almost to the point to which he could not understand her confusion. "Just what in tarnations am ah lookin' at?"
Rainbow Dash shrugged at the question; Twilight intervened from within her notebook, "HE is called a hewman, atleast that's what he told me."
The strangely spoken orange pony scratched her head with her hoof. "He? Ya tellin' me that it- ah mean he talked to ya?! Ah dunno about y'all, but he doesn't look like any animal that ah have ever seen."
"I KNOW! Exciting isn't it? Us, discovering a brand new species?!" Twilight squeed in delight.
Solaire arched his head up from his rest, waving his hand slightly to signify himself. The yellow pony intervened from her careful nursing:
"Applejack, we need to bring him back to the cottage, he's hurt..." She said, putting a hoof to his chest.
Applejack... how would I expect any stranger a name here... Solaire thought, rolling his eyes.
"Well shucks! Ya should of just said so, c'mon now, let's get him up here!" She waved to Rainbow Dash, who stretched her front legs at the request.
Carefully, they pitched in to loading Solaire unto the cart, Solaire weakened the burden by shifting his weight to assist them. He barely fit the space of the small cart as his legs hung from the edge; he didn't mind. He felt drowsy from the strange chain of events: The meeting of the unusual race of sentient ponies, the encounter with the multi-bodied beast, and the confusion of his own arrival.
Solaire knew little over the encumbrance of a concussion, he had witnessed it often, but few lived through it as their own pitiful weakness left them exposed to the hallowed. Sleep, he proposed, was necessary. He slowly began to drift, his complete trust in the sanctity of his new hosts as they began to hoist him off to a realm unknown.
Before his eventual trip, Solaire stopped Applejack, who had taken charge of the cart (being remarkably strong), from proceeding. He took his gaze to the warm-hearted pony who had saved him from the beast, and given care and watch over his person.
"You..." he pointed to her; her gaze met the floor. "What is your name? I must know..." He asked.
The pony looked up from her shy avoidance, and met with his eyes.
"Fluttershy." she answered, a slight blush stretching over her cheeks.
"Fluttershy." he repeated back to himself in agreement.
"A lovely name..."