//------------------------------//
// II 
// Story: The Noble Samurai 
// by The11thWonder 
//------------------------------//

                The samurai awoke to the soft chirping of birds and the sound of a light breeze whistling through an open window. He raised his arm to wipe the sleep from his eyes, but much to his surprise his back and shoulders cried out in pain, and his arm was forced back down.

                    He looked around. The man was in a small, cozy room with low ceilings and nearly-claustrophobic wooden walls, and he was laying atop a very small bed, one which only supported about half his body, leaving his arms and legs dangling awkwardly from the sides. He was propped up upon several soft, downy pillows, and there was a steaming bowl of soup by his bedside.
 
                    He gingerly reached for the soup, allowing his arms time to get accustomed to the pain and stiffness caused by his injuries and prolonged bed rest, and took a tentative sip from the bowl.
 
                    As he drank the delicious soup he could feel his pain ebbing away, as if the mixture had restorative properties. He could taste peas, carrots, and onions in a light broth that tasted of fresh celery. It reminded him of a stew that one of his village’s vendors made when he was a child. He smiled at the fond memory of his home, and continued to drink from the expertly-made dish.

                    If I remember correctly, he thought, drinking his fill from the hearty soup, some kind stranger must have seen my distress and nursed me to health. I must find this person, and thank him for his kindness.
 
                    He slowly, slowly got up and inspected himself, and found that he had bandages tied across his chest and shoulders, likely to dress the wounds on his back caused by the beast’s wicked tail. His jet-black hair was also out of its normal topknot that he always maintained, and was flowing down to his shoulders.
 
                He was also naked.
 
                After a quick moment of red-faced embarrassment, he rationed that it couldn't have been helped, his garments would have gotten in the way of dressing his wounds. However, the samurai felt very uncomfortable with his father’s sword, his one and only weapon, missing from his side, and went to look for it.
 
                Walking through the quaint abode, he found it to have a natural, peaceful charm that set his mind at ease, much like when he would meditate among the thickets of bamboo that were common around his village. After ducking through several small doorways, he smiled as he found his blade on top of a pile consisting of his underwear and sandals, and reached to reclaim it. “Thank goodness it was not difficult to find,” he said as his hand made contact with the hilt of the sword. Immediately afterwards, he heard a sharp gasp, and he reflexively unsheathed his blade and spun around to face the source of the sound. However, moving that quickly greatly agitated his injuries and he doubled over in pain, suddenly feeling very weak.
 
                    “Oh no!” cried a soft feminine voice, its owner rushing to his side. “Are you okay?”
 
                    He began to look up at his caring host, “I will be fine, miss…” However, as his eyes met the source of the motherly voice, it was his turn to gasp.
 
                    “What manner of creature are you!?” he exclaimed, surprised to see a small, yellow being staring at him with large, pink eyes brimming with concern.
 
                    “I’m a pony, mister, and I’m so sorry if I scared you, I was just surprised you could talk!” the yellow “pony” said.
 
                    The samurai idly ran a hand along his chin in thought. “Hm... you bear close resemblance to a kind of animal that lived where I came from, but you are much more colorful, and have wings,” he said, perplexed by the foreign yet adorable equine-like creature he was talking to. “Tell me, are there any like you that lack wings?”
 
                    “Yes,” she affirmed, “we call ponies like that ‘earth ponies’. And some ponies have horns; they’re called Unicorns,” she explained.
 
                    “That all sounds… very confusing,” the diaper-clad man sighed. “Are you the one who found me and nursed me to health?” he asked.
 
                    “Yes, one of my animal friends told me about an odd animal they saw near the forest that looked like it was in trouble. When I went to take a look, I found you on the ground and hurt very badly, so I treated your injuries and took care of you until you woke up,” she quietly explained.
 
                    The noble samurai closed his eyes and knelt before his host, deeply ashamed. “Then I must apologize for drawing my weapon against you, kind stranger, I was frightened and I did not know where I was. Please, forgive me.”
 
                    The small pony, Fluttershy, as he recalled, laid a reassuring hoof atop his shoulder. “Oh, it’s certainly no trouble, you only did what came naturally. I understand.” He raised his head to meet her smiling face, and smiled in return.
 
                    Rising fully, he suddenly remembered his stark nudity, and scrambled for his underwear, not wanting to embarrass himself any further.

                    Once his underwear was on and his sword sheathed in his hand, he looked back at his host, still with a few questions on his mind.
 
                    “What exactly was the creature that attacked me? I’ve never seen any other of its kind before,” questioned the samurai.
 
                    “"W...Well, I wouldn't know much just from seeing your would, but the way you tossed and turned in your sleep and, um, yelled out, I bet it was Manticore poison." She frowned. “And what are you?” she asked. “I’ve never seen an animal like you before, either, mister…”
 
                    “I am called a human, and I am glad I escaped this ‘Manticore’ before it could make a meal of me,” said the man, smiling.
 
                    “Where did you come from, mister?” Fluttershy asked, genuinely curious about this strange bipedal creature she had never seen before. It was very unusual for her to find a new animal; she had lived in the area for years and seen nearly every animal both from within the Everfree and without, especially ones as large as a “human”.
 
                    The man figured it was best to start from the beginning, and he recounted his tale in its entirety to the curious little pony. He began by telling her of his father who bravely fought against the great evil sorcerer Aku that had threatened his land and his people years before he was born. He told of his father’s magical sword, a blade forged by the gods from the purity and righteousness within his father’s heart. He told her of how his father used this mighty blade to defeat Aku and sealed the wicked shape-shifter away, but after a decade Aku returned, and wreaked havoc on his people once more. He explained his father’s capture, and his mother’s sacrifice of sending her only child far away, where he would train for years to one day come back and free their people from the evil Aku.

He told her tales of this training, of the dark-skinned masters of polearms, of the keen monks that were experts of hand-to-hand combat, balance, and swordsmanship. He told of the great bearded sailors with whom he sailed the high-seas and learned seamanship, and of the Arab master horsemen (this was especially confusing and slightly alarming for Fluttershy, given the uncanny similarity between the two species of pony and what the man had described as a “horse”. However, he assuaged her fears, and continued with the story.) He also told of the Greek wrestlers, and the European archer that taught him the fine art of archery.
 
                    The samurai then spoke of his return to his land, where he found his mother once more and accepted his father’s blade with which he would carry into battle against Aku. He detailed their fight, all the way up until the conniving sorcerer cast a spell that transported the samurai to where he was now. He explained how he woke up in the Everfree wilderness and his brief time within, including his near-fatal battle with the ferocious Manticore. He wrapped up his recounting with the moments before he met Fluttershy, and the rest they both knew.
 
                    “Oh my!” she exclaimed. “How awful! My friends and I have faced danger before, but nothing like what this mean Aku sounds like. Oh I hope everyone is okay…”
 
                    “That is precisely why I must find a way back, so that I may confront Aku one final time, and end his reign of terror once and for all,” he said, an intimidating, focused scowl upon his face that made Fluttershy shrink back slightly.
 
                    “Well, I don’t know much about magic, but my friend Twilight is one of the most powerful ponies in Equestria! I’m sure she could help you find your way home.” Fluttershy smiled slightly as her hopeful words softened the fearsome warrior’s features.
 
                    “Then I must see this being at once.” The samurai looked around, and decided to follow-up with a much different question, but one that was still very important. “When you found me, was I not wearing a robe? I do not have any other clothes, and would much appreciate it back,” he said, polite as could be.
 
                    “Oh, yes, you were wearing something,” said Fluttershy, “but it was torn up from your run-in with the Manticore, so I sent it off to one of my friends to have it repaired. I would have done it myself, but Rarity needed extra thread, so I gave her mine.” She smiled apologetically.
 
                    “No worries, friend. And this ‘Rarity’ is the seamstress you speak of?” he asked.
 
                    “Yes, I could take you to her shop in town if you want, I’m sure she’s finished your outfit by now, and then we can visit Twilight and see if she has any spells that can get you home,” Fluttershy said, body moving towards her front door.
 
                    “I would greatly appreciate that, Fluttershy.” He smiled, but then hesitated. “Are you sure I am healthy enough to make the trip?”
 
                    “Oh yes, don’t worry, I already removed some of the Manticore venom from your system and gave you medicine for the rest, I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Fluttershy explained.
 
                    “You have my thanks, kind one. Please, I would much like to meet these friends of yours, and to get back home so that I may rid my people of Aku’s evil once and for all.” He thought for a moment, “and I would also like to have my robes returned to me, my legs are getting quite cold.” The man smiled, following behind Fluttershy.
 
                    Although he was still not fully healed, the samurai trusted Fluttershy and had confidence in his own strength, and so the two were off, bound for Carousel Boutique in Ponyville proper. He hoped this Twilight character would have the answers the warrior sought, as well as a way back to his world, one that would allow him to finally end the curse of Aku.