//------------------------------// // The Incident // Story: Wesker in Equestria // by DeepThought //------------------------------// The Incident Wesker in Equestria by DeepThought After her talk with the mayor, Twilight left town hall and trotted slowly towards home as the sun reached its zenith. The streets were busy with life, ponies of all races, colors, and genders were outside, strolling around, sitting in neat little restaurants and generally enjoying the weather. A perfect day, everything was peaceful and harmonic. In a good mood, Twilight entered the tree building, noticing - to her relief - that nothing had changed. The blonde man was still glued to the couch, reading a book. If it weren’t for the growing number of volumes before him on the sideboard, she would have suspected that he didn’t move at all. “Welcome back, Twilight,” he said absent-mindedly, not even bothering to look up when she came in. “Hello, Mr. Wesker. I see you are still busy. May I ask you what you are searching for? I am the librarian after all. Seeing the small stack of books I’m certain you don’t only do that for your entertainment, but also to gather information. Given that I was only out for a couple hours, you couldn't have read all of them, so I suspect you search for certain keywords,” Twilight concluded proudly. “Very astute but not entirely true. Since I have an eidetic memory, I read these books from the first to the last page. However, I am concentrating currently on newer history and science,” he explained. “I hope you're satisfied?” “It is indeed a very impressive collection you have there. I find the field of Biothaumatic especially interesting, although I will probably ask for some clarification because certain terms are unknown to me.” She nodded eagerly, happy for the man's admiration of her work. “I’m going to ask Spike to make lunch. Are you hungry too?” “I am. Lunch would be appreciated,” Wesker stated neutrally, his nose back in the book. Halfway to the second floor, where she assumed Spike was staying at the moment, a thought occurred to Twilight. She didn't know anything about human dietary habits. How was her assistant supposed to create a meal suitable for a completely alien species? For all she knew, grain or hay, the most basic ingredients of pony cuisine, could be toxic to their metabolism. Also the human might simply have forgotten he was no longer among his kind or assumed from what he had seen when he watched the village that pony food didn’t pose a threat to his well being at all. At any rate, the lavender alicorn noted mentally to ask the blonde-haired man a few questions about his race when the next opportunity presented itself. This lack of information was very unnerving. How in Tartarus was the recently coronated princess supposed to keep her tight schedule with so many interruptions? There was also the issue of whether or not he’d like any food they had to offer. Just because somepony was able to digest some pieces of food didn’t mean that they liked it. And Twilight wanted her guest to feel comfortable. Therefore she decided to take the easy route and simply asked loudly, “Mr. Wesker? I just realized that I’m not sure if you can eat everything we have to offer. Would you please come to the kitchen, so we can find out what is to your liking?” “Very well, Twilight. It seems I was too absorbed by my thoughts to mind that,” his even voice echoed up the stairs. In fact, Wesker didn’t contemplate his choice of food, because there was no need to. Whatever his equine host could serve from berries to solid steel plates, his superhuman digestive system could handle it - the act of dining was more of a necessity than a pleasure to him. Only nutritional value was his concern. When Twilight entered the second floor she heard a barely suppressed sniff coming from the bedroom area. Huddled in his basket, buried under his sheets lay Spike, her assistant and little brother. Silently she stepped closer, kneeling down beside him. After clearing her throat the purple alicorn asked, “What's wrong Spike?” “Nothing, Twilight, just go away!” he answered harshly, turning to his friend, his pride injured by her seeing him cry. Soothingly she put her hoof on his shoulder and replied, “Please don’t lie to me. You can talk about everything with me - always! Is it our guest’s presence which is upsetting you?” “No, no!” Spike answered a tad too quickly. “Spike?” “Okay...” he said hesitantly, exchanging an ashamed look with the alicorn, “I was watching him, because, well, he didn’t seem to be too trustworthy, Twilight. I wanted to protect you.” “Oh, Spike... That wasn’t necessary,” she responded softly. “I know, Twilight... Then of course he did notice me staring at him, and when he pointed it out, I insulted him by calling him a criminal. I guess I was very mean,” he stopped, pausing to rub the tears out of his eyes. “He told me angrily how he expected better of me, since I wasn’t a pony, just like him. He told me I should understand how he feels... You know how the fillies and colts treated me in Canterlot... It instantly reminded me of that.” “Is that still haunting you?” “Yes, Twilight. But I’m also glad here in Ponyville everything is better...” A few minutes later Twilight and her assistant came back into the kitchen, where the man was waiting, just as she had asked him to. Spike flinched visibly, hanging his head when he saw Wesker’s figure. Nevertheless, the librarian nuzzled his cheek encouragingly, nudging him in the blonde human’s direction. “Ehm... I wanted to apologize for what I said,” Spike announced after a period of awkward silence. “You were merely trying to defend your friend. There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Wesker replied in an oddly friendly tone which made Twilight smile. ‘He’s finally warming up,’ she told herself happily. ‘Idiots! So easy to fool,’ Wesker thought darkly. “So all we have here except the hay and the gems are part of your natural diet?” she summed up. “Indeed,” the blonde man answered coldly, surrounded by various types of vegetables, fruits, bread and dried grasses on plates and in boxes. Looking strangely at the former captain of the S.T.A.R.S. the lavender alicorn asked hesitantly, as if she was talking about some kind of taboo, “No offense, but I noticed your different set of teeth. Do you happen to be an omnivorous species?” So that's what this was about... Assuming that these ponies were prey creatures, depending on a vegetarian diet, this could be a trick question, Wesker realized. But there was also no sense in denying the obvious. His facial features, the flat face, the strong jaw and his canines indicated humankind’s predatory origins. The only question was how to get the point across without committing a blunder. “Miss Sparkle, as perceptive as usual,” Wesker said flattering, “We can consume meat, but it is not necessary for our sustenance.” “Just like the gryphons...” she murmured. Louder Twilight asked, “But you don’t eat sentient species, right?” Wesker stated in a matter of fact voice, “Of course not. We are not barbarians. That would be murder. I couldn’t commit such an act,” Of course he could and would if convenient or necessary, but the blonde man had the experience that people didn’t react too positively about him killing other people, but rather became really upset. ‘I can live with that. It’s not what somepony is that defines him, but who, after all,’ the princess decided. Although Wesker didn’t care much about good food, he had to admit that what the baby dragon had prepared was delicious, even better than what was served on the several high class meetings he attended as a representative of Umbrella. “Ok, are you ready to pick up your clothes at Carousel Boutique?” the alicorn spoke up, after a lazy period of silence due to their full bellies. “That would be appreciated. Since you told me my introduction to the town would not be until this evening and you showed concern about revealing my presence to the public before said introduction, I assume that you'll teleport us to Miss Rarity. Is that correct?” Wesker inquired. “Yes, you're right. We will teleport.” Internally Wesker groaned after the confirmation of his assumption. He hoped the side effects of teleportation would lessen and his body could adapt to it. Then, with a pop, they were gone. Rarity was putting the finishing touches on the human’s clothes, when a sudden light blinded her eyes. “Argh, Twilight dear, I told you that entering without knocking was rude,” Rarity whined, after her eyes had adjusted. In the middle of the room stood her lavender friend with a concerned expression over Wesker’s bent body on the floor, shaken by cramps. “Mr. Wesker?” “Yes?” he answered coldly, not a hint of pain audible. “Are you okay?” Twilight asked. “Don’t mind me,” Wesker said, while shakingly standing up. Then he stated, turning to the white-furred unicorn, “Greetings, Miss Rarity. I see you finished my order.” “Yes, Mr. Wesker, would you strip your old... ehem... clothes?” “It is considered a social taboo among my kind to be ‘uncovered’ in front of other individuals. But if you are comfortable with it, I guess, I can make an exception. Personally I don’t mind,” the blond explained, while he removed the ragged remains of his pants. “Ewww, sheet it. That’s gross!” the blushing fashionista said. Averting her eyes she magically threw his new clothes at him. Twilight muttered, with scientific eagerness, “Clothing not only as mean of protection, but it seems to be also a matter of modesty.” Closer and closer the manticores drew to their target, while the forest became less and less dense. Not long until their righteous fury could be released upon their brother’s murderer. After about half an hour of Rarity’s work the new set of clothes fit perfectly. Surprisingly it vaguely resembled what he had worn when he fell into the volcano. Maybe a bit less militaristic, instead more casual and of course they were not made of leather, but generally the same ‘idea’ - she was even able to acquire a pair of shades. Wesker was satisfied. This Rarity person was a master of her trade. Bidding farewell to the unicorn Albert and Twilight once again vanished and appeared at the back of a stage in the middle of the town square. Twilight continued her long speech to the assembled population of Ponyville, “So as your resident Princess I ask you, fellow Ponyvillians, to welcome Mr. Wesker. Although he will probably seem strange to some of you, he is good at heart and deserves our patience. Now, stomp for the stallion of the night, Ponyville!” Cheers erupted from the audience, when the curtain was drawn open and the tall form of the human was revealed. Albert stepped closer to the microphone, speaking up loudly, “Dear Ponyville, it is an honor to have the chance to speak to you tonight. As your benevolent ruler, Princess Sparkle, pointed out I might...” His speech was interrupted by a sudden roar. What was about to happen would be remembered as the bloodiest night of Ponyvillian history. Three huge creatures dived from the sky straight in Wesker’s direction. Alarmed, Twilight quickly tried to erect a magical shield around the stage, but the purple sphere instantly shattered under the assault of the beasts, leaving the alicorn grasping her head in agony. “Manticores! They're immune to magic! Run!” she yelled and panic spread in the crowd, infecting everypony like a virus. Their prey instincts kicked in and mindlessly the mass diverged, resulting in uncounted numbers of ponies helplessly stumbling and screaming. Then the manticores landed in a circle around the stone-faced human. Furiously they lashed at Wesker, who dodged every strike they delivered with unrivaled speed and dexterity. “Is that all you have?” Albert exclaimed, darting through a gap in the ring of beasts, not without punching the nearest one’s leg, causing it to fall over. Without hesitation he grabbed it’s now exposed tail and pulled with incredible strength, ripping it from the body. Flailing around, the monster howled in pain, but its life ended when its own spike impaled its head and blood splattered on the crowd. “What a pity,” he remarked with a wicked grin, barely avoiding a sharp claw, before another left a small, bloody gash on his left cheek. “You’ll pay for that!” The manticore, that had struck him, a beast slightly taller and sturdier than its companions, didn’t see it coming. Wesker’s bare fist pierced its chest and it fell over dead.. Meanwhile the last creature of the Everfree tried to retreat over the market square, sending several ponies flying away with its strong talons, but Wesker knew no mercy. The man leaped in the air, crossing the distance in mere seconds, and elbow-checked the manticore with the full force of his fall. “Enough foolishness!” Deforming its wings with his hands, he heard the satisfying sound of crushing bones. Afterwards Wesker ended the manticore like his brother in the forest by bursting its head in a thousand pieces. It wasn’t alive anymore, however - as a last act of malice - its poisoned spike had stung a certain bare-flanked unicorn filly.