Two weeks. It took them two weeks just to let me get out of that small room and out of the building. My arm was in a sling, still numb and unmoving, but I was working it like it moved (to the dismay of Redheart). As I stepped out of Ponyvill's General Hospital, the sun was shining high in the sky. Starcutter had made the journey to this world with me and now hung, strapped to my back. The air smelled sweet with the flowers of spring and fresh rain from last night's shower.
Fluttershy landed lightly beside me and smiled up at me. She had come to visit me everyday, wanting to know what I liked and where I came from. I told her of the Fangsand desert, and the Starcliffs that my tribe had lived for centuries. I told her of my Tribe and how we lived on the cliff face. She took it all in, enjoying my company and after a few days, she called me her friend.
“So, Pinky said something about a party when I got out?” I asked looking at the beautiful day.
“She hosts them at Suggercube Corner, I think it may be ready,” she stated. “If you want to go that is.”
I smiled and let her lead me through town. The town itself was small, likely a farming town, with small shops and an open air market. The ponies were timid and skittish of me as I trooped through the town. Most of them dashed inside or found something to hide under. I didn't mind, most people did that when I walked by on my world.
What set me on edge was not the ponies hiding in fear, but the feeling that something was watching me. I had felt this before, back in my world, when someone put a good amount of gold out for my head. I did my best to shake it off, for Shy, snd keep pace with the little yellow pony.
“Now, Pinky likes to jump out and shout, so be ready if that happens. She just likes to make sure you enjoy yourself.”
I smiled down at Fluttershy and thanked her. The building that she had led me to looked like it was made from baked goods, right down to the shingles made of frosting.
“I just hope a witch doesn’t live here with her,” I said with a smirk.
As I opened the door, I noted the darkness behind it. I have darkvision, something that comes in handy when you are crawling through a dungeon or cave looking for something, so I could see the ponies inside without a problem. I smiled, thinking how they were wanting to surprise me by lighting the fire once I got inside. I can't see color in the dark, but I could see the ponies inside shifting uncomfortably and looking nervous. I wanted to make a good impression on these ponies and maybe make some new alias for that mission Luna had for me, so I did the first thing that came to mind.
I jumped into the room and shouted as loud as I could, “Lets get this started!!”
The lights came on and Pinky jumped out in front of me.
“Hay, that was my line!”
That did it. The room fell into laughter as the pink party pony started up the music and dragged me around the room, introducing me to all her friends. She dragged me to a table where four ponies sat with Fluttershy. One had wings and a horn, she was purple with a darker mane and tail. A star was emblazoned on her flank, and a pink and purple stripe ran through the mane and tail. Another was orange with a blond mane and tail, three apples adorned her flank. The third was white with a deep blue mane and tail, three diamonds were on her flank. The last one hovered in the air glaring at me with her deep crimson eyes. She had light blue fur and a rainbow mane and tail.
“Hay, girls. This is my New friend, Starclaw,” Pinky introduced me.
The girls looked up at me with a little fear, but mostly awh. I towered over them but did my best to look nice (yep, a seven foot tall monster, looking nice). I failed. They all pulled back, save Fluttershy.
“Starclaw, this is Princess Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash,” Pinky smile at each of her friends.
“Oh, so I get to deal with Royalty at my party too,” I said snidely. “Should I bow and call you 'your Eminence'?”
Rainbow Dash snorted at my remark but I got a dirty look from Pinky.
“Okay, okay, thought I might lighten the mood a little with a joke,” I rubbed the back of my head with my good hand. “It's nice to meet you all.”
Rarity smiled at my little joke, she made my think of many nobles that I once had to two-step around with a Paladin friend of mine.
Before we could really get into it I heard a scream coming from outside. I didn't even flinch as I turned to charge out the door. Dash fallowed me close out of the building as I drew out Starcutter with my left hand. I couldn't help it, if someone needed help I had to do it if I was there. The scream was close to the party so after a turn down an ally near by, I found what was making the scream.
A teal mare with a harp on her flank was being dragged toward a large black crystal poking out of the ground. A single dark shadow was wrapped around the mare's leg. I didn't think, just let my instincts take over. My blade rose over my head and came down on to the crystal. As I did this, Dash grabbed the mare, dragging her out of the reach of the shadow.
Starcutter passed through the dark crystal like a knife through butter. The whole thing fractured into a thousand shards with a deep basso scream. Dash dove over the mare to cover her from the shrapnel that spun from the exploding crystal. Before the spikes could hit them, they turned to smoke and dissipated into the air. The shadow let go of the mare and faded into nothingness.
“What was that, and how did it get here,” I asked no one.
Twilight had just run up when I asked that.
“Sombra!”
When she said that a dark shadow formed a black unicorn. His horn curved to the sky like a red blade in front of a steel crown. Green and red eyes glowed as dark smoke trailed out from them as he glared out at me. His black mane mixed with the shadows he hid inside, making him appear to be a shadow.
“Who, or what is that?”