//------------------------------//
// The Encounter 
// Story: The Powers That Be 
// by fieeesh 
//------------------------------//

It had taken me awhile to get used to flying, but I slowly began to improve until I was soaring through the skies with ease. I took a glance at the village when I realized the metal centaur I met earlier was there, I flew down and landed next to him. "Hey! Fancy meeting you here. So.....how's the quest for power going." I idly inspected my nails as I talked. He merely glanced at me before snorting and continuing his walk towards what looked to be a burnt tree. 

I squinted to get a look at the blob of color around the tree when my eyesight zoomed in by about twenty times, allowing me to easily view the blob, which turned out to be a group of six ponies standing there looking ridiculous. I mean really, they looked like they were designed to sell children's toys. I decided to speak up. "Hey I didn't catch your name when we last talked."

"It is Lord Tirek, I notice that you seem to have mastered your powers."

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Well I haven't really mastered it but I did figure out how to fly." Neither of us spoke as Tirek walked up to the ponies. I hung back a bit, but that didn't stop them from noticing me.

The purple one in front spoke up. "Who is this Tirek? I didn't take you as the kind to have minions."

Tirek laughed at her words. "Don't make me laugh Sparkle. He is merely a hapless soul I saved from the lunar tyrant's clutches."

'Sparkle' as Tirek called her seemed angered at the words. "Like you have any room to talk! You're a power hungry tyrant yourself."

I furrowed my eyebrows at this. "Is she telling the truth Tirek? Are you really the villain?"

He looked at me and spread his arms. "Call me what you will, but I merely wish to have all of ponydom's magic in my grasp."

I took a step back. "So you are evil. Well then, I guess I'm gonna have to take you down." I prepared myself to attack, but before I could move I saw the world around me slow down as my senses sped up exponentially. I turned and saw the ponies fire a rainbow at me and Tirek. I moved faster than I thought was possible before remembering my super speed, I smirked at the revelation, adding one to the powers I was capable of using. Everything sped back up as I released the power. I watched in awe as the rainbow hit Tirek dead center, and then watched in horror as he shrugged off the blow and stood up.

His smile was dark and foreboding as he spoke. "HA HA HA. You ponies are foolish to believe you can stop me LORD....."

I'm like ninety percent sure he was going to start monologuing before I sprinted at him at about mach three and punched him square in the jaw. The shockwave from my punch pushed the ponies back. "Lord Bitch-Ass Centaur." I saw him rise and growl at me before sending a ball of energy at me. I did what was natural and raised my middle finger, only to find the ball of energy dissipated when it got a few feet away from my outstretched hand. "Oh. Now that is what we call funny." I sprinted at him again, unleashing hundreds of rapid fire punches at his mid section. He reared back and punched me in the jaw as I ran in front of him, I was sent flying back, I felt my jaw pop back in to place when I stood up. We were about thirty yards away from each other, I got into a sprinters position and steeled myself for the punch. My leg muscles tensed as I pushed off I could feel myself speed up, thirty yards: mach one, twenty-five: mach three, twenty: mach four, at fifteen I pushed myself as fast as I could go. The world blurred as I began to move faster than the pony eye could follow, I jumped letting all my momentum go into this one punch. My fist connected and a shockwave pulsed out from Tirek's face as I caved in his skull.

I hit the ground with a dull thud as I felt myself begin to pass out from exhaustion, looking at my hand I saw my knuckles and skin re-knit themselves. I then welcomed the soft embrace of the ground, the last thing I heard was the sound of wings flapping and someone saying. "Get him to the hospital, he must be tired after that fight." I felt a tingling sensation as I fell into a deep sleep.

I awoke upon a nice, soft bed in obviously a hospital, looking around I saw eight ponies and some chimera creature all standing around my bed arguing. I saw Luna and Celestia as well as the six ponies I saved from Tirek, I had no idea who the chimera was.

Luna was obviously pissed about something as she was nearly yelling her words. "Listen to reason! That thing was the one that broke into my tower."

Celestia was calmly speaking as she parried Luna's complaints. "Now listen Lulu, he might not have meant to break into your tower. It could have very well been an accident. Why, if I had a bit for every time I had accidentally teleported somewhere I wasn't supposed to be I would be quite rich indeed."

The purple alicorn with a star cutie mark sounded suspiciously like Tara Strong as she spoke. "I agree with Princess Celestia. It could have been an accident, besides I think he would have quelled any doubts about his moral standing after he...er killed Tirek and saved Equestria." Luna looked away at that remark.

I decided that I had better speak up before they started arguing again. "Yeah Lulu, lighten up, relax, take a siesta, leave me as a statue for a couple thousand years. It's all right."

Luna gulped at my words, and for good reason, as her sister slowly turned her head to Luna with unrelenting fury in her eyes. "You what Lulu?"

"I ca...can explain, you see he appeared on my balcony and I might have hit him with a small petrification spell." She started to nervously tap her fingers together.

I was having a hard time holding back my laughter, as Celestia led Luna out of the room and gave her what I can only describe as "The Speech of Pure Terror" after the speech Luna came back in and apologized to me. After her apology I had some questions. "So Luna what happened all those years ago? Also who's the chimera? Finally, why in the nine hells did you leave this on my head before you left." I brandished the stolen panties. Luna cheeks soon rivaled Cliford in red, I bust out laughing as she snatched the panties out of my hand and ran off.

Celestia gave me a stern look of disapproval, but I could see the mirth in her eyes. "Did my sister really leave those on you?"

"No. I just felt like messing with her for payback for being turned to stone." Celestia smiled and left to find Luna.

I looked to the other ponies for answers to my earlier questions. The purple one smiled and walked over. "Hello. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I will answer your questions; First Luna was err... transformed into an entity called Nightmare Moon who tried to create eternal night. Second that 'chimera' is called Discord and he is actually a draconequus. Now would you mind if I asked you a couple of questions?" I nodded in comfirmation. "First, what species are you? Second, what abilites do you have, I saw you demonstrate a few in your battle with Tirek. Finally how do you know Luna? She seems to distrust you. Oh! Also where are you from?"

I smiled at the inquisitive young mare? I guess. "I am a human or Homo Sapien if you want to get technical. I have a few abilities but I really don't know how to use most of them, I need to learn how. I met Luna when I was sent here by my employer to get an artifact. I'm from Earth but I don't think I'll be able to go back anytime soon, seeing as I uh..........died."

I heard the room grow completely silent when I said that, looking up I saw Luna and Celestia standing there, Celestia looking infinitely sad and Luna crying. I looked around the room and saw everyone had practically the same expression, even Discord seemed surprised as he spoke for the first time since I woke up and he sounded exactly like John DeLancie. "You...Died?"

I nodded and said. "Yeah I was crushed by a truck." I then recounted my journey up to this point, stopping only to explain my powers and human vehicles.

Luna wiped at her tears and said. "I apologize once again for my actions and now realize I acted hastily. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me."

"I forgive you Luna, because if I didn't. I would have become exactly like Tirek, unwilling to accept friendship."

Luna shook her head sending her hair flying every which way. "Still, I will do all I can to make up for it."

Celestia put a hand on Luna and smiled at me. "I will try and find out more about this 'artifact' and locate it if I can. I will also have Rarity here make you some new clothes and we'll see about finding you a place to stay." She gestured at a white unicorn who was sketching something on a notepad.

The orange one spoke up. "Ah reckon that my farm would be a good place to work on them fancy powers of yours when you feel better."

I felt like my day had just gotten a whole lot better as I said. "You know? I think I'm gonna like it in Equestria." As soon as I finished speaking my stomach produced a sound that could have been registered as an earthquake. I smiled sheepishly. "Uhh maybe I should eat first though."