//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Myth Confirmed // Story: Equestria's Rifleman // by Cheesecake404 //------------------------------// Myth Confirmed David stood in the middle of the path to the Everfree Forest, staring at the ponies in front of him as they stared back. Fear and uneasiness crept up in David's stomach as his mind ran through various scenarios. Alright, don't panic. Let's think this through. There appear to be no less than ten of them. Some are armed, some not. The odds aren't particularly good, especially with all the unicorns in the mix. David thought as he quickly glanced at Apple Bloom, I certainly don't want to start a fight with Apple Bloom perched on my shoulder. But then again, they're probably here for her... right? I mean, why else would they be here? So long as I don't act hostile, they shouldn't attack me... hopefully. David took a deep breath to compose himself, Okay, I need options. Option A: I set Applebloom down and have her walk over to them. I don't like it, considering her bad ankle. Option B: I just take her over to them. It's risky, but if I stay calm and show no ill intentions, then everything should work out. Option C: I wait for one of them to make the first move. Definitely the worst one, if these ponies are anything like humans at all, all it will take is one spark to light the powder keg. David's thoughts were interrupted when Applebloom waved to the group saying, “Hey, Applejack. Hey, Big Mac.” David turned his head, and his eyes met Apple Bloom's. “Come on,” she said, “I want you to meet mah brother and sister.” David just looked at her, dumbfounded. Looks like I'm going with option b. Well, it probably was the best one I came up with. David took another deep breath, shouldered his shotgun, and slowly moved forward. As he moved closer, he saw some of the ponies tense up and clench their weapons. David's heart was racing a mile a minute as he got closer. Every fiber of his being told him to just drop Apple Bloom and run away, but he was determined to get her back home. He stopped a few feet away from the ponies, since he wasn't sure which ones were Apple Bloom's family. A large red stallion stepped forward in front of him. Even though he was a few inches taller than him, the stallion's size and presence made David feel tiny, especially with the stallion’s neutral expression. David mustered up the courage to speak, “I assume this little one belongs to you?” The stallion smiled, “Eeyup,” is all he said as he picked Apple Bloom off of David's shoulder and sat her in his arms. “Apple Bloom!” An orange mare shouted as she ran up to the two, throwing her arms around them and squeezing Apple Bloom between them, “We were so worried 'bout you!” She said. “I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make y'all worry.” The mare looked at David, “Who's this fellow that was carrying you?” “That's my new friend, David. He helped keep me safe. And guess what!? He's the Guardian!” There were some gasps from some of the other ponies, followed by murmuring. David was able to make out some of what they were saying, “That hairless freak is the Guardian?” “I can't believe he's real.” “He's not at all like I imagined.” “Crap! Now, I owe my friend ten bits.” “Is that true?” The mare asks. “Apparently.” “Well then, ah guess we owe you our thanks.” “It was no problem.” “But there is one thing... why in the sam hill did it take you so long to get her back!?” The orange mare shouted at him. “Whoa, whoa,” David said, holding up his hands defensively, “Take it easy, at least I got her back to you in one piece. Besides, do you know how dangerous it is in there at night? It wouldn't have done anyone any good if I got mauled to death by a pack of timberwolves.” She seemed annoyed but accepted his reason, “Well, you did save her and now, we don't have to go looking for her.” She then turned to her brother, “Go get her looked at, 'kay?” “Eeyup,” is all he said as he left to go into town. “Alright. Y'all can go home now,” the orange mare said to the crowd of ponies. “What about that thing?” a caramel colored stallion in the crowd said. “We can handle him right girls?” She said to a group of five other mares who responded with nods. There were a few more murmurs before the group dispersed. Only the orange mare and the other five were left. The six of them walked around David, looking him up and down. As they study him, David took the opportunity to study them back. He started with the orange mare. Apart from her orange coat, she had a golden blonde mane and bright green eyes. She was wearing a flannel shirt that matched her coat with an undershirt. Her lower half was covered by a pair of worn jeans, and her feet were in a pair of work boots. Her shirt and jeans also had three red apples on them, which David remembered Zecora telling him that such symbols represented her cutie mark. The next mare to catch his eye was a white unicorn with an indigo mane. She was wearing a white blouse with a black skirt which had three diamonds on it. She was also wearing black high heels. This seemed rather strange to David, considering she was about to go exploring in a forest. After the unicorn was a light blue pegasus with a rainbow mane. She had on a hoodie that matched her coat with a rainbow lightning bolt coming out of a cloud on it. She was wearing denim shorts that look like they have been through more wear and tear than the orange mare's. The next one was a pink mare with a darker pink mane. She wore a white shirt underneath an open blue jacket and a pink skirt with three balloons on it. As she passed David, she was smiling from ear to ear even while giving him a little wave. David just smiled back at her, not wanting to make too many sudden moves. After the pink mare, who looked like a very social person, came a yellow pegasus that seemed like she was trying to hide behind her pink mane. She had on a yellow blouse, and a green skirt with pink butterflies. Lastly was a purple unicorn, with a very dark purple mane with a pink and light purple streak. She had on something akin to a prep school uniform: white shirt under a purple vest, with a purple skirt that had a large pink star with five small white stars around it. David had also noticed that they were much more attractive than the average girl back home. The rainbow maned pegasus, although thin and 'underdeveloped' compared to the others, had more going on than most other girls who look like a track and field all star. The unicorns were about even, though the purple one looked larger. The orange mare seem to have more muscle than the others, with a bust to match, but her muscles weren't too much, just enough to easily notice. The pink one looked to have some extra weight around the waist, like one of those girls you see in a weight lost ad that are still hot but want to lose a little more. The yellow pegasus had by far the largest bust out of the others easily a D bordering on a DD… or at least, they seemed that way with how skinny she was. The pink one may be a tad bigger on closer inspection, but it’s not as noticable compared to the pegasus thanks to the waist difference. After they had walked around David a few times, they formed a half circle around him. The orange mare turned to her right and asked the purple unicorn, “So, what do you make of him?” The unicorn put her hand up to her chin, “He seems familiar, but I can't place it. From what we've seen so far, he's not hostile, which makes sense if this Guardian business is to be believed.” She looked to the others and asked, “By the way, what is the Guardian?” “Ya mean ya never heard the stories?” The orange mare asked, to which her friend shook her head. “I know! Can I tell the story? Pleeeeassse? Pleasepleasepleaseplease?” The pink one said hopping in place. “Alright, Pinkie, alright.” The purple one said. “Yay! Well, a long time ago, or just a few months before you came to Ponyville, there was a small group of fillies and colts that entered the Everfree Forest, oooooooo,” the last part she said in a spooky voice. “While they were in the forest, a monster attacked them! But just before it could do anything to hurt them, its head exploded.” She jumped into to the air to emphasize the explosion part. “And that's how the legend of the Guardian was born.” The purple unicorn looked back at David, “Was that really you, and if so, how did you know they would be in trouble?” “Yeah... that rings a bell,” David said tapping a finger on his forehead, “If I remember right, that was a few days after I met Zecora. I was still exploring the forest when I ran across those kids. At first, I wondered what they were doing in such a dangerous place, but of course, I never found out. Then, that thing attacked. Now, I wasn't about to watch a bunch of kids get killed in front of me, so I readied my weapon,” David patted the thing on his shoulder, “and took care of it.” “I have so many questions right now,” the purple unicorn said, “I need to go home and grab some things. Will you guys keep an eye on him while I'm gone?” she asked her friends, to which they responded with a nod, “Alright. I'll be back in a second.” Her horn glowed, and she disappeared in a flash of bright light. David covered his eyes and shouted, “Mother!” “You alright?” The orange mare asked. “Yeah, I think so.” David rubbed his eyes, then stared at his hand as his vision returned to normal. “Does that always happen?” “At first, but ya get used to it,” the orange mare replied. “Alright then. So, are we just going to stand around here waiting for your friend to come back?” The pink pony spoke up in an upbeat tone, “Well, not far from here is a nice little spot where we have picnics... *gasp* I just had a great idea! Let's have a picnic! It will be a great way to welcome you! At least, until I can throw you a proper party!” Before David, or anyone for that matter, could say anything, the pink pony was off like a shot and headed for what David assumed was the town. “She's a bit excitable isn't she?” The rainbow maned pony chuckled, “You don't know the half of it.” “So, should we just wait for her here, or should we go to the place she mentioned?” “We should probably wait for Twilight to get back,” the orange mare said. “Okay then. So, am I going to have to wait for your friends to get back before you guys introduce yourselves, or am I going to have to refer to you by your color palettes?” “You first,” the rainbow maned one said. “I suppose that's only fair. My name is David Wisemen.” The orange mare spoke first, “I'm Applejack, and thanks once again for Apple Bloom.” “It was no problem.” The white unicorn stepped forward, “My name is Rarity.” The rainbow maned pegasus was next, “The name’s Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in all of Equestria.” And no doubt the humblest too, David thought. The yellow pegasus was last, “My name i-is F-F-Fluttershy,” she said in a hesitant, soft tone. “Well, I guess all that's left to do now is wait fo-,” as David spoke, a bright flash of light appeared, depositing a familiar purple unicorn, “Son of a bitch!” He shouted, covering his eyes again. “Oh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that.” “Yes, yes. I know.” The unicorn looked around and saw one of her friends was missing, “Where's Pinkie?” “She suggested we have a picnic and went to go get the stuff we'll need,” Applejack answered. The unicorn giggled, “Of course she did. Well, we should head to the usual spot then.” She motioned for David to follow her. The six went off the path, and traveled over a grassy field. David could see some buildings in the distance and a tree directly in front of their path. He assumed that was their destination. David felt strange being out in the open, having spent so much time in the forest, but it wasn't nearly as strange as the fact he was about to have brunch with ponies. Once they reached the tree, the purple unicorn spoke, “Now, we just have to wait for Pinkie.” “Right here,” came a voice from the tree. Everyone looked and saw her hanging upside down from a branch, with a picnic basket in her hands. She dropped down and landed on her feet. “Now, I didn't know what you liked, so I went with the classic PB&J.” “That's fine, but before I forget, we haven't properly introduced ourselves. My name is David Wisemen what's yours.” “My name is Pinkie Pie,” the pink pony said, “It's very nice to meet you.” “And my name is Twilight Sparkle,” the purple unicorn politely said. With the introductions out of the way, Pinkie laid down a blanket and set up the picnic. Once everything was set up, the group sat down. Pinkie sat next to David while the others kept a more respectful distance. Twilight cleared her throat, but before she could say anything, David held up a finger. He then went through his bag and pulled out a piece of paper. “I took the liberty of writing down some questions I thought you might ask, along with the answers.” Twilight took the the paper in her magic, “Um... thanks, this should help.” Twilight quickly read over the questions in the answers, “So, you are a human.” “Twi, you know what he is?” Applejack asked. “Well, sort of. When I was a filly, I read some old stories and legends about humans. In fact, when I was in the library, I tried to find any books that might have had anything that could have shed some light as to what he might be, but I couldn't find any. If there were any, then I think I know where they are, or rather, who they’re with.” “So, are humans rare in this world?” David asked. “Sort of...” “Wait, what is 'this world' supposed to mean?” Applejack asked. “I can answer that,” Twilight said, “This paper he gave me said that he's from another world. If that's true, it raises many more questions.” “None of which I can answer,” David threw in quickly. “I wasn't going to ask,” Twilight replies sheepishly. “Good. I only have a high school education,” David replied with a playful tone. “Yeah, yeah... you got your answers, but I want to ask him some stuff, too!” Rainbow said. “Fine,” Twilight replied with a sigh. “Okay. So, what I want to know is how were you able to fight off the creatures in the forest, and if the stories about you are true, how are you always there to save somepony in the nick of time?” “Well, that last one is quite simple,” David pulled the sleeve on his left arm up, revealing a ring around his wrist, “After that incident with the kids, I asked Zecora if there was anything she could do to help. She's set up something at the entrance so that when anyone went in, this ring would let me know. Now, as for fighting off the monsters,” David took his shotgun and a shotgun shell before he proceeded to explain how they worked. “Alright. This is a gun, specifically a shotgun. There are many different varieties of gun for example,” David undid a strap holding a metal object in place on his hip, “This is a handgun, a Colt 1911. But, let’s talk about my shotgun and how it works, because it's the same principle for most guns anyways.” David put the handgun back in its holster so he could focus on the shotgun. “Inside, there's a mechanism that controls a 'firing pin', or 'hammer', that is connected to the trigger. When the trigger is pulled, the firing pin hits this part of the bullet.” He showed them the underside of the shell and pointed to the part that looked like a button. “This ignites a combustible powder inside, which forces a piece of metal, or in this case, several metal pellets, out of the barrel at the speed of sound. As you can probably imagine, it's a very effective weapon.” “I see...” Twilight said quietly, “It seems quite violent.” “If you really think about it, it's no worse than a sword.” Twilight sat there for a moment in thought, her face cringed at whatever horrible thing she thought of. “Okay, let's change the subject,” she said quietly, “Pinkie, do have you anything you want to ask?” “You bet I do!” Pinkie turned to face David with a huge smile, “What do humans do for fun? Play games? Play music? Read books? Play games?” “Whoa, whoa! Calm down. I can't answer if you don't give me a chance,” David said, trying to get through to the pink pony. Pinkie quieted down and let David give his answer, “Now, what we do for fun depends on the individual person. I, for one, like video games, movies, reading, drawing, and camping.” “May... may I ask a question?” Fluttershy asked. “Sure. That's what we're here for,” David replied. “What kind of animals do you have in your world?” “It's not that different from what you have here, actually. I mean, we don't have dragons, hydras, or manticores, but it's still pretty similar. Though humans are the only sapient species.” The group asked him more questions about him and his world. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were a little disturbed to learn his species ate meat, but he reassured them that humans don't eat sapient beings. Rarity also asked him why he was wearing camouflage. He explained that it was what he was wearing when he showed up in Equestria. “I guess that would explain the smell,” Rarity said without thinking as she covered her mouth. David just laughed it off, “Sorry. Bathing regularly is a luxury I don't have in the forest.” “There's one more thing I want to know,” Rainbow said, “If you know when somepony enters the forest, then why have you never helped us, or revealed yourself?” “You know, I thought you guys looked familiar. Well, you either didn't need my help, I was incapacitated, or I couldn't get a clear shot. Some examples would be like when you guys fought that manticore, or the time a Cockatrice turned me to stone. That was a particularly terrifying experience. As for not revealing myself, it's explained in that paper I gave Twilight.” The questioning wound down after that, and once the food was gone, Pinkie began to pack up. “This has been a very pleasant day. Thank you for the food, Pinkie,” David said, stretching out his arms and legs. “Oh, it's no problem, it was fun.” “Yes, well, I should get going.” “What? You're leaving already?” Twilight said with a bit of surprise, “But it's not even two o'clock yet.” “Well, I want to make sure I get home while there's still plenty of daylight. Also, it's time to refill the lanterns, and I don't want any nasties to get into my camp.” David checked to make sure he had everything, “Before I go, I have my own questions. You said you have stories and legends about humans. What were they about?” “I'm afraid I don't remember, hence why I was looking for information in the library,” Twilight answered. “I see. One last thing I want to know.” “Alright, what is it?” “What happens now?” “What do you mean?” “I mean, now that you know about me, what will you do? Will ponies come after me? Will they leave me alone? Will I maybe some day be able live with you guys in the town instead of a dangerous forest?” “You don't need to worry. We won't do anything to hurt you. As for you moving into town, well... we'll need to make arrangements.” “Good. Well, I'll see you girls some other time,” David said as he started off back to the forest. “How about tomorrow? Around ten?” Twilight said quickly. “Sure. I'll be at the forest's entrance.” The girls watched him as he walked down the road back to the forest. “I like him!” Pinkie said. “Indeed. He seems nice. It's a shame he thought we would treat him poorly like we did Zecora,” Rarity commented. “Yeah, but let's be honest, we would have,” Applejack added. “We can make up for that,” Twilight said to everyone, “Starting tomorrow, we'll show him just how friendly and accepting we are!”