• Published 31st Oct 2013
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The Gatekeeper - FanofAwesomeness



One year after creating transportation through dimensions, Jason Watts discovers a threat from a world of peace.

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Chapter 3

5/1/2058
6:27 am
I woke up and immediately felt off. Something wasn’t right. My hands felt wrong and my face really hurt. Plus, my limbs felt like they were made of lead.

I looked down and saw my body in a different shape than it should have been.

I was a pony. Again.

I looked around and tried to piece everything together. The previous night was blurred together and I could hardly think enough to remember why I was where I was.

Once I did remember, though, I took a look at the room I was in.

It was four walls of stone and a ceiling with the ratty bed I was in and a can in the corner. A large wooden door was the only obvious way in and out. There was also a single crystal in the ceiling that was emitting a dim light.

I tried to find something out of place, but couldn’t. “Is there anyone here?” I asked aloud, trying to see if I could find that shimmer in the light. Maybe just a shift of air, sound of a breath or even hooves on the floor.

Nothing.

“Fine,” I said, moving towards the door. I started to focus on it and felt a pressure in my head. Dropping the power, I reached up to feel for anything unusual and found a horn in the center of my forehead.

“That wasn’t there before,” I muttered. I wondered what the rest of me actually looked like. I was a nice, slick black, which probably wasn’t common here, considering the pastel colors of others I had seen. I looked back and saw my tail was more of an electric blue with some green in there. I could only imagine my hair, mane, was the same.

I looked back at the door, more ready for what was about to happen. I focused around it and felt that pressure building again. I saw a maroon glow envelop the door and I shoved against it. Hard.

The door moved out, but it didn’t go flying like I had expected. Instead, it flew open and slammed into the wall it was hinged onto, making a very loud noise. I could hear a response to that, but I didn’t have time to find out how much of one.

I ran down the hallway, trying to find a place to hide. There had to be some place I could go, someplace that would at least put a barrier between me and my pursuers.

I jumped into a small broom closet and closed the door as quickly and as quietly as I could. I sat down for a moment and thought. There had to be some reason for all of this. If they didn’t kill me upon entry to this world and passing out, they must nave needed me for something.

I almost had it when I heard something behind me.

I spun around and powered up a charge to blast the changeling behind me and faced them to see the horrifying face of-

-A bunny.

“Seriously?” I said. “How did a bunny get into this place?”

Hearing the pounding of hooves on the door, I picked up the bunny and ran.

It took hours of running before I finally found a way out. By then, I was physically and mentally exhausted. My abilities were weakening, slowly lowering the bunny to the ground. I let it go, preserving my strength, and watched it hop out of the hole.

I started forward and almost got to the hole when I saw a blast of green energy hit the wall next to me and disperse, leaving the wall barely charred. I looked behind me and made a snap decision.

I pushed my will outward, grabbing onto the environment and pulling, tearing a rift in space to escape. I leapt forward through the hole and rolled out on solid ground. Turning around, I forced the hole closed and looked around me to see where I was.

That’s when I was hit in the back of the head with a rock.
11:37 am
I could feel the heat of the flames against my face. The walls were hungry infernos, lying in wait for me to run into them. All I could do was scream.

Only I ran as well.

I broke through the door and saw the people on the ground, slowly choking on the smoke. I tried to pull them up to help them out, but I couldn’t. I was too young. Too weak.

A firefighter came through the flaming doorway, right towards me. He picked up my small form and started to walk away, leaving the people on the floor. I could barely breathe to try to yell at him to get them first. I couldn’t tell him to turn around.
He carried me out of the building as it collapsed into a burning heap of wood and stone. Pieces of the building flew at us, one hitting my head. I screamed in pain from the burn and-

***********

I bolted awake and upright in a cold sweat. My skin was clammy and my breathing erratic. I reached up and touched the small burn scar on my head, wondering why I was still dreaming about that.

And then I realized I was sinking.

“I just can’t catch a break,” I muttered, standing up to jump.

That’s when I was grabbed by light.

I thrashed in the grasp of whatever was holding me and tried to escape. I would rather be sinking with any way out other than this. I needed to get out.

I pushed against the force with some of my own. I couldn’t just let some unknown take me. In this universe, my knowledge could cause the True End.

Finally, I dropped. Hitting the wood, I rolled off into the water around it. I brought myself to the surface and swam to the edge of the area to get some semblance as to where I was.

After pulling myself up, I realized I had just swum with hooves. “How did I do that?” I wondered aloud.

“You didn’t think,” said a female voice from nearby. I immediately dropped into a defensive stance, reaching for my weapon with telekinesis.

And of course, it wasn’t there.

“Sorry for the mystery,” said the voice. “We had to be sure you weren’t one of them.”

That’s when a purple unicorn walked out.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle,” she said. “What’s yours?”

“You’re a talking unicorn,” I said. “A talking, purple unicorn.” I started to chuckle. “I’m talking to a talking purple unicorn.” I finally just laughed. I couldn’t take it. A purple unicorn was talking to me. How could you not laugh?

“And you’re a talking black unicorn,” Twilight said. “I don’t see what’s so funny.”

I started to pull myself together so I could make up some sort of explanation. She was probably fairly common here. “Sorry,” I said, still chuckling a little. “It’s just been a hard few hours.”

“I bet,” Twilight said, turning around to walk away. I trotted up to join her.

“So what is this place?” I asked.

“This is the Camp,” she replied. “Ever since the Changelings found that spell, they’ve been able to go anywhere they want, except here.”

I looked around. Refugees lay all around me. I could see some in armor, probably soldiers. All of these peop- ponies were hiding here.

All because I let someone through.

“I should just get my gear and go,” I said.

Twilight turned to look at me. “Why?”

“I should just go,” I said. “I need to find a way to stop these things and a refugee camp is not where I should do it. Too many people could get hurt.”

She froze in place. “Did you just say…” she left it open.

“What did I say?” I asked. “I’m just trying to keep the casualties to a minimum.”

She shook her head and started moving again. “I just thought I heard you say something we’re supposed to be on the lookout for.”

I kept moving. “Well if you wouldn’t mind helping me get my things, I’ll be out of your hair-err mane, as soon as I can.”

“Right this way,” she said, taking the lead.

In a few minutes, we arrived at a room. It had a large door with a symbol of the sun engraved on the stone and opened inward. I started forward when I saw it.

This equine was easily the size of a horse. It had a horn on its head and large, elegant wings on its back. The mane and tail seemed to be made of fractured light, flowing in a breeze that was unfelt by everyone else. And the worst part, it had a crown on its head.

“Hello,” I said.

It faced me with a regal face, though it was worn by age. “You are new here,” she said.

“Yeah,” I said. “I was going to get my things, but my escort here might have made a mistake by taking me here.”

“You do not wish to stay?” she asked. “Why is that?”

“I think I should be elsewhere when I make my plans against the things I was escaping,” I stated.

“Why?” she asked. “It is much safer here than anywhere else.”

“I just need to get my things and leave,” I said. “I would like to know where they are.”

She looked back at Twilight and nodded, Twilight then nodded back and left the room, using telekinesis to close the door.

“Um,” I said, using my master wit. “What’s going on?”

“My student apparently thinks you pose a threat to us in some way,” she responded. “And it is best to do this with a quiet environment.” She lowered her head and neared me.

“I am not a threat,” I said, starting to panic. “I came here on accident! I swear! I was just trying to get away from the Changelings so I could stop them.”

Her horn touched my head and the world faded from view.

***********

I heard the lock click open as I turned the tension bar. Another success, another set of equipment.

I walked into the store and grabbed food first. I ate while I gathered more things for the rest of my trip. I would need to check my injuries soon, too.

I sat down, getting dizzy. Maybe I should have gotten care first. That would have been the smart thing to do.

I heard footsteps coming my way and moved behind the bench. In the dark, they wouldn’t see me. I could wait until they passed so I could take care of my injury and finish my scavenging. It would only be a few minutes.

They stopped right in front of me.

I watched as their shoes turned and faced me. I looked up to see a gentle-faced woman looking down at me. She held out her hand and helped me to my feet.

“Let me help you with that,” she said, kindly smiling at me.

***********

I lay in a hospital bed as the police talk in the hallway. My arm was in a sling and I was still a little drowsy from the anesthetic, but I knew they were talking about me. I was a hot topic as of late, with all of my break-ins.

One of the police officers walked into the room. “Under normal circumstances, you would be arrested on the spot,” he said. “But, you have proven yourself to be highly skilled. Ever since you disappeared all those years ago, you’ve done all this. You’ve stayed low on the radar and have shown exceptional skill.

“So instead of arresting you, we were considering recruiting you. Not as an officer, but a consultant.”

I looked at him, wondering exactly why they were giving me this chance. But before I could really think about it, I said something.

“When do I start?”

************

I saw the regal figure step away and caught my breath. “What did you just do?” I asked.

“I was reading your memories,” she responded. “The most important ones stand out the most in the mind. Those are the ones we make the biggest decisions on. I had to make sure your decisions didn’t lead to infiltration.”

I looked up at her. “You’re… extremely calm considering what you just saw.”

She chuckled a little. “You are not the first human to cross into this world,” she said. “And I doubt you will be the last.”

“How many?” I asked, moving towards a glass case.

“Including you, almost five dozen,” she said.

I looked at her, trying to make a face of disbelief. It was a lot harder to do with an equine face. “How is that possible?”

“You are not the only one who thought of a way to get to other worlds,” she replied.

I sat down for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. If I could make allies, I should. It would greatly increase my chances of survival. But if I did, then it would put them at risk.

“I think I will take my things and leave now,” I said.

“I was hoping I would be able to change your mind,” she said.

“Then change it,” I said. “I’ll give you five minutes.”

“Is that how you treat leaders where you come from?”

“You could be God and I would treat you the same way,” I said. “Every minute I’m here is another minute those creatures could figure out what I did. They could find this place because of me.”

“They won’t,” she said.

“How can you be so sure?” I asked.

“Because this area is an open rift in the skin of reality,” she explained, facing me. “The only reason you came here is because of the energy leaking out, drawing you towards it. You’ve probably noticed an increase in energy. That’s from the leak.

“You are not as bad as you think you are, nor are you as dangerous to us. However, to them, you are a great threat. You came through and have knowledge they need for their plans. That is the only reason they left you alive.”

“I already figured that one out,” I said.

“But you haven’t figured out one thing,” she said. “Why are you the centerpiece?”

“What are you talking about?” I asked, starting to back toward the door.

“You will soon see,” she said. “Now is the time to make your choice.”

I started to feel a little lightheaded and almost sat down. I would have if I hadn’t backed into the door. “I’m going to go get my things,” I said.
1:04 pm

I still felt a little off in the equine body, but I was getting used to it. I was using my abilities more frequently, due to a lack of thumbs, but it wasn’t as exhausting as before. And everything just felt, right.

Still a little weird.

I walked up to see the training area and saw Twilight on the other end of it, watching. I started to the other end to talk to Twilight when I saw something happen in the training field. Being the person I am, I stopped where I was and stared for a few seconds.

After that, I focused and tried to lightly tear a rift so I could show these ponies a few things. I could feel the buildup of power, but something didn’t feel quite right.

Then there was a flash of light and I was standing on the floor where I was trying to go.

I felt the world spinning around me, and it stopped suddenly. If I weren’t used to gravitational changes, I would have been floored by the shift.

Instead, I just sat down.

Regaining my bearings, I stood up slowly. I looked at the two ponies by me and gave a small smile. “I didn’t mean to do that,” I said. “But I did try to come down here.” I turned to the green one that had made the mistake. “Do you realize what you did wrong?”

“U-um,” he stammered. “No.”

“Figures,” I muttered. “You let him in your defenses. When your hoof came up to hit, you left the open space for him to kick, or maybe hit you with something a little more lethal. What you want to do is move in with a spin and hit him hard in the jaw from underneath, then follow up immediately with a kick to the ribs.”

I looked at the blue pony the green one was sparing with and nodded. He somehow got the clue and came at me with the same tactic as last time. I demonstrated, using a little extra power to disperse the blows enough so it didn’t hurt him too much.

That’s when I realized the silence around me. I looked at all the faces staring at me. “Carry on,” I said, attempting to replicate the teleportation. Of course, that’s when I was able to open a rift.

I walked through and stood next to Twilight. The green pony moved forward and tried to mirror what I had done alone before facing his opponent.

“I thought you were leaving,” Twilight said.

“I gave it some thought,” I replied, “And decided to stay. All of you could use some real training.”

I turned to face her and could see a small smile on her muzzle. “Glad you could join us. Although, it would help if we knew your name.”

“I’m the Gatekeeper,” I said.

“The Gatekeeper?” Twilight asked, looking at me a little more closely than I would have preferred. “You’re the Gatekeeper? I thought you’d be taller.”

“You’ve heard of me?” I asked, a little confused.

“You mean you don’t know?” she asked. “You’re supposed to-”

“Wait!” I said, cutting her off. “I’ve seen this before. You’re going to tell me about some prophecy and I’m going to try to change it, only causing it to come to pass. I am not falling into that little trap.”

“It’s not so much a prophecy as it is a story,” Twilight said.

“Still don’t want to hear it,” I said. “Something like that always complicates things.”

“Alright,” she said.

I looked back at the training ponies. “How much do they know? About this?”

“They only know that the Changelings have tried to invade once before, and this is a more successful attempt. They don’t know what they’re doing.”

“It took a few days for those things to get the information they needed from that person and build up enough power to open a Gateway,” I said. “That gives us a week, week and a half at most before they open it again and try something.”

“We can’t stop them, even with the numbers we have,” Twilight said. “They have more experience and skill in combat. Plus they can feed off of the emotions of that time.”

“Then let’s get to work training them for the fight of their lives,” I said.