(8)
Gently rubbing a pearl-white feather to his eyes, Sergeant Grey Wind brought out his brass pocket watch to mark the time, 6:30 AM, the creature, Wayde Molan, was still asleep and in bed. Though, according to the night guardspony he’d relieved, the creature had only just gotten to bed a mere six hours ago, having tossed and turned in fitful bouts for the two hours previous.
“And what is our little guest up to this morning,” came the dulcet tone of Princess Celestia in his right ear.
Wings ruffling in surprise, Sergeant Wind stiffly replied, “The creature has yet to awaken Princess.”
“Thank you for your vigilance Sergeant, you are dismissed.”
With a smart salute, Sergeant Grey Wind left both the scrying chamber and Celestia to her thoughts.
Looking to the gem-set screen Celestia marveled at what she had been told the previous night. Not the fact her world was considered naught but fantasy, but rather, with all the information that he’d had, all Wayde had wanted was enough energy to stay alive, only going on a scaring-spree when he thought both she and Luna were trying to snuff out the memories of their subjects. What must his own world be like for such a conclusion to be so readily reached despite, or even in spite, what a great evil it was to alter another’s memories, the very thing which made a pony a pony.
All the same, he would need to be dealt with, and considering Wayde was in a form hitherto unknown to him or her subjects, the first thing to do would be to get both her ponies and himself better acquainted with it. But how to manage it, Celestia pondered, a few wisps of ideas already growing with the smile on her lips.
***
Sleep clinging to the edges of my consciousness, I began the laborious process of licking at the dried corners of my mouth with an equally dry tongue, unwilling to yet tackle the feat of getting up. Already the actions from last night were returning to me, and I was far from pleased.
Making a fool of myself? Singing? Dancing? What the hell was wrong with me? And speaking out of turn? I must have been high.
Maybe there was something in the air?
Well, whatever it was, it had dissipated enough for me to at least think clearly again, or at least not want to embarrass myself in front of strangers. I couldn’t afford to be so reckless, not when the Princesses had made it clear they had wanted to help me. If I was going to get home as quickly as possible, then I was going to have to show off enough mental stability so they could focus on getting me home and out of this fear-ridden body.
Cracking open my eyes, I slowly sat up, wincing at the snippets of light that sparkled along the gloss of the carpet and up the cracks in the overhanging bed’s canopy.
Reacting to my discomfort, and without a great deal of thought, I flung out my hand, sand springing forth from my palm, and began clouding out the few drips of sunlight that had managed to find me.
It simply amazed me how utterly normal it felt to be so… empowered. Fearsomeness aside, I could now fly under my own power and travel great distances in the less than the blink of an eye, but at what cost?
With a yawn, I let those thoughts slide off my tired mind. It wouldn’t do me any good to keep meditating on them like that. So, pushing back the covers and lifting my leg in one fell motion, I screwed my eyes shut and threw back the curtain, only to trip on the heavy fabric and roll out onto the lush, carpeted floor. Slowly opening my eyes, I tried to remember which door led to the bathroom. I was going to need a shower an- *knock knock knock*
“Is everything alright in there,” a concerned, muffled voice called from the hall.
Definitely the door on the left then.
“Yes ma’am. Sorry, not used to curtains on my beds I’m afraid.”
“Hello?” the voice called again as a honey-yellow snout slowly inched in, “I said is everything alright?”
“I said I wa-”
“HellooOOoo?”
Stepping into the room a pegasus, her creamy mane tucked smartly in a bun, began eyeing the room, her gaze never stopping at my sprawled form at the side of the bed.
A muffled voice called from down the hall, drawing her attention as my morning daze burst apart. I was not going to spend my days forever worrying on how others would or wouldn’t see me, and I especially wasn’t going to be ignored by someone whose greatest fear was garden gnomes.
Icy bunnies.
With a questioning glance I pawed at the rug, and, reaching beneath me, I grasped at something that I could only begin to describe as a thin sheet of water, but it stuck to my hand all the same. I carefully pulled it up, feeling all too much like a passenger in my own body as I draped the shadow over my lap where it squirmed for a moment before settling onto me like a bolt of ghostly-lace. Pulling a few more shadows from beneath me a sudden gasp alerted me to my visual-success, but I didn’t stop until the sheets of darkness covered every part of my body. Looking up and through the smoky, for me, veil I saw the black pin-pricks of the maid’s eyes, if her feather duster cutie mark was anything to go by, though I thought better than to stand up and tower over her. Reaching beneath me, I pulled out some more shadows, and, frowning as they fought against my finer manipulations, slowly molded out:
Royal guest. Not a threat.
Ears splayed firmly back upon her head, the words seemed to calm her enough to gulp down a breath of air to manage a shaky, “R-right, s-s-so, is everything alright in here?”
I gave an exaggerated nod and was quickly left to the sound of echoing hooves racing to the end of the hall. Looking back down I saw that the letters had turned runny, and were slowly sliding towards the nearest source of shadow, which happened to be under my feet as I stood up. Deciding to praise my good fortune that the veil of shadows clinging to me had yet to turn runny as well, I headed toward the restroom; it had been some weeks since my last proper shower.
***30 Minutes Later***
What warmth I had managed to attain from the shower was quickly leaving me as the damp of my pants and jacket continued to dry upon me. Granted, I could have let them dry longer under the hair-dryer they had in there, but that would have taken far more time than I was willing to lend it. Besides, I had a toasty pair of socks and underpants to keep me warm for the time being.
That was something I needed to add to my ever-growing list, more clothes. I could only imagine how much I must have reeked to the Princesses last night. Still, I needed to find someone, and find out what community service I was going to perform for the day.
Approaching the door, I knew before I got there that there was someone new standing behind it as they gave three quick raps upon the slightly-open door. Sticking my head out the side I was greeted by the all too unimpressed stare of-
“Hey, names Spitfire,” she said, sizing me up, her flaming orange-mane flickering with the subtle movements of her head. “I’ve been told I get to put you through the ringer, but since you’re something of a novelty around here I’ve been forced to get a bit creative. So, lets hustle up to the mess,” she said, already turning down the hall, “we’ll have a late breakfast and have you on the field by oh eight-hundred for some,” she paused, turning her head slightly to flash a toothy grin, “war-games.”
It was a little hard to hold back my chuckle as she pulled out a pair of shades from her dress-blues jacket and put them on. Granted, the light streaming in through the windows was rather bright, but it was too good to pass up. But, it wasn’t stifled nearly enough to escape the yellow-pegasus attention as she a much louder chuckle of her own in return, and added, “Glad to see you’re ready to have just as great a day as I am.”
***
A stomach full of oatmeal and freshly diced strawberries later in what I could only assume was the barracks wing of the castle given how spartan the place had been, though the sign reading ‘Mess Hall’ was something to consider as well, I was trotted out onto a dirt field where a chalk rectangle had been freshly laid out. It wasn’t too big, really, but what caught my attention was the center of the field where a white line had bisected the field, though what was particularly eye-catching was the line of red rubber-balls placed along it.
‘It couldn’t be’ I thought as Spitfire pulled out a whistle to blow, where upon six golden-armored guardsmen, two from each pony tribe, quickly marched out double-time from the castle into a single, unblinking row before her.
“Now,” she grinned, turning to face me, “these fine gentlecolts are going to help me and the Princesses assess your speed, agility, and general offensive and defensive capabilities in a little game we like to call, dodge ball.”
She started going over the rules as I was pointed to my end of the field. It was remarkably similar, the only thing of note being that no magic was allowed and that I was to be given six hits before I was considered out while the guardsponies would each remain at one. Even with that ‘advantage’, I still felt like I was getting short-changed.
As the whistle blew, much as I suspected, the elite members of the guard were in, what I could only assume was, peak physical condition, and were much faster than me… for the first few seconds they had. Then, to my widening-surprise I began to catch up to them with each sweep of my greater stride. I nearly ended up disqualifying myself as I was forced to dig my heels into the dirt so I wouldn’t cross the line. Wobbling enough to keep my balance, I grabbed a ball in each hand before scuttling back to gain some distance. The guards did much the same, but rather than immediately pelt me with rubbery-death, they stood crouched and at the ready, waiting for the alien to make the first move.
Knocking my arm back we all watched as my shot went hilariously wide of my defensibly-scattered opponents, and, much to my dismay, they quickly retaliated. The two unicorns rose to their hind legs and, wearing matching grins, threw their balls. The next thing I knew, I watched as the two spheres whished past the open space where my upper-torso had previously been. Righting myself, I felt my spine return to the vertical, my eyes wide in surprise, and a shaky grin growing with the new wave of adrenaline pumping through my veins.
‘Whoa, am I… faster?’ I wondered as I watched the pegasi toss their balls in the air, only to swat them with an open wing as it fell passed their sides. This time, the balls came in both high and low, but I slid my feet across the dirt quick as thinking, and watched as the first one passed safely above me as the other went through the gap. However, it was just at that time I noticed the two earth ponies who, managing to sneak to the sides of the dirt-brown field despite their brilliant white-fur and sparkling golden-armor, had given a tremendous buck and sent their balls to blur across the air and into my chest.
The force of the impact, knocked, no, threw me back, and would have continued on for a number of feet had I not toppled to my back.
Clothes in disarray and, now, utterly stained, I laid there with the full intent of waiting to catch my breath before the pain of a broken ribcage fell upon me with a vengeance.
I waited.
And then, I waited some more, and I would have continued to wait had Spitfire not flapped to my side, ears beginning to turn, and said, “Whoa there soldier, you okay?”
“I,” I mumbled, slowly moving my left arm, fearing that every pull of the myriad of muscles it took to shift the appendage above my chest would send the whole house of cards to collapse and bring me into the screaming pain of reality, but nothing happened. Then, the moment of truth; bringing down the lightest of feathery touches, I pressed upon my sternum.
Nothing.
I pressed down harder, eventually adding my palm and then my second hand altogether. Nothing. I was fine.
Finally, slack-jawed, as I slowly began sitting up I said, “I should be dead.”
“Come again,” she demanded, an edge of anxiety creeping into her hardened voice.
“Maybe it’s the body, or maybe it’s something about this world,” I said, getting to my feet, patting away the dirt from the seat of my pants, “but, not only am I uninjured, I don’t even feel any discomfort.”
“Interesting,” she replied, a hoof rising to rub her chin, with an eyebrow to match it.
‘Oh dear.’
“Guess that means we can start letting the colts use a little magic then,” she said, her cocky grin folding back into place. “Now get back into position,” she said, whipping her tail at my shins as she flew back to the sidelines, “you’ve still got four more hits before you lose, and trust me, if my colts don’t like taking laps around the castle,” she turned, watching me pale, “well, good to know some forms of learning hold true across the worlds.”
My only response was to give a quiet gulp and move back into place as the whistle went off, sending me diving to the nearest ball, and hoping that the growing glow from the unicorns across the way wouldn’t end up hurting me too bad. I really didn’t have to worry about holding my sides together with such a long run looming over me.
***
From one of the many balconies that festooned the royal Canterlot Castle, Celestia watched as her wayward guest slowly chuffed his way around the corner and up the hills of the outer rose-path again. She hadn’t caught what lap he was on when she’d first spotted him, but by the look of things, should he trip, he would likely not get up again.
Taking another sip of her afternoon tea, she gave a nod to Captain Spitfire who was busy maintaining her thousand-yard stare as she lowered her salute. “Please be at ease my little pony, and tell me what you’ve learned today.”
Spitfire, glad for a chance to relax, but still choosing to remain standing, gently removed her sun-shades, and said, “All in all, Wayde seems to have a skeletal structure much like a minotaur, though, given his flexibility, which surprised him as much as me from the way he managed to contort himself away during today’s game, his durability is beyond what I would have expected for somepony of his mass, especially with his utter lack of magic if the labcolts are to be believed.”
“And what would you say of his character?” Celestia added, a hint of a smile playing on her lips, knowing how Spitfire liked to keep her business and emotions in check when she was on duty.
With only the slightest of hesitations, Spitfire replied, “While it’s rather early to say for certain, I would hazard he takes things rather seriously, though,” she added, bringing a hoof to her chin, thinking back to how he had thanked the mess-cooks for holding a late breakfast for him, “he shows a propensity for honor that, were he a pony, would have me winging him to a few recruiters to see how he might like their sales-pitch.”
“Very good,” Celestia said, her gentle smile growing, “and how did he feel about the continuation of this little learning experience?”
Spitfire, grinning in kind, replied, “A little nonplussed, but he seemed to be having a good enough time while on the field, especially when his aim began to miss by a few hands instead of a few yards.”
“Well then, while I’m not one to interfere with another’s work, might I ask how many laps you instructed our guest to complete for his losses upon the field?”
“Uh,” Spitfire hummed, scratching the back of her neck, “Since we don’t know how much he’s currently capable of I just told him to run until he got tired. Why?”
“Well, I think you might want to send somepony down there to check up on him, because I’m not entirely sure he understands the distinction between tired and exhaustion.”
“Right away Princess,” Spitfire grinned, winging off to send Wayde off to the showers, and let Celestia finish off her tea beside the swirling pinks and purples of the sunset. It was a few minutes late, and, at any rate, she needed to get her own rest too. Tomorrow was going to be another fun filled day of off-worlder boot-camp.
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Vague title and summary is vague
I wonder if he going to start gaining powers
Great chapter.
6105001 "its from the movie dodgeball. "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball"
6105407 "well the was more than less than slightly unhelpful"
now I'm even more confused. The story is a dodge ball parody or the title is or the summary.... Huh?
Yay we are back!
Yay!
6105694 the title for this chapter is a reference to dodgeball. And i cant help you with the summary. Its quite obvious what's being said if you read it. just because its not spelling things out at at kindergarten level isnt a problem
6106601 no need to be an ass and insult others intelligence. The summary is easy to understand just vague to the point of not telling anything to someone unless they have already read the story which defeats the purpose of both a title and a summary.
6107060 Its not supposed to tell you everything that happens. Its written to catch your interest and make you want to read it. Its a teaser, not cliffnotes
6107060, 6108823
If either of you would like to continue this "conversation", I would recommend doing it via PM. And honestly, to each their own as I have seen many a story whose description is an accurate summation of what one might expect should they choose to read it as I have seen those which choose to give a teaser instead.
Yet, Luna had no compunction about intentionally unleashing enough magic into his mind that it would have caused some notable damage if he didn't have his powers. I smell extreme double-standard and hypocrisy.