Chapter 2; Respite
James began to lose focus as his energy poured away. His eyelids got heavy as he tried fruitlessly to keep them open. He lost track of time as it became harder and hearder to remain concious; clearly the makeshift bandage was incapable of doing it's job well enough. He had lost the energy to even cry out in pain.
Presently he heard, or though he heard, hoofbeats approaching, from the direction the girls had fled to. He used what energy he could to keep his eyes open, and saw a flash of orange and vanilla-yellow as his eyelids shut, and he fell back, back into darkness...
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(Twenty minutes earlier)
The Cutie Mark Crusaders ran out of the forest as the large being had ordered. They ran into the town and kept running until they almost bumped into Fluttershy, who was accompanied by Applejack, near the library.
"Whoa, girls, no need ta rush,, said Applejack, who was a little put off by the surprise and - fear?- in the fiillies' eyes as they straightened up.
"Applejack, Fluttershy, thank goodness," Apple Bloom sighed in relief.
Fluttershy, noticing the girls' facial expressions, and becoming worried, asked "what's wrong?"
"You have to come quick!"
"He's in danger!"
"It's hurt!"
"Hold on, one at a time," Applejack said, nervous now.
Fluttershy, however, was moved to an immediate state of alert once she heard someone was hurt.
"Who's hurt? Where is he?" she asked, in a voice that would have sounded panicky to someone who didn't know her but was really of a caring nature.
"It's in the Ever..."
"Wait, y'all were in the Everfree Forest!?!" Applejack almost shouted. "What were y'all doing there?"
Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle all looked guilty. Scootaloo answered first.
"We wanted to find our cutire marks in exploration, so we went into the Forest to search for stuff."
"And did y'all stick to the path?"
"Well, um... noooooooo."
Before Applejack could start scolding, Fluttershy cut in.
"Nevermind that, is somepony hurt?"
"Well," started Apple Bloom, "he wasn't exactly a pony..."
"Where is he? Can you show me?"
"Now wait a minute, Fluttershy," Applejack interupted, "Ya can't just go wanderin' off into the Everfree to save some... creature we don't even know about."
Even a dragon would have quailed under the gaze Fluttershy now gave Applejack.
"Um, ah... okay, we'll go," Applejack finally managed to get out.
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(More or less present time)
"It shouldn't be far now..." Scootaloo stated as they continued the slow walk though the forest. The only noise the five ponies could hear was the sound of their own hoofbeats and the occasional birdsong.
Suddenly Applejack tripped over something on the ground, something large.
"What the..." getting up and looking back, she was shocked to find a dead timberwolf, it's head blasted clean off it's shoulders. She began to shiver. Fluttershy was also scared and was on the verge of crying; however vicious some animals were, she hated to see anything hurt or dead, especially through violence. However, looking by a nearby boulder, she saw someone who she WAS capable of saving. She could have sworn it's eyes had seen them before closing.
"That's him!"
"He saved us from the timberwolves!"
"He need our help!"
Fluttershy approached the strange looking being. It had two long legs, and two long arms, one of which was bleeding profusely. It's head was round, similar in shape to a potato, and it's body was covered in clothing, mostly blue. An L-shaped sheath was located on it's left side, with something metallic inside.
She quickly checked to see whether the being was still breathing; it was. However, it was now unconcious and possibly going into shock.
"Wait here, I need my supplies." She quickly flew off towards her cottage to get bandages and hopefully some medicine, if it was needed.
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James briefly regained conciousness, as he awoke to feeling something... different about his situation.
He was moving, though not under his own power.
He thought he could see a purple glow, as well as a familiar orange earth pony and a yellow pegasus on either side of... what was this, a cot or stretcher of some sort? He tried to straighten up, but found he had no energy to do so and again fell back into blackness.
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Fluttershy noticed as her patient opened his eyes. She had found Twilight at her cottage (Twilight had been trying to get a book back from Fluttershy, as the book was now overdue) and had told her quickly that she needed her help. Twilight had quickly agreed, and followed to find the creature back at the rock. Twilight managed to make a stretcher out of nearby wood and leaves, using her magic to keep it together, then she levitated the thing onto the stretcher and were off.
Fluttershy was curious about her new patient, but worried; her own house had no room for any more patients, especially one that had a little more height than a pony. The three older ponies had decided it was wiser to move the creature into Twilight's house, which had much more room. Fluttershy was still worried, as this would still bring a large time delay into play; She couldn't teleport instantly, like Twilight, and flying took time. If the creature's status plummeted quickly, she might not be able to go from her house to Twilight's in time to save him.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders had told everyone what had happened during their excusion into the woods, all leading up to the battle and how the being had saved them.
"It could talk? Oh my," Fluttershy had said, again excited but worried about the creature on the stretcher. She had managed to bandage it's arm, so the bleeding had stopped, but he was still unconcious most of the way into town.
The creature stirred, trying to push itself up. She was about to move her hoof to push him back onto his pillow when he gave out a sigh and collapsed back onto the bed.
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James awoke yet again, though he didn't open his eyes yet. He could feel a stinging pain in his left arm, and he had to take a minute to remember what had happened. He sighed.
Well, I never thought I'd be here, in Equestria of all places...
Some people would have thought they had become insane, or that they were imagining things. James didn't. He wasn't stupid enough to push away the reality of the situation. All the evidence - waking in the Everfree Forest, the fight, the sensation of the pistol kicking against his hand as it went off, his wound - pointed at this world being fact, not some randomly generated dream.
He suddenly realized he was no longer wearing a hat. He opened his eyes and looked around, groaning a bit when his arm flared in pain as he moved, and found it lying on a bedstand close by. He also noticed his holster and pistol were lying next to his hat.
James took in his surroundings. He was lying in a bed, in a medium-sized room. There were stairs off to his right, and a window to the left above his head. On the walls were many, many books.
I bet I know just where I am...
It had to be Twilight's house/library. Few if any other houses in Ponyville could have had this many books in just one room alone. He sighed again, knowing that Twilight would have questions for/about him. He could think of several off the top of his head.
Who are you, what are you, how did you get here, what were you doing in the Everfree Forest...
He was NOT looking forward to that. He usually didn't like to answer personal questions, especially if the answers were demanded instead of asked, and knowing Twilight, they would probably be demands.
He quickly grew bored with the room at hand, and began to wish for some reading.
Now where are my books, they should be in my bag... Oh, blast!
Now he remembered, he had left the bag in the forest. It would be difficult to find now, and he clearly wouldn't be allowed out of here anytime soon.
A purple head appeared from the stairs. Spike.
"It's awake!" cried Spike, who then rushed back down stairs.
Great. Now I'm going to get it.
Sure enough, he heard activity downstairs; someone started talking (though James couldn't make out the words), then he heard a crash as something fell over, something that sounded like an apology and then some comforting words, then hoofbeats, many of them. Less than half a minute later, the entire Mane 6 trotted up the stairs into James' room, followed by the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike.
No one spoke for a moment. James felt nervous. He didn't know who was going to talk first, or who would do what.
Then the tension broke as the CMC rushed to James bed.
"Thanks for saving us!" All three of them spoke at once. They leaned over the side of the bed.
"Apple Bloom, where are your manners?" Applejack shouted, annoyed at her sibling and clearly worried that James might be dangerous.
James did the only thing he felt he could do to ease the tension; he patted Apple Bloom on the head, stroking her silky mane. She blushed and smiled as James' hand continued to stroke her. Applejack looked a little surprised at first, then appeared to calm down, saying "Awwww."
Pinkie Pie suddenly pulled a blue cannon seemingly out of nowhere.
Oh no, not now...
BOOOOOOOOOOM! The cannon roared as confetti and party favors flew across the room, with the party pony herself appearing at James' bedside.
True to form she started talking a mile a minute, with James barely able to make out anything she said, though that cute, smiling face was impossible to look away from and made him smile as well. He patted her mane as well, and she stopped talking and started giggling.
Twilight called Pinkie away from the bed, and James got a slight breather, though the CMC stayed where they were, still looking at their hero.
Twilight walked up, quill and paper being levitated in front of her. "Alright," she began, "I'd like to know your name and what you are please."
Drat! James lost his smile, and became nervous all over again. After a moments silence, Twilight said, slightly annoyed, "Well?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't like answering personal questions if the one who is asking is demanding an answer," James almost snapped. He felt sorry even before he had finished, and moaned as his arm sent a spear of pain through him.
Twilight jumped back at the admittedly rude response. Everyone moved back a little ways, but Fluttershy flew forward, noticing James' pain.
"Oh there there. Just relax," she said, patting James' arm. He took a deep breath and laid back.
Twilight stepped forward again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude or intruding."
"Well, I'm sorry too." James replied. He really was feeling sorry at this point. "I ask for your forgiveness, this stinking arm is still paining me."
Although she cringed, she got over it quickly. "Well, can you please answer my questions?" she asked, although more timidly than before.
"My name... is... James Lavigne." He was breathing a bit heavily; he was still nervous. "I am a... human."
He had been expecting a question to explain what humans were or where they were from, however, Twilight simply nodded, taking notes. After a moment she was done, though before she could answer, Applejack walked forward, took off her hat, and looked into James' face.
"Ah just wanted ta thank y'all for savin' mah sister," she said in a quiet and humble voice.
James moaned again, then said, "You are most welcome."
Now Rarity walked up. "I really must offer my thanks as well for saving my sister too," she said in her own quiet, but still slightly British, voice. "Really, timberwolves..." She shuddered. Then she looked down at Sweetie Belle, much more upset this time. "You must NEVER do that again, EVER!" She sounded imperious this time, and Sweetie Belle fell back before her anger, though Rarity quick turned back to James.
Twilight coughed, as someone usually does when trying to attract attention. "Anyway... what were you doing in the Everfree Forest?" As she said this, Applejack and Rarity both moved back to a more respectable distance. The CMC, of course, stayed right next to James' bed.
James sighed, though that was as much to try to let out the pain from his arm as it was from anxiety and resignation. "I..." He paused. He didn't know how he had got here, or how to explain it. He decided to try anyway. "I'm... not sure how I got here." He paused again to breathe a bit more. "I fell... asleep in my room, and.. ended up in the Everfree Forest." Knowing he would have to explain himself further, he kept going, a little less anxious now. "I was heading for this town, then noticed these three" - he nodded toward the Cutie Mark Crusaders - "heading for the forest edge outside of..."
Uh oh. He remembered that he had never met any of the ponies in the room (or any talking, civilized pony for that matter) before now, and had only seen them on a TV show. If he said Fluttershy's name, he would undoubtably be asked how he knew it. Then more questions and answers would have to be made, and they might not trust him by the time he was done. For all he knew, they might think he was spying on them and have him jailed (though that struck him as unlikely).
"Yes...?" That was from Applejack, who had seen James' face while he was thinking all this, and probably trying to find out if he was telling the truth or if he was hiding something. James decided to feign ignorance. Oh, he wouldn't lie; he would just leave some stuff out, hopefully explain everything better once his arm had healed fully.
"Outside of... a sort of tree... house... thing, and they were discussing something about cutie marks and going exploring. (He paused to catch his breath.) When they choose to go in, I didn't see anyone else to accompany them, and I followed them to see what happened.."
"Oh, so that was you who yelled out there," Apple Bloom interupted.
"Yes, I tripped a couple of times. However, nothing really happened until those - what did you call them? Timberwolves? - came along. These three (here he nodded to the CMC again) ran themselves into a rock, and those things circled them."
Everyone was paying close attention; even Pinkie Pie, who was eating popcorn as if she were at the movies.
Feeling a bit more confident, and feeling somewhat more energetic, James continued. "I pulled out my gun..."
"What, this thing?" Twilight asked, using her magic to take the aforementioned weapon out of its holster.
"Yes, that. I took it out, and shot all the timberwolves, as you call them." James saw a bit of shock come over Fluttershy's face, and saw the other ponies look at each other. He felt a need to justify himself. "If I didn't kill them, these three would be dead. That's the high and low of it." James looked up and saw a nod from Applejack, and then a much slower nod from Rarity.
Fluttershy, though still looking shocked, had calmed down.
"Oh, where are my manners?" Rarity burst out. "I'm Rarity."
James nodded, then groaned.
The rest of the ponies introdcued themselves, with Rainbow Dash going further and claiming to be the best flyer in Equestria (interestingly enough, she didn't see the disapproving looks just about everyone else, except Scootaloo, gave her as she said this). Fluttershy, however, had to be introduced by Twilight, as she couldn't say her own name loud enough for James to hear.
Spike suddenly belched, with a small wave of green flame spurting from his mouth, and a letter flew across the room into James' face, bopping him on the nose.
"Woah! Sorry dude," Spike apologised, running to pick up the letter. "Hey, do you have dragons where you're from?"
"Only those made of paper," James joked, thinking of the Chinese and their obsession with dragons and dragon costumes at festivals and culturally important events.
"Wow, dragons made of paper," Spike said, taking James seriously. "I wonder how they manage not to burn themselves."
James laughed and explained. Spike looked a little downtrodden, but picked back up.
"Spike, please give me the letter." said Twilight. Then, looking at James, she explained the way she sent and received letters using Spike. He just nodded politely. As if I hadn't seen it all happen on the show. She also said she had sent a letter to the Princess earlier, to inform her of James' arrival and injury, and then went itno a brief explaination of Equestria's rulers. Again, James just nodded politely and said nothing. He again noticed Applejack studying him closely, frowning a little. He gave a mental shudder. She knows I know more than I'm letting on. I really will have to explain this all later. I just hope Rainbow doesn't get up in my face and accuse me of being a spy.
Twilight read quickly. She gasped. "It says she's coming here, with Princess Luna, a contingent of Royal Guards and... my brother."
James felt hope drain away. Shining Armor is a tough guy, and if he thinks I am a threat to his sister... (shudder) I'll be no match for him in a bed. And if both Princesses are coming here with Royal Guards, plus their captain... Do they think I'm a threat? He had no idea what he could do if they were coming here to arrest him. Nothing, probably.
Applejack noticed his tension. "Now look here, sugarcube," she said in her normal Southern drawl (though James guessed they called it a "farming accent" in Equestria, as there was no reason for a Mason-Dixon line or for a "Southern/Confederate" identity to spring forth here). "The Princeses are the most kindly of folk, and they ain't gonna do anything bad to y'all." She spoke with utmost certainty, enough so that James gain some, though nowhere near all, of his confidence back.
There was a loud knock from downstairs. They're here already. Looking around, he saw that everyone else had similar surprised looks on their faces. Twilight read a little further; "P.s., I am writing this from the Royal chariot, so expect me very soon." She looked a little frustrated. "She should have written that on the main paragraph, not in a p.s.!" Yes, she looked pretty flustered. I would be too, if that happened to me.
The knock sounded again. Twilight recovered herself, yelled "I'm coming," and raced downstairs. There was the sound of a door opening, followed by what sounded like an exchange of greetings, then more hoofbeats came, getting louder and louder as the company below came up the stairs.
Slowly, horns appearing first, then crowns, then heads... The twin Princesses of Equestria appeared from the stairway, followed by Royal Guards led by Shining Armor himself. He looked around, saw Twilght, and shouted "Twily!" to which James winced; he could never get past that.
James did notice that neither of the Princesses looked hostile, though they seemed nervous, or was that just ordinary seriousness? The Royal Guards, however, were another story; even as their captain and his sister embraced, they encircled James' bed, their spears pointing in his direction. James instinctively reached towards his left side for his pistol... before remembering that Twilight had put it back down on the bedstand and that it was useless to him anyway; it had no ammo, and these guys would seriously outclass him even if he did attempt to use it as a club. Add to that, he was already injured and in a bed, lying down. He was just about helpless. And he hated that.
I have no intention of going to jail or into a circus ring. All his earlier fears had come back.
Princess Celestia, however, suddenly looked stern. "Soldiers, lower your weapons," she said in a clear and loud voice, though it was NOT the Royal Canterlot Voice, for which James was grateful.
They obeyed her, but one - a grey pegasus with a yellow mane and silver armor - was clearly not happy about doing so. "But Princess, the creature - it could be dangerous..."
She stared at the rebellious soldier. "That is no way to act or talk about your new military advisor."
Everyone in the room gasped.
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Okay, that took hours.
Sorry if it seems boring, but to put the first few chapters and prologue in prospective, you wouldn't play a game in multiplayer online without going through the campaign mode first; you get a feel for the game through that, so by the time that campaign is completed, you're ready to play.
If I skipped just to the action, everyone would then want all the backstory filled in anyway, so I decided to write this the way I did, with action showing up later and explaining stuff now. The next chapter will discuss the threats facing Equestria and will involve James making a choice.
Also, I'm branching away from a one-character-story, so that multiple perspectives will arise.
Again, I apologise if it doesn't seem so great right now. I DO have plans for action and major events.
Not half bad, I'd like to see more.
1311682
Okay, thanks for the encouragement.
DAFUQ!
DUN DUN DUN!! PLOT TWIST!!
Although on a side note, I don't think that Celestia would do something that drastic without someone's permission, or something like that at all, because the universe would probably explode in a giant nuclear supernova or something.
Thousands of years old alicorns watch a human play computer strategy games for a couple of months and decide he's the second coming of Robert E. Lee.
Alicorns are stupid and I'm going to favorite this story.
Really? Some royal guards encircled you on your bed and you tried to get you gun? Can anyone here set this out with words instead of bloodshed?
If you know what I mean.
Hmmm....well, at least things are now starting to pick up with being interesting. I shall read further, plus 'thumbs up' and fav this.
I heard that james will be technologically upgrading the equestrian army.
if they have an army.
Could? I feel vaguely insulted. Everything else on the planet stays the hell away from us. I'd like you to respect just how terrifyingly lethal we are, thank you very much.
One of humans' greatest advantages over other creatures is our (compared to every other species) insanely high reflexes. You could've killed them if you'd tried to. Assuming your injury didn't cause you to stop at a bad time.
So far, the ponies are mostly in character and fairly well done. The main character however, comes off a tad one dimensional. Hopefully he gains a personality soon. onward to the next chapter.
Well that explains everything and who was watching him.
Italics are on from this point onwards.
Now where are my books, they should be in my bag... Oh, blast![\i] this is broken. You might want to fix it.
7679633 It's fixed now; thanks for pointing that out!
.... Is it a mare or is it a stallion? If it's a mare does she have derpy eyes? If it is... WHEN DID DERPY JOINED THE ARMY?!
So they just took him from his home without his permission and they are forcing him into a position he may not like. I understand He wanted to go to equestria and I can see why they were in a rush to do so. Good story so far, also is this inspired by Dying Embers?
8215581
Thank you, and no. What’s that?
My *cough* first bit of advice as your advisor is to brief your troops so they don't do the wrong thing and then need to be publicly corrected.
…
Also, why didn't Fluttershy fly home and grab her medical bag, THEN rejoin them as they approached the forest?
3836969
I'm with you - in this situation, application of force is the worst idea. If he was considering it, that would be the only reason I can think of that the soldier continued threatening. In which case, bravo, Jimmy boy. Way to make things worse.
OK, so, military advisor? She couldn't find anyone better? He appears to be a decent shot and good at RTS. That's a short resume for such a high position.