> My Story > by Richer19 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue A Weird Program > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello everyone to my first chapter of my first story on this site. I’ve come across a rather annoying writer’s block on my other stories so I decided to try over here and see what happens. For your information, I do not consider myself to be a talented writer. I merely write as a way to relax after a hard day. If you have any comments or suggestions to improve my writing, I would be happy to hear them and if you want to view my other work, you can check out my Fan Fiction profile. Well…that’s enough of my rambling, time to get this party started. A Weird Program Canterlot Castle P.T.I.S Room The door slowly opened creating a small groan caused by years of unused. Such a noise would deter anypony from entering the room but this pony was on a mission and he was determined to see it through. The pony inside and closed the door before reaching out to flip a switch which would activate the equipment. The male could hear the groaning of unknown parts as the lights slowly started to come on, shining the room and the pony in a pale yellow light. The pony was a male due to his body build but he was wearing a full set of armor that made it almost impossible to distingue his other features. He started to make his way towards the center of the room the armor striking the cold stone floor causing the noise to vibrate in the room. The pony was making his way towards what appeared to be a large sphere but the truth was that it was actually the P.T.I.S. The pony was unsure as to what the acronym meant. All he needed to know was that this device has the answers that he needed. The pony reached the center and sat down on the chair. His gaze fell onto the black screen with one word displayed reading “Command…” The pony picked up the headset that was lying on the desk and place it on his head after removing his helmet. After adjusting the device, he spoke in a monotone voice “Search Moonsaber.” The device emitted a small groan as the machine started to search through the record. The process felt slow for the pony but the truth was that it only last for about five minutes before a line of text appeared on the screen that read “Classified Information. Denied Access.” The pony gave a small growl of anger and replied “Command override, Access classified information. Override code ‘Eternal Night’” However the device still denied the pony access but now it added a new line of text below which said “Searching for Pony with Access…” Earth, Dorm Room 402 My name is Richard Eldridge. I am currently a college student who is studying for a videogame design degree and for all intense it is going rather well. I was currently living on campus as I needed practice living on my own even though my house is only thirty minutes away from the college. I stepped into my room after a hard day of school and put my backpack next to my bed and sat down in front of my laptop. I knew I had homework that needed to get done but there was something that has caught my attention like a plague, but it was a plague that I would be more than happy to get again and again. For you see, I was in fact a brony and had fallen to enjoy watching a show about ponies. For the most part, I kept it to myself which was easy for me since I was not a very outgoing person and the fact that I lived by myself in my dorm room. I turned on my laptop and pulled up the internet and started to look through devinart and equestria daily to see if there was any new art or information that strike my attention. Seeing that there was nothing, I decided to get started on my homework but the slight grumbling of my stomach let me know that it was time for lunch. “I better get something to eat first” I thought to myself before leaving my desk and heading out to grab a bit. What I didn’t notice was my laptop picking up a new wireless signal and the download progress bar that had appeared the moment I left my dorm room. Canterlot Castle P.T.I.S Room The screen now had a new line of text which read “Pony Found. Waiting for Transport.” “Wait…What!” The pony said in a surprised tone and tried to prevent whatever was going on but no matter what he tried, the device would continue to show that single line. Feeling like he had made some kind of mistake, the pony quickly pulled the headphones off and made a beeline out of the room, leaving the device to finish whatever the pony had cause. Earth Dorm Room 402 I walked back into my room after eating lunch determined to get started on my homework and not be distracted by ponies. However, I had to give a small chuckle to myself as I remembered how many times I said that before and how many times I was unable to uphold that promise. However, this time, it was not going to be ponies that distracted me from work this time. I saw on my laptop that it had just finished downloading something which confused my since I never had it download anything before I left to get lunch. I tried to figure out what it had downloaded but whatever it was, it was not located on my hard drive at all. The only thing I could see was a button that had the words “Activate Program” Thinking that there was nothing to worry about, I decided to click on the button. It was at that moment that my laptop started to make some strange noises that I didn’t think a computer were capable of making. Fearing that my computer might blow up or something, I started to back away and headed for the door but before I could make it, a rainbow colored vacuum suddenly burst out of my computer screen and started sucking. What was strange was that the only thing it appeared to be affecting was I. I tried to grab onto to something to hold on but I was not that very strong and it was not long before I was flung through the vacuum. What I didn’t know at the time, but the moment I was through the vacuum. The vacuum collapsed on itself before exploding in a massive sonic rainboom. As the rainboom expanded around the world, it started to affect every person that I ever knew or had known about me and deleted me from their mind. Ten seconds later, no one would know the person Richard Eldridge. I would have a new life and a second chance to make something of myself. This is probably totally unoriginal way of doing this but I like it and I hope you all will enjoy this. Let me know how this chapter was and I will try to do my best to put more chapters up as soon as I can. > Chapter 1: Adjustment > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here we go with the next chapter. Adjustment Unknown Location The first thing I felt was the warmth of the afternoon sun warming my body and the cool feel of the grass under me. I gave a small groan as I tried to get my thoughts in order and make them coherent but they seem to be all over the place at the moment. I tried to open my eyes but even that action seemed to be beyond me at the moment. With nothing else to do, I decided to try and feel my body to see if there was anything that was in pain right now. What surprised me was the fact that as I was moving my body, it felt alien to me. It was my body but at the same time it felt like it was not. For starters, I seem to be not being able to move my fingers or toes at all and my neck felt longer for some odd reason. I was not sure how long I was lying there before I felt my strength return to me. The first thing I did was open my eyes which felt like they were heavy. What I first saw was the clear sky above me. I was a little confused as to why the sky appeared to be more colorful then usual but I just chuck that up to the fact that I never really paid much attention to the sky in the first place. I reached up to pull my glasses away and started rubbing my eyes with my hoof… “Wait a second…” I thought to myself as I focused my attention on what I had thought was my hand but all I saw was a rather dull white hoof in my field of vision. I quickly looked over at my other arm and sure enough it was the same hoof. Starting to panic a bit, I checked out the rest of my body and saw that I had somehow changed species. Two more legs with hooves were in the same spot where my legs and feet should have been and I could see the brown tail that was lying flat on the grass. The one thing that seemed to have been kept was that I was still wearing the same clothes I was wearing for the day; blue jeans and a red shirt. I dropped my head back on the ground and thought to myself “This is great Richard, just great. I must be in some kind of coma or something because there is no way I should be a pony right now.”However, if I was in a coma, then how did I get in one in the first place? The last thing I remember was that rainbow colored vacuum sucking me into the computer. My rational thought process was out the window at the moment and the only thing I could think of that seem to fit the scenario was that the vacuum had somehow transported me into the land of Equestria and also turned me into a pony. While I was not at all okay with the idea of abduction (even though I didn’t mind that much), I understood the need to hide my real body from the public. However, it would have been nice to have at least an instruction manual on how to use this body. I placed my head back on the grass and thought “Okay Richard… let’s take a deep breath and let’s work through this new ‘adjustment’”. I took a deep breath, making a note as to how clean the air felt as it filled my lungs before exhaling in a content sigh. I did that few more times as my body calmed itself from the tension and excitement. I was thankful at that moment that I had taken a few meditation classes while at college and have developed a way for me to calm my body. Once I felt relaxed, I started testing out my new body. The first thing I did was practice my fore-arms; getting a feel for how they were able to move and how much they were capable of bending. I was thankful that this body was running on cartoon logic and I was still able to do almost all the things I was capable of doing with my arms. The only things I lack were fingers but I decided not to worry about that at the moment and instead focused on my back legs. I quickly realized that I didn’t have as much movement on my back legs as I did with my fore-legs which was something I kept in mind. I then moved on to working my ears, nose, mouth and eyes to get a feel for how my senses have changed in this new body. I was relieved that it wasn’t a major change to them and the only thing I really needed to practice was moving my ears around. I closed my eyes took another deep breath to focus myself and thought “Alright…now that I know how this body will react, mostly, it’s time to figure out how to walk.” Before I could make any progress with that, a sweat yet familiar voice rang into my ears and judging from the sound of the voice, she sounded very close. “Are you alright there sugercube?” I thank you all for taking the time to read this. In terms of my grammar and writing mistakes, I’m using Word 2007 as sort of a base point and then copying the chapter onto the site before publishing it after making a few cosmetic changes. I’m still trying to get it to work so I apologize in advance if there are mistakes or run on sentences. > Chapter 2: Night at the Apples > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is chapter three for you all to enjoy…I hope. Night at the Apples I opened my eyes to find them staring into the emerald eyes of perhaps my second favorite pony of the main six. She had a rather confused/ concern look on her face though it might have been annoyance. I was never really good with reading human facial features and that seems to have been brought over to my pony self. She continued staring at me as I stared back; waiting for my answer. I tried to keep my facial features calm and collect but inside my mind; I was going through various emotions which revolve around nervousness to excitement. I had a feeling that if I knew how to move, I might have tackle-hug her the moment I saw her but considering I was still trying to get my basic motor skills back; that option was denied to me. Besides, there was really only one pony I wanted to tackle-hug anyway. I took a small breath and replied “Yes ma’am. Just…just a little shaken up, that’s all.” She tilted her head to the side for a moment which only serves me to start asking the question in my mind of why her hat as not fallen off ever since she had started talking to me. She then gave a small chuckle and replied “Y’all don’t need to call me ma’am. Names Applejack, proud farmer of Sweet Apples Aces, home of the best apples in Equestria.” She added with a bit of pride mixed in. I gave a small smile and replied “Nice to meet you Applejack. My names…” I hesitated at that moment when I realized that I hadn’t come up with some kind of cover name. I knew my real name wouldn’t work as it would sound very strange to her and it might cause to start asking questions; questions I did not want asked anytime soon. She was back to looking at me with a slightly confused look, no doubt still waiting for the name I was still trying to figure out. My mind started going through various names before coming to one that I thought would work. Rather than waiting to see if it was a good choice or not; I quickly replied “Gamer.” Applejack was still a little confused so I added “My name, it’s Gamer.” She nodded her head in understanding and I couldn’t help but let out a small breath of relief. I felt like I was in the clear until Applejack said “Are you able to stand Gamer?” Shock quickly went through my body as I realized that I was still lying on my back. I gave a small sheepish grin and replied “Yeah I…I think so. I may need a moment.” I heard the sound of hoof steps and saw that Applejack had stepped back a few paces to give me room. I took a deep breath and pushed all of my weight into rolling over. I managed to get onto my stomach and thought “that was the easy part…now for the hard part.” I started by placing my right fore-leg on the grass and started pushing on it to start lifting my body. I then added my back legs and other fore-legs until I had all four of them under my body. I started to wobble a bit as I tried to adjust to my new center of gravity before finding that if I kept my legs somewhat spread apart, I was able to keep my balance and not end up falling flat on my face. I gave a victory grin and started to walk towards Applejack… Only to land on my face at the first step. I gave a groan of pain though it was consider minor compared to the hurt of my pride in the fact that looked like a fool in front of one of my favorite ponies. I could hear Applejack’s laughing and she reply “You act like you’ve had a little too much of the hard cider there partner.” She shook her head to try and stop the giggles and replied “Come on now. All you have to do is get up and try again.” I gave a tired sigh, part of me wanted to stay like this for a while longer but I knew that Applejack was right and that the only way I was going to get better was to keep trying. So I slowly got up and tried walking again. This time, I made sure not to put my fore-legs out so far until my back legs had managed to catch up. It took a while, but I was able to start walking around the clearing we were in by the time the sun started to set in the sky. Applejack was more than happy to give me pointers on my technique and with her pointers; I was able to walk in a comfortable pace that seem to feel easy on my legs. I was tempted to see how fast I was able to go but the audible sound of my stomach growling let me know that it was time to get something to eat. Applejack gave another small laugh and said “Sounds like somepony is hungry. Why don’t you join me and the rest of my family for dinner?” I would not lie to myself in saying that I was touched by her offer of hospitality and truthfully, I really couldn’t say no to some down-home cooking. I nodded my head and replied “Thanks for the hospitality Applejack. I will try to do my best to repay you for your kindness.” She gave a small smile and said “Think nothing of it partner. Least I can do for a new pony such as you.” I gave a small smile and was getting ready to head out before Applejack said “By the way Gamer, would that happen to be your saddlebag over there?” She then ‘pointed’ towards a rather medium size lump of leather that was lying on the ground. I was now a bit curious by it as I don’t seem to remember anything else that was sucked up into the vacuum besides me. Then again, there was a lot going on at that moment and I wasn’t exactly paying too much attention to my surroundings at the time. I made my way over to the lump to discover to my surprise that it was actually my backpack I had back at college. The backpack was a simple design that was colored black and had green strips to make it more visible. There were two side pockets, a small pocket, and the main one that also had a section where I was able to place my laptop. Finding it here both filled me with joy for having something from my human self and curious as to why the backpack is here in the first place. Decided that I would wait on figure that out and the fact that I was still hungry; grabbed my backpack in my mouth and using some strange maneuvering that even I was not entirely sure how I did it, managed to strap it on my back with the straps wrapped around my fore-legs. I kept the straps loose so I could still have free movement without them falling off. Making my way back to Applejack, I replied “It’s not a saddlebag but rather a backpack.” Once again she looked confused and was quick to ask “And just what in the hay is a ‘backpack’”. I gave a small sigh and replied “Well…as the name implies, it is a pack that I wear on my back.” While I expected her to show understanding, I was surprise to see a look of anger on her face and she said “Are you somehow implying that I’m not smart?” I sense a conflict at the moment and I was quick to back down from it by saying “I’m sorry if I offended you Applejack. I never meant it to sound like that.” I saw her face relax and she replied “It’s alright there Gamer. I shouldn’t have let my anger get the better of me.” She turned around before saying “Let’s head back to the farm.” I nodded my head and started off behind her. The walk to Applejack’s home was not that long as I thought it was going to be but in truth, I didn’t mind too much as I was having a delightful time spending with Applejack. However, I had to keep sure that I didn’t discuss anything that would make Applejack suspect that I know more then she believe I would know. It may sound confusing but all it really means was that I couldn’t let on the fact that I was able to watch them every Saturday back when I was a human or the concept of the ‘brony’. We eventually reached Sweet Apple Acres just as the last bit of sun was setting. Being among here, I was able to smell the fresh apples which only naturally caused my stomach to start making noises again. I was unable to resist letting out a small chuckle and said to Applejack “I think my stomach is telling me ‘less talking and more eating’”. Applejack returned the smile with one of her own and replied “Then we best get to feeding that stomach of yours then.” We shared a small laugh before making our way towards the house. We reached the front door and I watched as Applejack knocked on the door to let everypony know that she was back. The door opened to reveal a rather large red stallion with a lay back look to his face. Knowing who he was the moment I saw him, I decided to keep quiet for the time. Applejack then said “Brother…this here is Gamer and he’s going to be joining us for dinner tonight. Is that alright with you?” I felt Big Mac’s gaze on me and I tried to do my best to look calm and to not think about how much pain I was going to be in if he decided to use me as practice for bucking apple trees. So I couldn’t help but give a small sigh of thanks when he replied “Eyuup.” I made my way inside and I felt the sense of comfort that the house seem to emanate from its walls. I felt very invited and welcome which allowed me to relax for the first time since I was transported here. I place my backpack down in the hallway off to the side before Applejack said “Dinner won’t be ready for a few minutes, why don’t you rest up in the family room. I nodded my head in understanding and made my way towards the family room. The family room was a simple place with a very contrary like feel to it. One thing that caught my attention was the wall mirror and I figured it was high time to see how I actually look like. I approach the mirror and I gave a small gasp of surprise at what I saw. The big thing I notice was the fact that I was in fact a unicorn. The horn was a tan color and looked to be about the same size as Twilight’s horn. The rest of my face was pretty simple and bland although I still retain my glasses despite the fact that they should have fallen off of my head. My blue eyes were larger due to the cartoon logic Equestria runs on and my hair had changed into a full blown mane which still maintains my flattop look and dirty brown color. All in all, I was satisfied with the way I looked and gave my reflection a smile to which he replied. It was then that Applejack called me in for dinner. I made my way over to the kitchen to see her and Big Mac already at the table waiting for me to arrive. After struggling for a moment, I manage to take my seat and we all started to eat. Applejack was quick to tell me to keep the volume down as her little sister and grandmother were asleep right now. I nodded my head in understand and we went back to the dinner. For my first dinner in Equestria, it was very enjoyable. Of course the main ingredient in all of them was apples but they had such a wide range of taste and styles that I felt a little overwhelm. Eager to try new foods, I tried a little bit of everything and apple fritters were quickly becoming my favorite apple dish. Once dinner was over, Applejack led me to the guest room. The guest room was once again a simple room containing only the necessary furniture like the bed, a nightstand, and a desk. I once again offered my thanks to Applejack and her hospitality before she closed the door to the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Normally, my head would be spinning with questions and energy but after that big dinner, the only thing I really did was dragging my flank into the bed and went to sleep, dreaming about the moment when I would meet my favorite pony of the Main Six. Man…three chapters in about twelve hours. I really to get some sleep or I am going to be really cranky in the morning. Let me know what you think of the story so far and keep an eye out for the next chapter. > Chapter 3: Welcome to Ponyville > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is chapter four for you all to enjoy. Welcome to Ponyville I awoke to the sound of the rooster crowing. Not being used to waking up in such a way, I gave a groan of protest and tried to get a few more hours of sleep. However, my attempts were in vain as the sun was now shining on my face. Before, I would be really annoyed with the star shining on my face when I was a human but now I had somepony to actually blame on this rather annoying way. “Thanks for putting the sun in my eyes Celestia.” I grumbled under my breath. However, I was up right now and there was really no point in going back to sleep now. I gave another groan and got out of the bed. Making my way towards the mirror, I used my hoof to flatten my mane down before heading out of the room and hopefully getting some breakfast. As I was walking down the hallway, I started to hear voices at the end. One of them I was able to recognize as Applejack while the other one I may not have met in real life but I knew belong to Applejack’s younger sister Applebloom. I was unable to hear what they are saying but from the tone of voices that were being used, it sounded like they were having some kind of an argument. Part of me was wondering if it had something to do with me but I knew that the only way I was going to find out was to ask. They sounded like they were in the family room and even though I wanted to get something to eat; my curiosity caused me to divert my path to the family room. I saw that Applejack and Applebloom were sitting on the carpet. Although at first they appeared to be relaxed, I noticed how both of their bodies appeared tense which might have been from the argument. I gave a tired sigh and said “Hey there, is everything alright?” Both girls gave a small gasp of surprise and I couldn’t help but give a small smile at their reaction. I had been known to sneak up on my own family due to the fact that I have been rather quiet with my walking and that seems to have been transferred over to this new body. Wiping the grin off my face, I made my way over to the carpet and got myself comfortable before I repeated my question to them. They both looked at each other for a moment before Applejack said “Nothing to worry about partner. I and Applebloom were just having a friendly sisterly conversation.” I shook my head a bit and replied “That’s doesn’t sound like a ‘friendly sisterly conversation’ when I was walking down the hallway. Be honest with me Applejack, does it have anything to do with me?” I watched as Applejack quickly broke eye contact with me as she was probably trying to figure out what to say. However, before she got the chance, I heard Applebloom say “Hay there mister. That’s not far picking on my bid sis like that. Besides, I was the one who asked her about that strange hunk of leather by the front door.” I looked over and saw that my backpack had been moved into the living room. It hadn’t been open yet so I assumed that this particular conversation had only just started. I looked back at Applebloom who was doing her best to look sweet and innocent. To most ponies, that might not have work, but to a human-brony-turn-pony like me; it almost caused me to have a heart attack of adorableness. However, I had to stand firm with my beliefs and it was to my regret that I told Applebloom “I know your intentions were sound and I can’t blame you for being curious. However, it is very rude to look in another pony’s property without their permission and I have a feeling that whatever is inside that bag is something I don’t think you are ready to see.” Applebloom looked rather disappointed by what I said but I notice that Applejack now was the one with the curious look. I wondered what she was curious about and it was not long before I found out when she asked “And what is in that ‘backpack’ of yours anyway?” I was now pondering that as well, thinking about any items that may or may not be inside my backpack. I was tempted to take a look, but I had decided to do so in privacy. I didn’t want any worst case scenarios to happen while I was here. I decide that it was about time to change the topic to something less dangerous by saying “So what’s the plan for today?” Applejack gave it some thought before saying “Well…I think that all Big Mac and I are doing is heading into town to sell some apples.” I nodded my head in understanding but Applebloom suddenly shouted “But you promised to take me and my friends to school.” Applejack gave an apologetic look and replied “I’m sorry Applebloom, but we managed to harvest more apples than expected and we need the bits.” I saw Applebloom disappointment and realizing that I had nothing better to do at the moment, I quickly said “I could do it.” Both sisters were looking at me and I could that Applejack still had a look of concern while Applebloom appeared overly excited about the idea. Applejack was quick to ask “Are you sure about that partner. My sister and her friends can be quite the headache when they get into the mood.” I nodded my head in understanding and replied “I thank you for your concern Applejack, but I still would like to do it. Besides, I have nothing better to do today and I still feel like I owe you for helping me back in the clearing and for letting me stay overnight.” Applejack looked like she wanted to say more but she couldn’t deny the truth in what I had said and replied “I guess if you’re okay with it. I really appreciate it.” Applebloom was practically bouncing around the room in happiness and even I had a hard time keeping my usual demeanor in tack. After breakfast was done and everypony was ready to go, we set out for the town of Ponyville. I was walking alongside Applejack while Applebloom was walking along in front of us while Big Mac was pulling the cart a short distance behind us. I could almost feel his eyes staring at me, probably watching for any sort of advances I might try on Applejack. While the idea wasn’t a bad one and I will admit that I was tempted a few times, the real truth was that there was one mare in particular I wanted to ask out. I was strange actually, now that I was thinking about it. Ever since I had come to this world, I was feeling more confident with myself and felt the need to be more socially active. When I was a human, I was diagnosed with a learning disability that had an impact on my social skill to the point where I was more comfortable in my room alone then hanging out with friends. Even the idea of dating was something of an alien to me. However, being in this world that seemed to be filled with nothing but happiness and good times was having a profound impact on my body and mind. For the first time in memory, I felt like I was in total control of my mind, body and emotions and even if I was destined to turn back to a human and go home, I wanted to make the most of this new freedom. “Well…here we are partner.” Applejack replied snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked over and I couldn’t help but let out a gasp of surprise. The town of Ponyville was larger than I had expected; though it still appeared smaller then a major city like Canterlot or Manehatten. Most of the buildings I saw were about two stories tall and even from this distance, I was able to see a few buildings that recognized from the show like the town hall and Rarity’s shop. I was also able to see the train station that was located near the edge of town. However, my thoughts were broken when I felt something hitting my leg. I looked down and saw that it was Applebloom pushing my leg with her head. She looked up at me and said “Come on mister. If we don’t hurry, I’m going to be late for school.” I looked over at Applejack and she nodded her head to let me know that we were allowed to take our leave. I nodded back in agreement before returning my attention back to Applebloom and saying “Alright…alright there little one; were going…were going.” She gave me a hard look that in truth, I did not expect her to make such a face before saying “I’m not a little one; I’m a big pony like my sister and Big Mac.” I gave a small chuckle and gave her mane a quick rub with my hoof before replying “Of course you are Applebloom, but even a big pony still needs to go to school.” I briefly noted how soft her mane was on my hoof and made a mental note of that for the future. After straighten the bow on her mane, Applebloom then started to make her way into town. I started following her making sure that I was close enough to react if something happened but far enough so I wasn’t invading her personal space. Sorry for the slight delay but I do hope you all are enjoying it. Let me know if these chapters are a good size as I am thinking about having them average about 1500 words. > Chapter 4: The Great and Powerful Challenge > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here we go with the next chapter. The Great and Powerful Challenge Applebloom lead mo towards Rarity’s house where I saw that her friends Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo were already waiting there for Applebloom. They looked like they were discussing something but whatever it was, they put on hold when they noticed our arrival. They walked up to Applebloom and started talking to her and even though I was able to hear what they are saying, I decided to keep out of the conversation. It was then that they started walking towards the school. Their rather passive actions were actually surprising me. I was sure to myself that I wouldn’t have gone more than five feet without them starting to go off on some crazy adventure to try and get their Cutie Marks. Not that I was really complaining about it at all as it gave me the time to really enjoy the feeling of walking around Ponyville for the first time. Of course, there were other ponies out an about at this time and I was glad that they didn’t treat me like some kind of creature though I chalked that to the fact that I was a unicorn and not say a zebra. As we were passing by Town Hall, I started to recognize various background ponies that had become popular within the fandom. It actually felt kind of weird that I was able to recognize them but not even know if the name that fans have given them were accurate. The only one I was totally sure of was the one pony whose popularity could rival even one of the main six. “I wonder where she could…” Before I could finished my thought, I fast moving object slammed into my side, the impact big enough to slide me a few feet on the ground. When I stopped, I gave a groan of pain as I felt my stiffen in protest and my eyes watering a bit in reflex tears. “Oh my mister, are you alright.” A voice sounded in my ears. I tried to focus my vision and saw that I was staring in the eyes of what is considered THE most popular background character in all of the mlp fandom. “Are you alright there mister?” Derpy Hooves asked and I found myself almost flabbergasted. I was sure that my mouth was hanging open and I was quick to shut it closed as my brain tried to jump start itself. When it finally did, I managed to say “It’s quiet alright miss. It was an accident after all.” She gave a small smile but that faded away as she said “It always seems to happen to me more than others…” I gave an encouraging smile and replied “Come on now, that’s just sticking thinking.” “sticking thinking’…this place is really starting to get to me.” I thought to myself as got back on my hooves. I was now able to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders were now talking to a grayish unicorn. I looked over at Derpy and asked “Is the little one yours?” while gesturing with my hoof to where they were at. She quickly looked over to where I was suggesting and replied “Yes! She is my little muffin after all.” I gave a small smile and said “You have a very beautiful daughter miss…” I gave a confused looked to fake the idea of me not knowing her name even though I was able to recognize her the moment I saw her. She brought my deception and replied “Derpy Hooves.” I nodded my head in understand and said “Well Miss Hooves it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Gamer and I was just on my way to the school to drop off these three bundles of energy.” She gave a small chuckle and replied “Well…I was heading there as well. Why don’t we travel together?” I gave a small smile and replied “That sounds like a good idea, but it might be a better idea to keep your feet on the ground Miss Hooves.” She nodded her head and we went back to where the fillies were located and I said “Come on everypony. You don’t want to be late for school.” They nodded their heads and we got back to making our way towards the school. The rest of the trip was pleasant experience. Derpy and I were talking about various things that we were interested in, mostly about her job and her daughter. It felt nice walking like this, hanging out which these candy-colored equines that had such an impact on my life. However, like most good things, it had to come to an end at some point. The school was fast approaching and I noticed that most of the young ones were clustering around the stage that was set up nearby. Curious as to what was going on, I looked around the clearing in hopes of finding the teacher which in all honesty was not that very hard given the fact that she was larger than the young kids and of course my prior knowledge. Derpy and I waited off to the side for the teacher to notice us and when she did, she started to make her way towards us. I notice a small smirk that seem to form on her face though I was puzzled as to what was the reason behind her smirk but remained passive in order to see where it was going. She looked over at Derpy and asked “Is he your new coltfriend?” I felt my face start to heat up and I was sure that Derpy was the same way. The words I wanted to say were locked in my throat and my mind was having a hard time forming a more rational thought. It was then that Derpy said “Of course not. I’m still dating the Doc remember.” She turned to look at me and continued “I just met him today and he’s been really nice to me.” I gave a small grin and replied “I thank you for the complement Miss Hooves.” The teacher gave a small chuckle and replied “Well…he is such a gentlecolt.” She paused for a moment before asking “Are you two going to stay for the magic show?” I thought about it for a moment before replying with a smile “Well…I have nothing better to do today.” The teacher gave a small smile and it didn’t take long for Derpy to agree as well. We made our way to sit behind the little fillies and waited for the show to begin. The little ones, I could tell, were bursting with energy. The sight of them or any young ones almost always seem to put a smile on my face. The wait for the show was starting to drag on and it wasn’t long before I got board waiting. Thinking that it was a perfect time as any, I decided to see what was in my backpack or if there was anything in there to begin with. The reason I thought that was because during the time that I had my backpack on, it felt like there was nothing inside. I slung my backpack off and using my teeth, which left a rather foul taste of metal in my mouth, opened the backpack. The first thing that surprised me was that as I was opening the bag, a soft light was coming out of the hole. The light was not blinding and it gave the impression that my backpack had somehow gotten itself magical abilities. My curiosity sparked, I put my head inside my backpack and I couldn’t help but let out a gasp of wonder. My backpack had grown in carrying capacity and I don’t mean like a few feet of extra space but more like a limitless abyss. The abyss was filled with that soft light and I could barely contain myself. It was then that I notice something off in the distance. It looked familiar to me but I had to make sure that it was what I thought it was so I tried to reach for it but I was afraid that if I fell into my backpack, that I would be unable to get out. I tried to think of what to do before I realized that I was a unicorn and therefore, according to Equestria Laws of Nature, I should be able to do magic. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my mind. I was not sure how I was able to use magic in the first place but I figured that it would work in a similar way compared to the books I’ve read and the games I’ve played. I started by focusing my mind in order to find some kind of orb or nexus of energy that would be my magical strength. It was a challenge since I was already board with waiting for the show to start. Eventually, I found a sort of swirling nexus of energy located around the base of my horn and feeling that this was the energy that I was looking for, immerse myself into that energy. Once I was in the flow of energy, I started to command the energy to bring the item towards me. I quickly realized that I had to send the energy through my horn which I had to admit made perfect sense. I started to smile as the item slowly made its way to me. Once it was close enough that I was able to observe it in detail, I couldn’t stop the grin that was on my face. It was exactly what I thought it was and I couldn’t wait to use it. It was then that I heard the sound of clapping, or rather that’s what I thought the sound of hooves hitting the ground sounded like, and I decided that it was enough exploring my backpack and with reluctance; I pulled my head out of the backpack and closed it up. I looked up on the stage and…well…part of me was surprise to see her here while another part of me was already groaning in annoyance. It was ‘The Great and Powerful’ Trixie. She appeared to be just the same as before. She had that smile of superiority on her face and already the sound and flashes of fireworks. Almost subconsciously, I tuned out her boasting and bragging and instead started daydreaming about what I could do and what I should do with the items that I was sure was to be inside my backpack. The performance was actually going rather well considering Trixie hasn’t started challenging other ponies to prove her worth, but considering the fact that her audience was a bunch of young ponies; she might have believe to have not needed to. I did notice that she would on occasion look over at me. At least, I thought she was looking at me but she might have been looking at Derpy. When the performance was over, she now had her disapproving eyes set on Derpy. I started to get a little concern as to where this might have been going and I started to hope that I wasn’t being paranoid. However, sure enough, it went almost exactly where I thought it was going to go. “And just what in Equestria are you suppose to be?” Trixie asked in a rather annoyed tone as if Derpy prescience was causing her to feel sick. Before Derpy had a chance to reply, Trixie continued “It must be so hard knowing those eyes of yours make you look like a freak.” I looked over at Derpy and could see the start of tears forming in her eyes. The sight of them started sending adrenaline through my body in an unfamiliar way. I was normally a rather passive person and tried my best to avoid any sort of conflict, that wasn’t in a video game, but now the only thing I was thinking about was defending Derpy. However, my rational side kick in and made me realize that there was no way I was going to defeat Trixie the way Twilight did, I had just figured out how to use magic now five minutes ago. My mind was racing to find something I use to give me an advantage and my eyes just happen to fall on my backpack. I remember the item that was inside and I realized that if that item was there, then the other must be there and if they were there… I quickly stepped in front of Derpy and said “That quite enough Miss Trixie. That’s no way to treat another pony like that. Now you are going to apologize to Miss Hooves right now.” She gave a hearty laugh and asked “And what are you going to do if I don’t apologize to the wall-eyed freak?” My temper was starting to rise inside of me and without thinking, I replied “Then I will have no choice but to challenge you.” Once again she laughed and said “So you think you are a match for the Great and Powerful Trixie. Ha, I can tell that you barely have any skills in magic.” My gaze became stern and hard as my mind focused on the one thing that I know I can focus on. The one thing that I knew in the bottom of my heart was my special talent. Using my magic, I brought my backpack in front of me and opened it. The light was shining from it caused the young ponies to let out a collective gasps of wonderment while Trixie just made some kind of scuffing sound. I then said “You are right Trixie…I’m not that strong in magic. However, there is one place I know of where I will have the advantage. The one place that magic is as controlled as the weather.” I reached into the bag with my magic and grabbed the item that I first saw. I started to lift it from the bag and I said in the most commanding voice I could “Now Trixie, I challenge you to face me in my realm…” The item was now out of my backpack and everypony let out a gasp of surprise as they saw this item. “…The realm of videogames!” I finished with passion. Will Gamer have the skills needed to defeat Trixie? Find out in the next chapter. A.N: For those of you who are Trixie fans, please note that I do not hate her that much, I just needed an antagonist and she fit the bill. > Chapter 5: The Pre-game Setup > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let’s get started with the chapter. In case you were wondering, I will be only showing games that are rated E through T; though that doesn’t mean that I don’t have any M rated games ‘hint hint’ The Pre-game Setup The silence was so widespread that I felt I could hear a pin drop from a distance. Their faces were a mix of curiosity and surprise. Even Trixie had a moment a surprise before her smug smile returned on her face and she replied “And just what is that suppose to be?” I also had a smug smile on my face and replied “This Miss Trixie is a device that will allow us to be able to interact in the realm of video games. However, this in itself will not be enough. We will need more hardware and power in order to open the portal that will take us to a world where the only limitation is your imagination…and your skills in programming but that is irrelevant.” I made my way on the stage with my backpack right behind me. Once on the stage, I handed the controller over to Trixie and said “Why don’t you take a moment to get familiar with it. I will need some time to set up.” Without waiting for Trixie’s reply, not that I was really interested in hearing it, I returned my attention to my backpack and I started using my magic to search for what I needed. The first thing I sought was a type of power source. Without that, this whole thing would be useless. I was searching my backpack as best I could but there was a part of me wondering how I would even have something like that in the first place. When I was about to give up the search, I notice an orb that was floating around and when I got closer to inspect it, I saw that the orb was filled with electrical energy and there were various A/C outlets around the orb. I was not sure how I knew it at the time, but I felt like the electricity inside the orb was resting at 120 volts of power. Grinning, I pulled out the orb and place it on the stage. The other ponies watched in wonderment at the new item that had come out of my backpack and some were waiting to see if I was going to explain it but I didn’t have the time to go into detail about it and the fact that it was the first time I saw such a thing myself that I could do little to explain it beside making the usual physical observations. Besides, I had already found the monitor that was inside my backpack and I was brining it out now. Everyone, minus me of course, let out a collective gasp of surprise and I could even hear a sense of fear behind them as the object was being placed on the stage, growing larger to reach its normal size since it was compact inside my backpack. Once it was at its full size, I connected the power cable to the orb and looked over at the crowd before saying “Do not be alarmed, this is merely a monitor that will allow all of us to see into the realm of videogames. This…” I gestured with my hoof towards the monitor “…is a 60” high definition 3-d plasma screen TV.” Of course they had no idea what I had just said as all they were seeing was this… I gave a small smile and continued “But this is not the main device needed to enter this realm. For that, we need the help of one of the most powerful hardware that has been created.” I reached with my magic and found the device that I was looking for. As I was bringing it out, I replied “Look in awe and surprise as you become the first ponies to witness the power…” The device was out of my backpack and another gasp escape the ponies as they saw this item. “…of the Playstation 3, or PS3 for short. This particular model contains 320 GB of memory, built in DVD and Blue-ray player and an internal Wi-Fi signal for connecting to the Internet. All of while still retaining the slim look you see before you” Of course all of what I said went right over their heads but I figured that as long as I knew what I was talking about, then it would appear even more magical in their eyes. With the speed born from countless times doing it, I plugged up the PS3 to the TV and to the orb. With the excitement flowing through my body, I used my magic to push the power button on the TV. There was a barely audible click before the screen was showing the words ‘No Signal’. I gave a small smile before pushing the power button on the PS3. The screen went dark before opening up to the main menu. All were flabbergasted by the visuals of the 1080i graphics and if they were in awe by just the main screen, then I couldn’t wait for them to see the looks on their faces when we really got started. While they were still looking at it, I used my magic to grab a second PS3 controller and pressing the PS button to connect it up. With the red light shining about the ‘1’, I turned my attention back to Trixie, who had remained quiet throughout the whole thing which I think was a first. I gave a smile and said “Of course, this is all nice and all but we still haven’t entered the videogame realm.” She looked at me with confusion and I could feel the same stare on a few others and continued “For that, we need the activation disk.” I knew I was calling it the wrong name but I figured that it gave the video game CD some mysterious name. I started thinking about all the games I knew I had in my backpack, trying to think of the right one to use. It was then that one game came into mind and I couldn’t help the smile on my face to grow a little wider. “And I just happen to know the perfect activation disk that we will use.” I reached into my backpack with my magic and found the game I was looking for. However, due to the nature of the game, I gathered up all of the other stuff that we were going to need. I pulled out the game and said “Now Trixie…” I notice that she had returned to her rather unimpressive look “…We are all ready to begin our journey into a realm that had just recently taken a rather special place in my heart. Trixie, prepare yourself to enter the realm…of the Skylanders!” Upon the word ‘Skylanders’ everything that was still hidden in my backpack was suddenly pouring out. Everyone saw the thirty two action figures that I commanded to fly around Trixie, myself, and the crowd. At the same time, a cylinder like item was placed in between Trixie and me. To those who notice it, they saw that it looked something like this. I opened the case and pulled out the game disk and placed it inside the PS3. It disappeared in the console and the screen went to dark before lighting up in an impressive display of light and sound. I didn’t know it at the time, but at this moment while the crowd was distracted by what they saw on the screen, six mares were just coming into view. They were here to make sure that Trixie wasn’t causing any sort of trouble, but at the sight of the TV showing the opening and the music was playing caused them to pause for a moment. It went unspoken between the six mares and they decided to wait and see how things were going to play out. Besides, the purplish unicorn was curious about the strange machines and about the unicorn colt that was sitting next to Trixie. I really don’t know if I would be using pictures for the rest of the story but I do find that it does provide a good visual. > Chapter 6: Gamer vs. Trixie Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This battle is going to be a two chapters and will not being using all the elements for the sake of keeping the story flowing. Gamer vs. Trixie Part 1(Battle of Fire and Air) When all of the opening scenes were done with and the game was now showing the title screen, I gave a small smile and said “Are you ready to play the game Trixie?” She gave her trademark grin and replied “The Great and Powerful Trixie is more than ready to show you that Trixie is more than capable of understanding these ‘things.’” I couldn’t help rolling my eyes a bit and thought “You could have said yes without the gloating.” Still even though I was dealing with Trixie, I could feel my old and familiar excitement start to rise in my body. I am a gamer through and through and it was a good time as any to see if this new body still retained my old reflexes and skills. I also had an idea on a new way of holding something with my magic and I wanted to try that on my controller. I focused my magic on it but rather then surrounded it in the magic aura, I instead imagined my human hands grabbing onto the controller. The strain on me was lessened and I couldn’t help but give a small smile as I saw the controller hovering about head level. I turned the controller on in addition to the ‘portal of power’ as it was known back when I was a human. I selected the option that was called “Battle Mode” and after fiddling around with the options a bit, I picked the first map we were going to play on and decided on just doing standard battle. However, before we could get started, the game flashed up a notice saying that player two’s controller was not connected. Giving a tired sigh, I turned my head back at Trixie who was looking at me with a confused gaze. The silence and awkward situation continued as we both waited to see the other do or say something. I knew that she would have no way of knowing how to even turn on the controller unless she had discovered how to do so accidentally; but I quickly brushed that idea away as I remembered from the few times I spent checking to see what she was doing, she was either staring at the new items that appeared from my backpack or at the controller. “Why are staring at The Great and Powerful Trixie like that?!” she suddenly shouted snapping me out of my thoughts. I couldn’t resist the small smile forming on my face as I replied “I thought you said you were ready?” I notice a small twitch of agitation before it disappeared. She then replied “Of course The Great and Powerful Trixie is ready to show you that Trixie is the greatest magical user who ever lived!” Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t help but vent out a small breath of annoyance and said “Alright first of all, it really get annoying listing to you speaking in third person. Second, I know of three other ponies that are stronger then you are and third you have not connected the controller up yet so why don’t you just hit the PS button and we can get on our way.” My statement had an obvious effect on her and although I was tempted to apologize for my behavior, in my defense, she kind of had it coming to her. Still, I had to give her credit for her ability to adapt to new things quickly as she lifted the controller with her magic and pushed the correct button on her first try. The screen changed and was now showing a glowing screen with the words ‘Player 1, Select you Skylander’. I nodded my head in a silent agreement as I felt my body start to rise in excitement. I never got tired of seeing the animation that was about to happen. I reached out with my magic and selected the first Skylander I was going to be using. Before placing that character on the portal, I said to Trixie “In the sense of fairness, you should pick a character that comes from the same element as the one I select; that way none of us have a type advantage.” Trixie of course agreed to that condition though I figured that she was more interested in showing me up in this game than anything else. Still…that might work to my advantage though I kept that to myself. I looked over at the Skylander in my grasp at the time, admiring the craftsmanship that was done on it and how well designed it was. I then said “Well in that case…would you please select your Skylander that resides in the fire element.” The moment I was done, three other figures separated themselves from the floating circle that was above our heads. These figures, like the one I was holding, were the entire fire element and despite a few minor stats; they were all of the same level so they should be fairly even. I waited for Trixie to choose her character and I couldn’t help but enjoy the look on her face as she observed the strange models that were in front of her. I could guess that she was also still wondering about the strange portal-looking device was and the various other items. I put on a droll expression and said “Sometime today would be nice Trixie.” She gave me an irritated look and said in her superior tone of voice “Trixie is choosing which of the creatures to use.” I gave a tired sigh but luckily for my sanity, she had decided on which Skylander to use. Once that was decided I started up the battle and the screen showed what appeared to be a mystical field. Words were on the screen and while I already knew what they were, I still gave a moment to give the others a chance to read it. I did it more for the sake of being polite because I had a feeling that even if they were able to read it, they would not understand what it meant. I felt my body start to tense in excitement as I said “Now…it’s time to battle Trixie.” Yeah…I was not that very good at coming up with battle cries but I figured that was minor compared to what happened next. I placed my creature on the portal and the screen started working in overdrive as the portal registered the information before displaying on the screen. A bird-like creature materialized on the plain whose appearance looked like this… Under the creature was its name which the rest of the ponies read as ‘Sunburn’. Once Sunburn left the screen, it went back to its usual mystic screen but this time it was waiting for the player two Skylander. Giving a subtle movement with my hoof, I indicated that it was now Trixie’s turn to place her Skylander. She did, which I might add by doing so with more flail then what was really needed. The screen flashed again and showed Trixie’s choice which looked like this… Under this creatures name was the word ‘Flameslinger’ and while the creature was strange to the Equestrian ponies, the design was not different for me though I have read a few fantasy non-fiction books in my human form. Still, I couldn’t think about that at the moment because the game had just begun. I lost myself as my magic was controlling my character faster than I could have ever done with my hands. The controller seemed to be able to registered button commands faster than it could have back on Earth and I wondered if it was because of the overwhelming amount of magical energy in this world. Still, I had to force myself to stay focus and win this fight as fast as I can. My plan for betting Trixie revolves around how long it will take for Trixie to become accustomed to the game. It was something I liked to call the ‘New Gamer Adjustment.’ Basically, it’s that moment when you are first playing a game and are trying to figure out how the controls are and how the game actually plays. Naturally, those who have spent a lot of hours playing games don’t suffer from this as often though it does appear when you play a game that has a style that you are unfamiliar with. Since there were no video games, minus the few arcade ones, Trixie would no doubt be going through it and all I had to do was to make sure I kept pressure on her and try to win before she has a chance to become familiar with the game. With that plan in mind, I did my best to keep pressure on her. The quick glances I took showed the minor frustration and confusion on her face as I continue to batter her in my attacks while dodging her own. So it wasn’t much of a surprise that I ended up winning the first match. I heard the crowd cheering behind me and I couldn’t help but give a small smile of enjoyment, although it was more for the fact that I was playing the game itself and not from the crowd. However, Trixie assumed otherwise and said “Don’t think you’ve won yet nobody. Trixie still has a few tricks up her sleeves.” I gave her a side glance and replied “But you’re not even wearing sleeves.” She made an annoyed sound under her breath but I ignored it and focused back on the game. After switching to a new stage and removing the Skylanders that were on the portal, I brought out the next set which all of them belonged to the Air element. I selected the Skylander known as Whirlwind while Trixie selected the one Skylander that was familiar to her and most other ponies which was Sonic Boom. To those in the crowd, they looked like this… I placed my character on the portal and Trixie was quick to follow. The game started up and we were on the offensive. I started to notice that while her playing style was still a little sloppy, she was begging to get better. I was coming to the realization that she was begging to get a feel for the game and while she was still inexperienced with the overall game, she was becoming aware of how the game plays out and was now actually starting to give me something of a challenge. It was then that I noticed something…strange going on with the game. I wasn’t sure what it was but for some reason, whenever I thought I was going to lose, Whirlwind seemed to gain a few more seconds of what gamers might refer to as ‘invincibility frames’. For those who don’t know, it’s when a character gets hit and, for a brief moment, is unaffected by anymore hits. These usually only last a few seconds, but the frames on Whirlwind seemed to last slightly longer. It wasn’t enough for the average player to see but for someone who has played the game for so long, it was almost as clear as the midday sun. The battle took longer than the last but I still ended up the winner, much to the annoyance of Trixie. Still, as the review of the battle was appearing on the screen, my mind was torn between the realizations that Trixie was almost over the usual adjustment of playing a new game and the strange invincibility frames that seemed to increase whenever I had almost gotten beaten. This has so been long overdue. I am deeply sorry about that and I really do not know how often I will be updating but I will try my best. > Chapter 7: Gamer vs. Trixie Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the next chapter. If it is not too much to ask but I would appreciate it if you could let me know how I’m doing so far. Gamer Vs. Trixie Part 2 (Undead and Magic) Judging from the look Trixie was giving me, I could almost swear she was close to having a blood vessel pop. Still beneath those glaring eyes, I notice a small amount of confusion under them. I assume that it was from the fact that she had lost two games in a row and may be actually questioning her abilities. I tried to keep my face passive but on the inside, I was feeling a small amount of joy. Although I had challenge Trixie in defense of Derpy, I was hoping to try and break her boastful attitude while at the same time not damaging her confidence. It was a very thin line and with my very limited social skills, the line appeared to be even blurrier. I thought that I might be able to get two more games in and if I was able to win those then it might be just the thing needed to help Trixie become a better pony. I gave a small smile and said “Are you ready to continue Trixie?” I was surprise when I saw a flash of enjoyment in her eyes and the fact that she returned the smile. It was almost like she was actually enjoying this as well. I guess she having fun playing the game like I was…or it could be that she was thinking about how my face might look when she does manage to gain a victory. My thought was interrupted when she replied “Trixie was born ready you persistent pony. Trixie cannot wait to wipe that smug grin of your face.” I had to admit to myself that she was actually getting better at the game faster than I had hope. There were only two matches left and the longer we kept playing, the higher the chances of Trixie actually winning a match. I had to admit to myself that I was not really a person who plays a lot of multiplayer games; I much rather play co-op then against other humans. It doesn’t mean that I’m a noob in that regard but it is my weakest area. Time was against me and I had to beat Trixie with my best units. As luck would have it, those particular units just happen to belong to the last two elements I had plan on using. Some might call it cheating but since I was the one who issue the challenge; I’m allowed that kind of freedom. Still…I couldn’t allow these distracting thoughts to enter my mind and I focused my attention back on the game. The screen was back at the part where it was waiting for my character choice and after thinking about which of the two elements to use first, I decided on the Undead element. With a bit of concentration, I focused on the four Skylanders attuned to that element. Out of all the ones present, I think it was these Skylanders that seem to cause the ponies to be uncomfortable the most. It was something that I couldn’t really blame them as they do have a frightening appearance. I selected Cynder while Trixie collected the character that was called Hex and we got straight to the action. It wasn’t that much of a shocker as we both come to the understanding that words were not going to matter but action would. When the game began, I found myself realizing that I was at a minor disadvantage compared to Trixie. The reason being was that the character Trixie had chosen had in fact more range then I did and was able to hit me from father away. To make matter worse for me was the fact that Trixie realized this and was taking full advantage of this by making sure that I was not able to get in a range close enough to attack her while at the same time continuing to assault me with that long range skull attack. However, I started to notice that once again, the game seemed to start going strange on me again. However, this time it was a little more noticeable as it appeared that the accuracy of Hex’s attacks seemed to have been nerf to the point where I didn’t even have to try and dodge her attack. Of course I was still getting hit but it wasn’t as bad as before. I looked over at Trixie a few times during the fight and I could see the frustration on her face and I really couldn’t blame her for feeling this way. I couldn’t help but wonder as to why this was happening all of the sudden. As far as I can remember, I had never partaken in any kind of hacking and yet my game was doing such a thing. The weirdest part was that these changes seemed to be happening while the game was still going on and it wasn’t crashing it in any way. It’s not that I wasn’t complaining or anything but it was really starting to give me a weird feeling in my stomach and in all honesty; I wasn’t a big fan of cheating in a game in order to win. Still it did take a while for the fight to end with another win for myself, but it was getting harder for me to maintain a sense of dominance over her in terms of skills and I wasn’t confident that I was going to win the last battle…especially considering the fact that Trixie would be more determine to win since the last element would be based around her trade. The last element I had plan on using was of course the Magic element. The four Skylanders who are part of that element floated towards us. I selected Spyro while Trixie decided to go with Double Trouble. The stage was selected and the players were all in the game so there was nothing left to do but see what happens. The moment the battle started, I realized that I had a big problem. Trixie seemed to have developed a plan and was now doing her best to keep me from getting too close to her character. It involved using the character’s ability to create copies of him to distract me while she attacked with the staff energy. If I try to focus on the doubles, I end up getting hit by the beam; but if I focus on attacking the real one, I end up getting swarmed by the clones. I was in a major problem and Trixie knew it. She was no longer still trying to get use to the game and was quickly proving that she does have some measure of skill under all that boastful nature. The pain in my stomach was building and I started to feel rather ill which was strange because I really didn’t feel like I was coming down with something. Before all this began, I was feeling fine and I didn’t drink or eat anything while this match was going on so I was unsure as to what was happening. A part of me thought that Trixie might have cast a spell to try and reduce my effectiveness or create a distraction but for some odd reason, I dismissed that idea as soon as I thought it up. The pain was becoming too much for me to handle and I had to close my eyes in anguish. However, I remember that there was still a game being played and I needed to see what was going on. When I opened my eyes again, I let out a gasp of shock and surprise. The screen was no longer showing the game but rather it was showing lines upon lines of what I recognized as what would be the code for the game. It all appeared in what looked to be like a stretched out version of the DOS screen on a computer. To make things even stranger was the fact that the world around me appeared to have become gray-scaled and also seemed to move in a slightly slower pace. I was sure my mouth would have fallen off at this point was it not still attach to my face. I really could not explain what was happening. I return my attention back to the monitor and observed the lines upon lines of codes working at once. For the third time in the spam of a few minutes, I was surprise to find that I was able to read those lines of code and, more importantly, understand them. It was impossible that I was able to grasp it as quickly as the only coding I have ever done was on Java and I could tell that it wasn’t Java. It was then that I felt a sharp pain near where my horn was and saw as even more lines of code seem to pour out of my horn like a fountain. They started merging together in front of me before flying towards the screen and fusing themselves with the original wall of code. The process was almost breathtaking and surreal. I thought it had something to do with magic as I was still feeling the strain on my horn but for some odd reason it felt…natural. It was as if I was meant to be able to have this ability and that it might actually somehow relate to my own Cutie Mark. I started to wonder how I looked liked back in the real world and I was still hopeful that I wasn’t too late and that there was still a chance for me to beat Trixie. The thing is that as more and more lines of code were added, I could feel deep inside of me a sense of confidence returning to me and it was honestly the first time I actually felt confident that I was going to beat Trixie. The moment I came to that realization, or maybe being just a perfectly timed coincidence, the world around me started to regain its color and light and I saw the screen flickering between the DOS screen and the actual game. I shook my head to try and clear out the haze and when I opened my eyes again, everything was back to normal. My controller had dropped from my magical hold and I was quick to retrieve it and I got back into the game. Once again, I felt the game had changed again. However, what changed was something I really didn’t expect at all. As I controlled Spyro, I felt the control was more responsive then before. That in alone wasn’t strange. What really is the strange part was the fact that I felt like I had some kind of…connection with the game. The DOS screen was barely present, sort of flickering in the background of the game, but that was immaterial at the moment. As I was playing the game, I had a feeling that I was…predicting how the game was going to respond. Like whenever Trixie was attacking me, I somehow knew how far I had to move to dodge the attack while still keeping myself in range and not coming into range of any of her other attacks. I also knew how long it took the healing items to reappear and was able to start hording that from Trixie. However with all that, it was still not enough to earn me a victory. Trixie already had a good lead on me and was doing her best to keep me on the defensive. No matter what I tried, she almost always seems to be able to dodge or minimize the damage she is taking. It was starting to frustrate me to some degree as also I thought Spyro was a great character in the Legend of Spyro series, he really wasn’t that good in this game. As if today wasn’t full of surprises, my new pony body and the game decide to pull off one final trick and let me tell you, this one seem to put all other to shame. The DOS screen was now more predominate on the screen and I could see the lines of code racing down the screen. It was then that my backpack started to glow in my peripheral vision and I saw that it was opening itself. I gave a small gasp as I saw one of my favorite games coming out of my backpack, which just so happened to be the one game I was just thinking about. Before I could process this development, an overflow of what appeared to be pictures, animations, and lines of code spewed out of the floating game and raced towards the screen. I watched with wide eyes as the new lines of code started to merge with the old one. The pictures and animations were also merging on the screen though they appeared to be doing so on the actual game itself and not the DOS screen. I tried to look around to see if anyone else was seeing what I was seeing but they all seemed to be more focused on the game and oblivious to everything else. Either that or they were unable to see it at all which only gave rise to more questions…questions I knew I wasn’t going to be able to answer until this battle was over. When all was said and done, the screen returned to normal and the game was back inside the backpack which was now close. I looked at the screen and back at the controller as my mind started telling me what command I needed to do over and over again. From all the code I saw, in addition to all the pictures and animations, I was hesitant on performing the action but a gut feeling of my told me that nothing was going to happen. It was a big risk, I knew; if the coding turned out wrong or didn’t work then Trixie would claim this victory. Was that worth doing something like this…something that I have never done before in my entire life? I looked back up at the screen and I saw Spyro just barely hanging on with a sliver of health. I started to feel a sort of connection forming as Spyro seemed to literally turn his head to look at me. He stared at me with those piercing red eyes and I was feeling that confidence returning to me. I gave a small nod of my head in thanks for the vote of confidence even though he didn’t say anything and started to relax my body and mind in preparation for what was going to happen next. It was at that moment that I heard Trixie give a off a laugh of victory and said “its looks like Trixie is about to prove, once again, that Trixie is the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria!” I turned to look at her and flashed a grin of confidence before replying “Don’t count your pinecones yet Trixie; I still have a few tricks left in me.” Yeah, I wasn’t that good at making up victory quotes though, in my defense, I really never had that many chances to use them. I return my attention back on the controller and started to input the command. I felt completely focused and in the zone at this moment that I almost forgot that I still needed to breath. To everyone else who was watching, it looked like Spyro was doing some kind of crazy, weird dance but in my eyes, I saw the commands in front of me clear as a cloudless night. When the last button was pressed, the crowd and Trixie let out a mix of screaming of fright and gasping of surprise. Spyro started to float up in the air as a massive sphere of purple energy started gathering around him. The pressure was growing as the controllers started to vibrate in our magical hold and it even looked as if the arena itself was shacking with the pressure. I saw Spyro’s health bar completely restored in what felt liked ten seconds flat. Trixie, after getting over her shock, tried to renew her attack but before she was able to anything, Spyro released the blast and Double Trouble was hit was a blast of pure, kinetic purple energy; knocking him back and doing a rather impressive amount of damage. Now, if you’re a little confused as to what happen, let me try and explain it. Somehow…someway…the Spyro in the game had been recorded with a new ability, complete with animation and visual effects. This all appeared to happen while the game was still playing and without causing the game to crash at all. To make things even stranger was that fact that I had a strange feeling like I was the one who accomplished this which was impossible since I had never done anything like that before in my life…at least not on that grand of a scale. But I digress; the point is that Spyro from the Skylanders game had gain the ultimate attack that Spyro from the Legend of Spyro series possessed, the power of Convexity. The moment Spyro was back on the ground, I didn’t waste a second. I quickly pressed the primary attack button and watch as Spyro unloaded a large Convexity beam directly at Double Trouble; doing an impressive amount of damage and causing knock-back effect. The beam was unrelenting as Trixie did everything she could to try and escape the attack. However, all her efforts were in vain as the last of health disappeared just before the fury ended. I had won the match, but I felt the questions that were inside my mind eating away at me, hampering my train of thought and making it hard for me to focus on what’s around me. I could barely hear Trixie in the corner of my consciousness and I felt a sense of exhaustion wash over me like a tidal wave. Using what magic I had left in me, I gather up all of items that belong to me and returned them to my backpack. I secured my backpack to me and made my way off stage. Vaguely, I could hear voices in my head, though I was unsure wither it was from inside my mind or outside. It didn’t matter to me anyway; the only thing I wanted to find now was someplace where I could get some peace and quiet so I can gather my thoughts. I felt my body moving on its own as I made my way back towards the town, the game still fresh in my mind as well as the questions they revealed. I do hope you all enjoy this chapter. As always please read and review so as to help me improve myself as a writer. > Chapter 8: Gamer and Student > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the next chapter for you all to enjoy. The Gamer and the Student You ever had a feeling that you had no idea what had happen and knew that no matter how much you tried to explain it, no one was ever going to believe you and sometimes you’re not even sure you actually believe it yourself? …Yeah that’s what I was feeling like at the moment. I was resting on a bench that was nearby the fountain located in the town square. Although it appeared that I was observing the ponies going about their various businesses; my mind was miles away replaying the events that had happen back on that stage. I had replayed the events over and over again but nothing was adding up. I never learned how to hax in any sense of the word and yet, somehow, I had done just that. I was very confused with myself and what kind of power my body seems to have developed now that I was in this fascinating but strange land. I gave a tired sigh and rolled my body so I was looking up at the sky. I watched as the clouds seem to float with the drifting breeze. It almost would have fooled me into thinking that I was back home. However, the bright colors and the metronome tone of ponies walking served as a reminder of where I was at. You would have thought that someone who consider himself a brony would have been more enthralled about being in Equestria but to be completely honest with myself I was starting to feel like my prescience was affecting the way of life in this world. It was something that I really didn’t think about at first, given the fact that with everything that was going on lately. Now having a moment of rest, I couldn’t help these thoughts that were roaming in my head. Still, I could feel the peace in this world and it gives you a real sense of harmony the likes of which I have never experience before. I gave a tired sigh and said to myself “Is life really this complicated? Or am I just making it seem that way?” I didn’t have the answer and I felt like I may never will. The only thing I could really do was to try and enjoy this rare experience for as long as I could. However, I was reminded that I was still without any place to call a home or even a job which I felt were the two most important things that I needed to accomplish at this moment. Strange enough, a possible solution to one of my problems arrived sooner than I had hoped. Amiss the background noise, I heard a particular pair of hooves striking earth. The first thing that cross my mind was that how in the world I was able to tell one pair of hooves from another which was quickly followed by the lines of how I was able to tell the difference. I tried to think about it but really the only thing that was coming to mind was that the set I was focusing on seem to have a slightly different gait compared to others. The sound stopped and I decided that it would be more polite for me to face whoever it was. What I saw nearly stopped my heart. I was able to recognize her purple coat, appearing to shine in the sunlight. She had purple mane with that pink highlight long and flat against her head; while her coat was a nice pale purple/ mulberry color. Her eyes were a deep purple color as well which seemed to be able to pull my mind into their abyss. I could see the look of intelligence in them but also the hint of curiosity and even a small bit of a playful side that was more then likely being kept in check by her logic and reason. Without her having to say it, I already knew her name. She was Twilight Sparkle, my favorite pony of the Mane Six of all time. The reason being was that Twilight reminds me a bit of myself; smart but somewhat lacking in social skills. What was different between us was that hers was due to her choice of lifestyle while mine was caused by a medical condition. I was also captivated by how she was able to look and act so adorable at times. The sheer fact that I was using the word ‘adorable’ in a context considering the fact that I was a nineteen year old male back when I was a human just shows how much this show has had an influence on me. “Excuse me sir?” she asked me, snapping me from my train of thought. I looked at her with a curious look and made a small motion with my hoof to let her know that I was paying attention. Twilight nodded her head and continued “I was just wondering…are you the pony who was up on that stage with Trixie earlier?” I could hear the curiosity that was laced in her tone and I couldn’t resist the smile that was forming on my face. No matter how serious she might have been at this time, she still looked cute to my eyes. I nodded my head in agreement, feeling that there was no reason to actually speak at the moment. She gave me a confused look, obviously a little surprise about my refusal to actually speak. We continue to stare into each other’s eyes; hers were filled with a mild confusion and maybe even a slight spark of nervousness while mine were filled with slight enjoyment from being in her company and from the mild banter that I was playing with her. She shook her head a little before asking “What’s your name sir?” I was tempted to maintain my silence but I decided that I was done having my little humor session and replied with a trace of that humor “My name is Gamer miss.” She gave a tender smile that caused my heart to melt slightly. Twilight then said “Well…my name’s Twilight Sparkle; Princess Celestia’s number one student.” Although I was happy to be speaking to her, I felt a twitch of annoyance by the fact that she had said her title in addition to her name. The way she said it almost sounded like she was trying to intimidate me in some way. Although I was sure that she wasn’t thinking along those lines and probably thought that I should have been in awe or something; I couldn’t help the small sigh that escape me before saying “You sound like you were boasting there for a bit miss Sparkle.” She made a small gasp of shock and quickly replied in a rather hasty tone “I…I didn’t mean it like that Gamer.” I gave a small smile and replied “I know that Twilight. I just wanted to understand that it is not always a good idea to open up with your position in life.” I notice the surprise that flashed in her eyes, most likely from the comment I made, but she managed to regain her composure. Thinking that it was a good idea to maintain the conversation, I asked “So…was there something you wanted Miss Sparkle?” Twilight chuckled a bit before saying” You don’t have to call me ‘Miss Sparkle’ Twilight is just fine.” I nodded my head and replied “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind Twilight.” Twilight nodded her head before asking “I was wondering if you could come with me back to my home. I wanted to ask you a few questions about what happened back on that stage.” I couldn’t resist the defeated sigh that escaped from my lips. I had known that this was going to happen but I had hoped that it would have happened later then sooner. Still, it might be better just to get it out of the way and be done with it. I grabbed my backpack with my magic and strapped it on. I looked at Twilight and said “I guess this was going to happen sooner or later and I really prefer to get this done with.” I notice that Twilight had a look of concern on her as she replied “I…I don’t want to force you.” However, I shook my head and replied “I can understand your curiosity and…well…maybe it might be a good idea to talk about this. I’m hopeful that it might be able to answer some questions.” I finished with a small smile to try and get her relax somewhat. I saw her noticing my smile which she was glad to return. We both decided silently that the rest of the conversation would happen back at her house so she started to make her way there; while I was trailing close behind. First of all…Season 2 final episode was freaking brilliant. Second, I know this is a short chapter but I wanted to get this done before the episode but alas that was not to be. Ah well…I hope you all enjoy it. > Chapter 9: Tea at the Tree-house > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let’s get started with chapter nine. Tea at the Tree-house Have you ever wondered what it would be like walking alongside your favorite character from whatever media is out there? Would you feel nervous or happy or even a little awe inspired? To me, I was overcome with a profound sense of excitement to the point where I was almost about to fangasm. We were walking along side by side heading towards Twilight’s home/library. The ponies who noticed us wither paid us no mind or were staring at us with either a strange or curious look. I couldn’t really blame them either as I could feel the joyous smile that was surely framed on my face or my step that had an almost skip-like pattern to them. I was luckily that I was able to hold in the rest of that excitement or else the rest of Ponyville might start thinking that I was weird…if they weren’t already. However, all good things have to come to an end and that ending for me happen to when Twilight’s house was coming into view. Having seen it time and time again, the unusual design wasn’t much of a surprise to me. The logical part of my mind was trying to understand why it was such a good idea to have a public library built from a tree using flammable materials without risk; but I just chock that up to magic and decided to not worry about it too much. We approached the door and being the gentlema…uh…gentlecolt that I was, I opened the door for Twilight with my hoof. I was surprise that I was adapting so well to how this body was functioning that I had the weird feeling that it was as natural to me as my normal human body was. I tried to get the thought out of my head and it seemed to work but it still felt like a small itch that you couldn’t just reach. Twilight gave a small smile and entered her home with me following close behind. Inside the library, the first thing I notice was that the library slightly cooler then outside, providing a comfortable feeling that reminded me of back home. I let out a small gasp of relief which caused Twilight to ask “Is something the matter?” I turned to her and gave a content smile and said “Sorry…this place just reminds me of home.” I felt Twilight’s curiosity spike and she asked “How so?” I took a while to answer her, my attention focused on the interior of the library. For the most part, everything was where I expected them to be. The few things that were new to me were a few doors that I had no idea where they lead to and some items that might have belong to Twilight or the other resident who lives here. After a while of just looking around, I replied “The room here…feels very…comfortable. I feel…very safe…for some odd reason.” Twilight was now even curious and asked “What do you mean by ‘safe’?” to which I replied “It feels like home…” my thoughts started wondering off before I could finished my sentence. I looked over at Twilight and saw that she was still waiting for me to finish, but I really had no idea where I was going with that thought so I just said “…never mind, it’s not important right now. Anyhow, didn’t you have some questions you wanted to ask?” I could tell that she was a little miff about having her question dodged in such a way; but she gave a small smile and replied “Of course, would you like something to eat or drink?” I gave a small smile and replied “Some tea would be nice; nothing too strong though with a bit of sweetener in it.” Twilight nodded her head and made her way towards one of the doors that I assume lead to the kitchen. While she was out getting the tea, I made my way towards one of the cushions that was placed on the floor. Wishing I had something with some sort of back support, I lowered myself on the cushion and settled down. Using my magic, I removed my backpack and placed it next to me. It was then that I was overcome with a fragrance that I was unfamiliar with. It smelled like a mixture of fruits with a hint of jasmine. It took me a while before my brain was able to realize that the only possible scent it could be was Twilight. My brain started to haze up as the comforting scent entered my nose. For some strange, the scent reminded me of my mother and my body started to draw comfort and security from the scent. So much so that I was unaware of Twilight re-entering the main room with a pot of tea and two tea cups. She gave a small smile as she observed my collapsed form for a bit before saying “Are you planning on sleeping on my favorite pillow for the rest of the day.” My body reacted in shock when I heard her, quickly bloating upright and scrambling off of the pillow. My mouth was constantly mumbling in apologies faster than I thought I could ever achieve normally. Her smile was still on her face and she replied “its fine Gamer. I don’t mind it at all…though I am a little surprise by the fact that you seemed so comfortable on that old thing.” I couldn’t help the small blush that I was on my face and I moved my body to another cushion. Settling down on the cushion, I notice that Twilight’s scent wasn’t as noticeable as her old cushion but it still had enough of an effect that it was still noticeable to me in the back of my mind. I watched as Twilight hover my tea cup towards me which I took into my own magical grip. I took a small sip and my taste buds were met with a warm and, to my surprise, familiar taste. My eyes light up in surprise as memories of my human life started to resurface. Those thoughts started to put me in a rather depressed mood despite the fact that out of all of the worlds I could have ended up in, Equestria was the best choice. Twilight must have notice because she asked “Is something the matter?” I looked at her and replied “I’m sorry. This tea just reminds me of home.” Twilight looked somewhat distressed about it and she replied “I’m sorry.” However, I shook my head and replied “It’s quite alright Twilight. I was just a little caught off guard there for a minute. I’m fine.” I gave her a sympathetic smile which she returned as well. We sat there for a few minutes in content silence as we sip the tea. I tried to gauge what was going through Twilight’s head but she was avoiding my gaze, focusing more of her attention to either the floor or something on her shelf. After Twilight had finished her first cup and poured out a second one, she asked “Where were you born?” To any other pony, it was an innocent enough question but to me it was a big red flag and I found myself trying to come up with a viable answer to her question “I…I really don’t remember to well where I was born.” Twilight looked like she was caught between annoyance for having her question avoided like that and sadness for what my answer was. She apologized for her question but I waved it off and replied that she was merely curious and that was something I could understand. I paused for a moment before adding the fact that I really didn’t talk about my past so much. My reason was two-fold; the first reason being that I had hoped to forestall any future and dangerous questions and the second reason…well…I had to admit to myself that I was trying to go for a sort of a mysterious kind of feel. …sigh…I really can’t avoid saying it? Well…if it wasn’t that obvious; I do kind of have a bit of a crush on Twilight. My reason being was actually rather…well for a lack of a better word obvious. Watching the show, I found myself connecting with Twilight more than the others characters. I do like the intelligent girls and, though I would never admit this to her or anyone else, I do find her attractive physically. However, I was more interested in her personality and her charm then the physical aspect. So why don’t I just go right out and say it now? First of all, let’s get something clear right now. I have NO experience in terms of dating or having relationships with those of the other sex. Surprise yet? No…well considering the fact that I’m…or rather was…a human gamer in his late teens with asparagus; I think that gives me somewhat of an excuse for my behavior. “Are you paying attention?” Twilight shouted for the third time, snapping me out of my train of thought. I gave a small apologizing smile and replied “I’m sorry Twilight. My mind appears to wonder off on itself more then I would have liked.” She gave an understanding smile and said “I know that feeling. Sometimes Spike would have to hit me with a pillow in order to get my attention.” We shared a humorous laugh together and I felt the mood in the room lighten up a bit. We continued to talk about other things that were of minor interest to each other. She was curious about the tech that was in my backpack and, knowing that out of all of the Mane Six, Twilight would be the most intelligent and level-headed of the group, started to give her a broad overview of what I knew was in the backpack and a few things that I believed were in there but wasn’t a hundred percent sure. For me, I asked Twilight if she could help me improve my magic since, according to the story I was going for at the time, I had been traveling so much that I never got around to actually learning how to use magic. That and the fact that my parents were both earth ponies explained my very limited knowledge and skill in the arcane art. Twilight was more than happy to give me a few pointers which were good enough for me. By the time we were done with what we wanted to talk about, the sun was already setting and the moon was just about rise. I gave a small chuckle and said “Man…time does fly when you’re having an interesting conversation with an interesting mare.” I notice the blush on her face and it took her a moment to regain her composure before replying “I have a spare room you can use.” I nodded my head in thanks and she showed me to the room which was located on the first floor of her library. The room was similar to the main room in which most of the walls were lined with bookshelves. There was a small bed set up in one corner and there was a nightstand and a desk. It was a simple place with simple furniture but it was enough for me. I gave my thanks to Twilight and she left the room, leaving me alone for the second time since I was in Equestria and while the first time I just fell asleep almost immediately, this time I felt like I still had some energy left. However, that was quickly leaving me so I just got into the bed and went to sleep. My dreams were filled with hopeless dreams. I managed to get this one done before finals start so this means that I may not be able to update soon. Good thing that summer vacation will be here soon so that is a good thing. Oh yeah, let me know if this should warrant a rating change or not. > Chapter 10: The Night of Questions and A New Day > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the next chapter for you all to partake in. In case you haven’t already read it, I have posted my first blog post that has some information that might be in your interest to read. The Night of Questions and A New Day Canterlot Castle Midnight (At the time Gamer is sleeping in Twilight’s house) Luna’s POV I read through the contents of the treaty for a third time, making sure that I had fully understood what the purpose was. It was nothing major in all honesty, just an agreement my sister and the leader of the dragon clan drew up two hundred years ago due to a rather annoying border dispute. From what I was able to understand of it, the mountain range that border the northwestern area of Equestria was considered by the dragons to be a rather sacred sight for them, especially during their migration. However, pony miners had discovered that the mountains were a great source of rare and valuable gem stones that were created through the presence of the natural heat sources that were located among the mountains. Naturally, that caused disputes to emerge from the outlining villagers plus the miners who were trying to stake claims and the dragons trying to settle into their mountain homes. I remember that in the past, peace talks with a dragon were usually down to giving them what they wanted or getting raided. Now, as my sister explained to me, wiser minds were in charge of the dragon race and she was able to negotiate the treaty I was viewing. There was even a picture of the historical event clipped with the treaty. I looked at the picture seeing the smile that was on my sister’s face; calm and genuine as always. Yet I was able to see the mild sadness that was in her eyes, the same sadness that appeared in most of the pictures she was in during those one-thousand years of my banishment. “Even with all your duties and responsibilities; you’ve been thinking about me dear sister…” I thought to myself with a small smile. Since my return to my royal duties, the citizen of Equestria have accepted my return rather quickly to my surprise and although there was still some resentment, it was a lot better then what happen all those years ago. Currently, I decided to handle affairs that either my sister was unable to get too during the day or required both of our attentions. I did all of that work in my old office, which was where I was at right now. The office, unlike my older sister, was more practical then artistic. Most of the wood furniture that was in the room was made of a special type of wood referred to as “star wood.” Star wood came from trees that appeared dead in the day time but bright and alive under the moon’s glow. Because of that, most of the maids who clean up my office area in the day time see all the decaying wood giving the feel that they had entered a haunted room. Celestia had to step in and inform them about the star wood and I had to apologize to them for scaring them…in an indirect way of course. Besides the furniture, which consisted of my desk, two chairs, and various storage cabinets / bookshelves, there was a clear lack of any type of items that didn’t have a practical use. There was a pot of moonflowers growing next to the window that provided a nice fragrance in the air as well as a few pictures that I kept on my desk as memoires. One of them was a picture of my sister and I, back before the events of Nightmare Moon, enjoying a relaxing break on the beach. The other picture was more recent and it was me and the current wielders of the Elements of Harmony enjoying Nightmare Night. There was a knock on my door, snapping me out of my train of thought. I knew who were on the other side of that door and a part of me didn’t want to deal with it. However, the situation demanded that I have to deal with this or else my sister will and given how delicate it was; she might act upon her emotions and not here him out. Giving a tired sigh and pulling out the document of the case. I looked it over for a bit before saying “enter” The door opened up and a male earth pony entered the office flanked by two of my Night Guards, one from the pegasus division and the other from the unicorn division. The Night Guards were reformed shortly after I had returned to my royal duties and were responsible for maintaining the peace of the castle during the night and to perform the same duties that the Royal Guards have. The main difference between the Royal Guards and the Night Guards were that the Night Guards had a special spell cast on them that augmented their sleeping habits making them nocturnal. The spell has a few cosmetic changes like pegasus having bat-like wings and the horns on a unicorn becoming slightly deformed. These changes have given the guards a sort of aura of mystery among those in the castle staff and even in Canterlot itself. Still, they were just as loyal and dependable as any other guard and I was happy that they were doing what they were doing but right now, I had to focus my attention back on the earth pony. He was a male, there was no mistaking that. He was of average height and his blue coat almost had a glow to it. His mane and tail were of a brown color with his mane appearing to have no prior grooming or care and suffering from a permanent case of helmet hair. His overall look, at first glance, would be the appearance of a rather unkempt stallion worth no particular interest but I knew that looks can be deceiving when it comes to him. Upon closer inspection, one could see the well developed muscles formed under his fur, suggesting a rather hidden strength that he kept repressed. His eyes, which were a rather plain blue color, were somewhat alight with both playfulness and a hidden drive that he keeps to himself. Still, the most obvious things that a pony would notice was the fact that his entire right front hoof was encase in bandages. However, from the short walk of him entering my office, I could tell that it was not affecting him in the slightest. The second thing was his Cutie Mark; which was an image of a long sword pointing to the sky with a crescent moon in place of the cross guard and two black dragon wings sprouting from the blade itself all over a shield of alternating red and green. My overall observation complete, I said in a soft tone “You may leave us guards.” I notice the slight hesitation in their movement but their training came through and after a quick bow, exited the room. Once the door was close, I return my attention back to the earth stallion and from the look of his eyes; I could tell it was going to be a long night in getting information out of him. The Next Morning I was awoke to the sound of a distant rooster and, once again, by the glaring sun of Celestia’s. I swear that alicorn must have it in for me or something because there was no way this should be happing to me all the time. I would have shouted out some rather ‘interesting and creative’ words if I just wasn’t so groggy. I dragged my sorry flank out of Twilight’s guest bed and the first thing I notice was a rather…dominant smell. Truth be told, the first thing I did was check the sheet to see if I had an incident but there were clear of all kinds of stains. I tried sniffing around the room, hoping to find the source but it seemed to resonate at the level everywhere. I stopped my searching and tried to think under my still hazy morning mind. I felt completely stupid at that moment in time when I took a quick sniff of my body and found the stench to be much more noticeable. I guess the three days or so that I’ve been here without constant bathing or even a change of clothes will cause any pony to develop a stench. This meant that the first order of business was to find the bathroom and hope to Celestia and Luna that I can figure out a way to get myself clean without ending up smelling like a flower. I grabbed my backpack and made my way out of my room. The library sounded strangely quiet which aroused my suspicions somewhat. I would have expected Twilight to be up and about by now with her studies or something. Pushing the weird feeling aside for the moment, I started to search around the library until I came across the bathroom that was located next to the kitchen area. The bathroom was a rather simple place to my surprise. There was what appeared to be a shower located opposite of the door in addition to all the other things you would normally find in a bathroom like a toilet and a sink. The one thing that was new was the fact that there was a full body mirror located along the right side of the wall when you enter in the room. I closed the door and my attention was focused on that mirror as the gears in my head started to slowly turn. It was then that I realized that full implications of that mirror in which I could finally see how I looked like without clothes on and maybe even see what my Cutie Mark was, if I had one to begin with. With a slowness defined by my sense of nervousness, I started to remove my clothes starting with my shirt. What lied underneath was nothing to interesting to say the least; just more of the same pale tan color that had the same tone as my human skin. My overall body build was about average considering how little I spent actually exercising but I push that thought out of my head as I began to remove my pants. What I found hiding under them both shocked and fascinated me at the same time. The first thing I notice was that there was a patch of fur missing around my waist. I looked over on the other side of my body and saw the same thing there. I tried to figure out what it meant and it didn’t take long for my brain to figure out that it was there so I could have an easier time placing and removing my medical patch. The second thing was that I actually did have a Cutie Mark. The mark appeared to be a rather simple outline of a PS3 controller and an Xbox 360 controller crossing each other over the screen of a laptop. I was pretty happy about what my Cutie Mark represented; however, there was a part of me that was a bit curious as to whether I had this Cutie Mark since I’ve been here or if I had only just recently acquire it. It wasn’t that big of a deal anyway, I was just happy that I had one in the first place…not that there was anything wrong with being without a Cutie Mark but it would make getting accepted in the community somewhat easier. A stallion without a Cutie Mark would attract a lot of unwanted attention which was something I wasn’t too keen on dealing with at the moment. I then proceeded to take that shower that I so desperately needed. It mostly consisted of first trying to figure what shampoo I wanted to use without coming out smelling like a flower to figuring out how to actually use the shower and get myself clean. It was a bit of a pain in my flank, considering the fact that I still haven’t gotten fully awake. I wasn’t entirely sure how long I was in the shower but it was worth it because when I finally stepped out and dried myself up with a spare towel. It wasn’t exactly a spa retreat and I’m sure that Rarity would notice my half-ass job but at least I didn’t smell like I had just finished working at Sweat Apple Acers. I managed to find some extra clothes in my backpack and I put on a pair of shorts and a light blue tee. Before placing my pants on though, I removed a patch from my backpack and attached it to one of the bare spots on my waist. I could already start to feel the effects of the patch coursing through my body, calming my nerves and focusing my mind. Once I had gotten my mane the way I liked it; I made my way out of the bathroom and headed for the main part of the library where I had hoped that Twilight would be there. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Now that I’m on summer vacation, I’m hoping to get some more chapters done faster. Also, I would really appreciate any kind of feedback as long as it is constructive. Thanks for reading. > Chapter 11: A Meeting of Elements Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is Chapter 11. I'm trying something new in that I'm writing this chapter up directly instead of just writing it up on my Microsoft Word program and pasting it on here. Let me know if there are any changes in the quality of the chapter. Chapter 11: A Meeting of Elements Part 1 Once I got to the main part of the library, I notice that Twilight seemed occupied in a book. I also was finally made aware of the other resident in the library; the baby dragon named Spike. Of course I knew his name before we were introduced and in order to maintain my cover of ignorance, I had to wait until i was introduced. He was currently dusting some of the bookshelves at the time and both him and Twilight seemed deeply focused on what they were doing. Despite the chance of talking to Twilight some more, I thought that it might be better if I gave them their own time. As carefully as I could, I made my way towards the front door of the library and went outside with my backpack in tow. Outside the library, I was met with the warm summer rays and a cool breeze flowing through my freshly washed mane. It was a moment that made me feel very thankful that I was able to experience something like this in my life. It was a weird feeling considering that I usually didn't like going outside when I was a human because all the bugs and mosquitoes seemed to love me for some reason. However, dealing with that situation almost seems pointless right now but that may be because there are other more pressing issues that I had to deal with. I gave a small sigh and started to make my way towards the town square; hoping to run into any pony that I knew from the show. As I was walking down the street, I notice that most of the ponies who lived here seem to have either accepted me being here or I had lost their interest which was fine either way for me. I much prefer to blend in the crowd rather then being the center of attention. Minus a few curious glances, I was generally left alone with my thoughts which was another thing I was use to. If it hasn't come to that much of a surprise yet, but I'm not a very sociable person. Mostly because of the fact that I find myself more comfortable during times when I'm by myself or with a few friends. It was a part of me that on some days I was glad to have but on other days I was angry with myself for having it. Shaking my head to get rid of the negative thoughts, I instead turned my focus on which of the Mane Six I wanted to meet next. I had already been aquainted with Applejack and Twilight Sparkle which only left Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy. I knew that Pinkie would turn up and surprise me at some point in the near future. Rainbow Dash would be the most difficult for me to find due to my lack of wings or any magic that will allow me to stay on clouds. Rarity would be the easiest to meet due to the fact that she would be working at this time. However, my body gives a mild shudder when I started to think what might happen if I was to enter that store. The only pony left then was Fluttershy and out of the four, she might be the hardest to become friends with due to her shyness. However, that shyness might make it less likely that she'll do something weird or strange. After getting directions to her cottage from some ponies, I started on the dirt path that lead to her cottage as well as the Everfree Forest. I had always wondered why Fluttershy chose to have her cottage built so close to the forest but I reason that it was due to the fact that she was both shy and the fact that she was closer to the animals that she took care of. When I reached the cottage, I saw that it was already busy with activity. Animals were moving around or staying in one place. I also notice that Fluttershy was gliding around on her wings, delivering food to the various animals that were near by. I realized that I might have come during breakfast time and even just thinking about it was enough to cause my stomach to start to growl. It was then that I felt something hitting my leg over and over again. Looking down, I notice that the source of that beating was caused by a white bunny that seemed to have a rather disgusted look on his face. It didn't take me long to realize that it was Angel, Fluttershy's pet. Though there were times while watching the episode where I question who was the owner of the house. Shaking the thought out of my head, I return my attention back to the bunny. It still had that impatient look on his face but I was unable to tell what it wanted. I had a hard enough time telling human body language and now dealing with rabbit body language pretty much made me a fish out of water. "What?" I asked the rabbit, knowing full well that he understood my language. He gave a quiet sigh and pointed at his stomach before pointing to where Fluttershy was at, who was still oblivious to what was going on at the time. After he finished, I quickly tried to piece together the gestures and I came to the conclusion that he was trying to say that he was hungry and wanted Fluttershy to feed him now. I looked over at her and saw that she was still tending to some other animals at the time and from the looks of it wasn't going to be done for a while. I return my attention back to Angel and said "You're hungry right?" He nodded his head and I got up closer so I was practically face to face with him and said in my best low but mildly intimidating tone "Then you can either make your own breakfast or go out and forge for food. Just because you live with her doesn't mean you're any better then the rest of the animals she take care of." I paused for a moment to see his reaction which was a mix between startle and surprise. I then said in an afterthought "And between you and me fuzzball; where I'm from, some of those animals shes feeding right now wouldn't mind adding a rabbit to their diet." That seemed to send the message home to him and with a squeak born of fear, he ran off back to his small house. When I was sure that he was gone, I gave a tired sigh and started to think about what had happen. I felt a little bad for saying what I had said to Angel and it wasn't really my fault that he was raised the way he was. However, I remember the episode where Angel was acting like a spoiled child and treating Fluttershy like a doormat and while I was never one to use violence outside a videogame, sometimes you just have to be a little stern with them. "Oh...thank you for taking care of Angel Bunny for me. I don't know why he acts that way sometimes." said in a voice that had both mixtures of bashfulness and kindness flowing out of her mouth. The one pony who no matter what the situation is, can always end up causing a massive heart attack from either cuteness or shock. The pegasus who represents the Element of Kindness and is able to talk down a dragon. I turned my head to come face to face with Fluttershy. Meanwhile The door to the library opened...or should I say was blasted open. Twilight gave a startled yelp as she was tackled by the hyperactive pink pony known as Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie was looking down on Twilight's face with that kind of look she always gets whenever shes coming up with a party. Vaguely, Twilight was aware of her other friends Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity who followed in after Pinkie blasted through the door. "Twilight Twilight is he here is he here huh huh huh?" Pinkie asked in her usual hyperactive voice. Still a little dazed from the tackle, Twilight responded "Who Pinkie." She then gave a look that made Twilight feel as if she should have known the answer before replying "The new pony, duh. You see I was helping out Mr. and Miss. Cake with baking some new treats when suddenly I realized that I haven't given my "welcome to Ponyville" party to the new colt. You know the one that was playing on that weird screen with the meany magician and the screen went all 'Bang!' 'Boom!''Smack!'. So I tried to find him but he was no where to be found so I asked Dashie if shes seen him but she said no. Then Rainbow Dash and I went to ask Rarity but she didn't see him either so we then went to see Applejack and she said she hadn't see him since yesterday and that got me really sad because I thought he might have left but then Applejack thought that Twilight might know and I was all." Pinkie Pie paused at that moment to take a deep breath before continuing "Oh my gosh we should go ask Twilight so we went over to your house and here we are so is he here is he here." Pinkie finished and she couldn't stop herself from bouncing all over the room. Twilight shook her head a bit, now use to Pinkie Pie's antics and replied "Let me go see if he's around." However, after looking around, Twilight was surprise to find that he was nowhere to be found. She returned to the main room where her friends were at and said "He must have left because he's not here." Pinkie Pie of course had a look of disappointment on her face at the thought on missing out on throwing a "welcome to Ponyville" party. However, before her sadness got to the point when her mane deflated, Rainbow Dash said "You know, come to think of it, I haven't seen Fluttershy around either." Applejack replied "Doesn't she usually feeds her animals around this time though." However, Rarity then said "That may be true dear Applejack, but Fluttershy would never miss our daily lunch and spa day and she always shows up at my store around this time." Twilight was feeling a moment of uncertainty in which one part of her wanted to look for Gamer while the other part wanted to see if Fluttershy was alright. She made up her mind and said "Okay, why don't we check up on Fluttershy and see if she needs any help, then we can start looking for Gamer." Her other friends showed a bit of confusion on their faces and Twilight had to repress a sigh before adding "That's his name." They all nodded in understand and after leaving Spike in charge, set out for Fluttershy's cottage. I hope you are enjoying the story. I'm still working on the order of events and what I have plan for the overall story, but I hope to get that taken care of soon. > Chapter 12: A Meeting of Elements Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm apologize for the last chapter being short. I wanted this chapter to be part of the last one but I thought that it might of added a bit of a cliffhanger. That's what I get for thinking like that. A Meeting of Elements Part 2 Twilight and her other friends were approaching Fluttershy's cottage where they saw that it was relativity peaceful. It wasn't strange in the slightest but somehow Twilight was feeling a little worry about her shy friend. She was also concern about the new pony but she wouldn't tell any one that. They all made their way to the front door and Twilight decided to try knocking first to see if Fluttershy was inside. Surprising enough, the door open to reveal the timid pegasus who then said "oh hello girls. I didn't know you were coming over today." in her usual quiet tone.Twilight and the others greeted their timid friend before Rarity asked "Fluttershy darling, was there a reason why you haven't shown up for our weekly get-together?" Fluttershy appeared to hide behind her mane before replying "I...I'm sorry Rarity. I had a visitor today and he was so eager to help me with taking care of my animal friends that I must have lost track of time." This of course got every pony attention and it didn't take long before Twilight asked "What guest?" As my luck would have it, that was the moment I decided to enter the room. I came in through the back door and said as I was making my way towards the living room "Fluttershy, I managed to feed the chickens like you...wanted...me..." the rest of my sentence trailed off as I came to realize that Fluttershy had some guests over and to make things even more of a surprise, it was the rest of the Mane Six. I was able to reconize them all in an instant and could tell that all of them minus Fluttershy had a somewhat surprise look on their faces for a second before changing to a mix of curious and confusion though I notice that Twilight appear to be still in disbelief while Applejack had a friendly smile on her face and Rarity was giving me a mild disgusted look to me. One look on my clothes and I was able to guess her reason though I was unsure if it was because of the fact that there were a few stains on my shirt or the fact that my clothes in general were somewhat lacking in fashion. I was thankful at least that I discovered that my fur was able to absorb my body sweat otherwise there would have been a rather noticeble stench in the room. After a few moments of awkward silence, I decided to break the ice and say "Did I interrupt something ladies?" Fluttershy gave her kind smile and said "Oh no not at all Gamer." I, of course had a feeling that was what she was going to say; not having it in her heart to make me feel bad. Returning her smile, I replied "Well...I've seem to know the names of half the mares in this room; will I perhaps be introuduce to the rest?" In a move that would defy all notions of physics, law, and sanity; Pinkie Pie blasted from a standing position, or about as close to standing as you would get with Pinkie Pie, to a full charge tackle and slammed head-on into me. I felt the wind knocked out of me and almost lost my glasses. Before I had a chance to recover, I felt the weight of the pink pony on my body; pinning me to the floor. I opened my eyes to see my entire vision was assaulted by a big grin, piercing blue eyes, and as many shades of pink as one could possibly think of. It was then that Pinkie Pie said in her cheerful voice "Hi there, I'm Pinkie Pie" Still a little groggy, I meekly replied "Well...that's one way to make an introduction." Pinkie Pie, as expected, gave a snort of giggles before saying "Your funny." Despite myself, I couldn't help the small smile forming on my face before replying "And your kind of crushing my ribs right now so can you please get off." Pinkie Pie of course got off of me and I managed to get back onto my hooves. After dusting off a bit, I replied "So was there something you wanted?" Her smile was still there and she said "Of course silly stallion. You see, I saw you when you were up on that stage with that meanie unicorn and there was that big screen that was making all those funny sounds. So when you all were done, I was making my way back to Sugercube Corner when I realized that I had never seen you before and since I've never seen you before that must mean that you were knew in town cause I know everypony in this town. So if I've never met you before and you were new in town then that must mean that I need to throw you my 'Welcome to Ponyville Party' so I tried to find you all day but you were hiding from me. So then I tried asking Rainbow Dash if she had seen you but she said no, then I tried asking Rarity and she said no, then I tried asking Applejack and she said to try Twilight house so I tried but Twilight said that you weren't there which made me so sad but we all went to Fluttershy's house and we found you here so do you want to go to Sugercube Corner for a party?" That question, coupled with appropriate gestures, was one that I had expected ever since I had step foot in Ponyville. In truth, I wasn't the biggest fan of parties due to my lack of social skills but I knew how Pinkie Pie was going to react if I had said no and I do like my body the way it is right now. Shaking the images of cupcakes out of my mind, I replied "Sure Pinkie. A party sounds like a good idea." I saw her face light up and she started bouncing around the cabin, listing off all the things she needed to do to prepare for said party. Shaking my head and giving a small chuckle, I said in a joking kind of way "That mare seems to live off of nothing but sugar." The other girls gave a small chuckle and Twilight replied "That's Pinkie for you." After Pinkie introduction, the other two were more collected with theirs. Rainbow Dash was for the most part tolerant of me from what I was able to tell. It might have to due with the fact that I was still new around here or it might be because I might not have been the type of pony she would want to take to a Wonderbolt show. Rarity was of course her pose self and I had a feeling that she might have been more accepting of me if I was cleaned up better rather then looking like I had a hard day at Sweet Apple Acres.Still, they were pleasant enough and I was sure that if I tried my best, I could become friends with all of them which would make living here overall easier. Rarity was talking about having me come over to her store to try on some new clothes when I felt a light nudge on my shoulder. I looked over and saw that it was Fluttershy, who was talking to Twilight earlier. Politely excusing myself from talking to Rarity, I brought my full attention to Fluttershy which did cause to flinch a bit. She recovered and asked "I'm sorry, but I just remember that there was some load of bird feed in my shed that I would like to be moved where the other bags are." I nodded my head and replied "Of course I can Fluttershy." Before making my way outside to do just that. Unknown to me at that time, the moment I left, Twilight said "Alright, now that he will be busy for a time; there's something that's been bugging me for a while." "Whatever do you mean, darling?" Rarity asked, her curiosity sparked. Twilight took a small breath and made sure she had everypony attention before saying "Don't you find it weird that we would find Gamer here of all places?" Applejack tilted her head and asked "What do you mean by that?" "Well...He claims that this is his first time in Ponyville right?" All of the girls nodded their heads in agreement and Twilight continued "So then...how would he even know about where Fluttershy's cottage was at." Fluttershy said in a quiet voice "I did ask him about it and he told me he got some directions from a few ponies in town." The reason seemed enough for the others in the group but Twilight was not swayed and she countered by saying "But now that raises the question of how he knew you in the first place." Applejack then said "Not to put a bad apple in your batch Twilight, but we are kind of famous around these parts. What with being the users of the Elements of Harmony and out victories over Nightmare Moon and Discord." Of course Rainbow Dash intervened by saying "I'm with Twilight on this one. Something about him doesn't seem right." It was at that moment that an earsplitting scream tore through the house; scaring the ponies inside and causing Fluttershy to dive under her couch. Twilight quickly identify the voice and said "that sounded like Gamer." she turn to the rest of the girls and said "Come on girls. He could be in trouble." The others nodded their head and after a bit of coaxing to get Fluttershy out, they all made their way towards the backyard. What they saw, both brought more questions in their mind and shock. What they saw was my body lying on the ground, trashing about like I was being attack. Violent shocks of magical lighting were surging from my body and my mouth was open but no words were coming out. Even as they watched, The storm slowly disappeared until it was gone completely and even then they waited a few moments to see if anything else was going to happen. When it was all quiet, the users of the Elements of Harmony all gathered around my prone body and saw something there that would change their whole opinion about me. Canterlot Castle Around the same time Celestia was enjoying her afternoon snack when she suddenly felt a sharp pain slash through her brain. The feeling was so unexpected and violent that she lost her magical grip on her cup of tea, causing a small but audible crash. As a servant came in to clean the mess and her guards came to check on her, the goddess of the sun appeared to fine and claim that she was mearly distracted by something. However, inside her head, memories from long ago were starting to surface and her mood was slowly becoming anything but sunny. There was one thought that seem to enter her mind and latch on like a leech. "So...they have returned." Golden Claw (Capitol of the Griffon Kingdom) Around the same time A page was running as fast as he could, trying to get through the busy hallways of the castle. He dare not fly for fear that he might break something important as he ran towards the seneschal's office. Eventually, he reached the door and ignoring protocol, went inside without knocking. The seneschal, who was a middle-age griffin without any interesting details, came up from his chair and was about to ask why the page busted through his door when the page replied, almost out of breath "Message...from...from the...high priest." The seneschal realized that it must be important and motioned for the page to continue. The page took a deep breath and said "Tell the king...they have returned." The seneschal of course was confuse as to who 'they' were and ask the page to explain. The page shook his head and said in the language of the griffin"Die Klaue weniger diejenigen!" Ignis lapidem, City of Eternal Fire (Capitol of the Dragon Tribes) Around the same time Firewatcher watched through his reflective pool at the scene that was displayed on it's surface. The scene both cause an equal mix of wonder and curiosity. He turned his golden eyes to the only other creature present in the room and said "Are you able to see what I can see." The creature was hidden in the shadows, wrapped up in a clock of muddy brown. The creature said nothing seemed to have communicated something because Firewatcher asked "What do you think will happen now?" The creature came towards the pool to witness the scene in detail. Silence was present until the creature replied "He will be confused, and scared as will the others. Their fear of what they have forgotten will lead him to us." Firewatcher return his attention to the pool and said "And once he has cross the border..." The creature started to move his way towards the door. Before he left, he said "Leave him to me." Firewatcher gave a tired sigh as he returned his attention to the scene of six mares surrounding a stallion. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Not spoiling or anything but I will say the plot is starting to kick up. In an unrelated note, in terms of artwork, I do not mind if you make pictures based on the story but do know that I don't really do commissions so it will be base on your choice. If you do decided to do artwork, send me a private message with a link to the picture and I will try my best to place in on a future chapter with my thoughts on it. I would do the art myself but I'm not that very good at it. Anyhow, let me know if it interest you and I do have a deviant account if you feel like posting it there. That's all for my rant. P.S: I used a bit of German and Latin in this chapter. If you want to know what they mean, use Google translate. > Chapter 13: Of Marks and Orders > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the next chapter and as a little something to show my thanks for all those who have taken the time to read my sub-par writing skills; I have a little something planed for July 1. Keep an eye out for that date. Chapter 13: Of Marks and Orders I wasn't sure how long I was out but the slight pounding in my head plus the rumbling of my stomach informed me that I was asleep longer then I should have. What was strange though was that rather then feeling the usual feeling of grogginess from waking up, I was feeling rather energized and alert. Still, my legs felt like they were weighed down with a ton of bricks and I was having trouble focusing on anything. I was hearing voices but they seemed distant and faint and various memories were dancing around my subconscious mind. Eventually, I started to feel the return of strength within my body and the voices were starting to become clearer and more focus but I was still unable to identify who was speaking or even what they were talking about. Eventually, I was unable to hear anything else as the room or wherever I was at went quiet. It wasn't that bad at the moment for me as I did enjoy a bit of peace a quiet and it afforded me a chance to get a better feel of my surroundings. I did feel a warm embrace around my body and my head was resting on something soft so at least it meant that who...or what ever had mean at least wanted me to stay comfortable. Though the new question was wither it was for my own benefit or for something else. When I felt that had enough of my strength returning to me, I started to open my eyes to find that I was staring at a white ceiling. My body was still feeling heavy so I was unable to get up to a sitting position at the time. Vaguely, I was aware of a slight but firm pressure on my stomach but I was unsure as to what it was. I started looking around and I notice the rather bland-color walls and a night stand to my right. There was also a window there that was showing the skies over what I believe to be Ponyville bathed in that colorful blue color that I associate with any cartoon. The window was open slightly letting in a nice cool breeze. To my left, I saw only a green-color curtain which actually sparked a memory from the show. Under a normal mindset, I might have recognize it right away but I was still feeling a little groggy. Eventually, I realized that it was the same curtain that was in the Ponyville Hospital. I gave a tired sigh and thought "I wonder why I'm here. I hope there was nothing wrong with me." I tried to remember what had happen back at Fluttershy's cabin but it was a haze. Feeling more of my strength returning to me and started to lift myself up to a sitting position, however there was something that appeared to be impeding my progress. I tried to focus on what it was but my vision was still kind of blurry. I rubbed my eyes to try and clear them and I realized that I wasn't wearing my glasses. It wasn't that much of an issue to me in my case as the two reasons I was wearing glasses was first being that it helps me see at a distance and the second reason was because I thought glasses were easier to use then contacts. Looking at my stomach, what I saw caused me to have a mild heart attack. Twilight was currently resting on my stomach, appeared to be asleep even though there was still some light outside. Her mane appeared to have been unkempt but I was unsure if it was because of time or worry. Despite that, I was barely able to see, due to my lack of glasses, the smile that was on her face. She must have fallen asleep listening to my heartbeat. I really didn't want to wake her up but I was really curious as to what had happen and why I was here. I looked over and saw that my glasses were laying there. I used my magic to place them back on and adjusting them them so that they were right where I wanted them to be. I looked over at the clock that was up on the wall and saw that it was around what I would consider to be dinnertime for me with was five in the afternoon.I then reached over to Twilight with my right for-hoof and gently nudged her to try and get her to wake up. She stirred in her sleep and shuffle a bit to get into a more comfortable position. I try nudging her again and she gave that tired yawn that made her even more adorable then she was before. Part of me wanted to leave her like this but in my honest opinion she was kind of squishing me right now so in addition to nudging her again, I said "Twilight...Twilight are you awake." She groan and started to slowly open her eyes. In this light, they appeared to shine as she saw what I hope was a small smile and a caring expression though with my luck I would have a blank stare on my face. I was about to ask what had happen when Twilight suddenly grabbed me into an unexpected hug. I was shock to say the least as a wave of new smells entered my nose as well as the feeling of her coat pressed against my own. My brain felt like it someone was hitting the reset button over and over again and before I could even process this turn of events; Twilight disengaged herself from me. I could see a mild blush on her face as she replied "Sorry about that...I had no idea what came over me." I shook my head a bit to try and clear my mind and said in a quiet tone "It's alright Twilight." She smiled at me which caused my own heart to flutter a bit before I asked "What happened Twilight?" Her expression soften a bit and she said "I...I don't know what happen. One moment everything was fine and the next we saw you trashing on the ground. There was all this purplish magical energies around you but the were arching out in ways I've never seen before. When it finally stop, we found lying on the ground unconscious. I...we were quite scared and decided to take you back to the hospital to see if there was anything they could do. When we got there, they just put you in this room and told us to return home but I...I wanted to make sure you woke up to a friendly face so I decided to stay here." I gave a small smile and said "Thank you Twilight, I don't know what I would have done if I had woken up b myself." She returned the smile as we shared a moment of quiet before a soft purple/blue light started glowing. I was a little surprise by the unexpected light and thought that it was another one of Pinkie Pie antics until Twilight said "Gamer, look on your hoof." I looked down at it and I felt the shock all over my body. Located on my right fore-hoof was what appeared to be some kind of mark. The mark appeared to be some kind of symbol that was used in the Chinese language back on earth but I was completely clueless as to what it might have been. Before we could have a chance to examine the symbol further, there was another glow of purple/blue light on my left fore-hoof in which upon inspection turned out to be another Chinese symbol. Confusion in the forefront of my mind, a curious thought came into my head and I placed the two paws together so the symbols were next to each other. Even though I had no idea how to understand Chinese; I felt like the two symbols together form some kind of word. The symbols looked something like this... 管理 "I've never seen symbols like this on anypony before." Twilight remarked as she examined the strange markings. They continue to glow in the purple/blue light but they had soften the brightness considerably. The more I stare at them, the further they seem to draw me in. I was able to see what appeared to be flowing energy running through the lines that formed the symbols. I was so engrossed by the markings that Twilight had to actually zap me with a small jolt of electricity. I gave a yelp of surprise and said "What did you do that for Twilight!" Despite the expression on my face, Twilight couldn't help but give a small chuckle and said "Well...you were staring at those marking with the same expression as I have when reading a book." She continue to chuckle at my expression and I couldn't help but laugh as well. It felt really good to laugh and to hear her laugh as well. Once we had gotten all the laughter out of our system, Twilight then said "If you feel up to it, we should head back to the library. I believe that is where Pinkie wanted to have your party." I got curious about that and replied "Why at the library? I thought she would have the party at her house." to which Twilight replied "I don't really know why. She has always been a random pony." I nodded my head in understanding and said "I think I might have recovered enough to stand." Slowly, I removed myself from the comfortable bed and got back onto my hooves. I was really glad that those strange markings were located on my actual hooves so it would be almost impossible for somepony to actually notice them. I felt myself wobble a bit as I got reacquainted to the center of gravity but I managed to recover and was standing tall and steady. I started walking around a bit and when it appeared that I was able to move normally we started to make our way out of the hospital. Meanwhile at Canterlot Castle Luna was feeling a little nervous being in her sister's study room. She knew that there was something very important that her sister wanted to talk to her about and she had a good feeling as to what it might have been. It was a very strain day here at the castle. Ever since Celestia had that moment of sharp pain in her head; she has refuse to speak to anypony save for her Champion. Luna had tried asking her as to what her sister was doing but her loyalty to Celestia was still as strong as ever. This was the first time she has asked anypony besides her to center her private chambers and that was the reason to Luna's nerves. It was then that a door opened opposite from the door I use to enter the room. Luna looked over and saw a unicorn exiting through the door. From the armor, one could tell that she was a member of the Royal Guard but Luna knew that she was much more then just another guard. For instance, she and one other pony are the only members of the Royal Guard to have clearance to carry a weapon at all times. Her weapon of choice was a longsword that was strapped on her right side. The longsword was a gift from Celestia in addition to her armor and it marked her as Celestia Champion. Her coat was bright yellow color and her mane was a reddish orange color that would give somepony the impression that her mane was always on fire. The mane was tied back into a new fashion style that Luna did not know about called a 'ponytail' which to Luna made no sense considering it looked nothing like a real pony's tail. Her green eyes and overall facial expression would give some pony the impression that this was one mane you would not want to get on her bad side but Luna knew of the gentler nature this pony have...even though the only pony to actually see it was Celestia herself. Luna was brought out of her train of thought when the mane said in her usual blunt serious tone "Celestia is ready to see you now, Princess of the Night." Luna nodded her head, not taking any kind of offense as to the rather direct tone that she uses. Her position does give her a more lax position compared to regular guards and the castle staff. Luna got up from her cushion and made her way towards the door that lead to her sister's private quarters. Her sister's room was normally in such a prime state but due to her sudden isolation had cause her room to become slightly haphazard. There were various books, tomes, and scrolls scatter around the floor and Celestia herself was reading one of the scrolls at the moment. Even though Luna was unable to see what was written on the scroll, she recognized the marking that was on the back of the scroll. The mark cause a mild shiver to run through her spine as she knew the significance of that symbol. Suddenly, clarity shone in Luna's mind as she realized the reason behind her sister's isolation in addition to what had appeared to be a state of frantic reading quite similar to her own student. It was at that moment that Celestia removed her focus on the tome; almost as if she had been waiting for her younger sister to realize the gravity of this visit. Celestia knew that her sister would oppose what she was about to suguest but it was the only way Celestia could deal with the problem without unleashing...that side of her. Already she could feel the creature trashing about in its mental cage begging to be awaken to unleash it terrible justice. Celestia motion for her sister to take a seat to which Luna did without protest. Luna knew her sister was preparing to explain herself and Celestia knew that Luna would wait until she was ready. It was that kind of understanding that they grew up together over their long and many years as rulers. After a few minutes of silence, Celestia took a deep breath and it was that signal that Luna knew meant that her older sister was ready to speak. Celestia, though still facing her sister, was unable to look her dead in the eyes as she knew in her heart that what she was about to ask would enrage and sadden her at the same time. She also knew that there was no point in dawdling or beating around the bush with her younger sister as even one thousand years of exile had done nothing to weaken Luna natural wit and diplomatic skills. Celestia took another breath and said "I need your Champion to do a mission for me." Luna gave a small nod that she was listing but refrain from speaking at this moment. She knew that from time to time, Celestia and her would require the skills of the Champion from the other. By law, the Champion of the Sun would only take and follow direct orders from the pony who controlled the sun; the same goes for the Champion of the Moon. However, if say Luna wanted something done that she believe only the current Champion of the Sun was capable of doing; she would ask Celestia if she could give the order in her place. It was set up that way so each Princess could know what the other might want done and maintain the delicate balance of harmony within the Royal Court. Luna pushed those thoughts to the back of her head when Celestia said "I need the Champion of the Moon to go out and find a certain pony." To any normal pony, they would have thought that it was a simple enough request. To Luna, she was able to see the fine print and asked "And what would you have my Champion do once he found this pony?" Celestia knew she couldn't lie to her sister; their relationship still had some rough patches left and she didn't want to create new wounds. However, Celestia was scared of how her sister might react and decided to try and word differently then her real intention. With that in mind, she answered "I would like this pony...'removed' from Equestria." Luna didn't buy it for a moment but she had a feeling as to why her sister chose to word it in the way she did. Still, Luna saw that if she were to agree with this, it could be a blow in her standing with the citizens of Equestria and she was still on somewhat shaky grounds at the time. In an effort to offer a counter suggestion, Luna asked "Why couldn't you have your Champion do it?" Celestia shook her head and replied "I know that she could if I ask her, but I worry that she might become distracted with her other duties here at the castle. However, your Champion would perform any task you give him with one hundred percent focus and motivation..." Celestia paused for a moment before adding "...If he does complete this task, then I will accept whatever repercussions happen and he will be cleared of his crime." That piece of news both surprised and shocked Luna. She knew that her Champion was feeling terrible about betraying the trust she had placed in him. If he managed to complete this mission, and Luna knew that he would, it would restore his sense of worth. It was the fact that Luna knew he would complete this mission that frighten her and she had to at least try and appeal to her older sister's better nature. "Sister..." Luna started "surely there must be..." Before she was able to complete her sentence, Celestia slammed her hoof onto the table so hard that it left a large hole right in the center. Luna shot up in surprise and looked at her sister and gasp when she saw the same kind of eyes she once had, but rather then jade color they were an intense white. Celestia shouted in her own Royal Canterlot Voice "DID YOU FORGET WHAT THEY DID TO OUR KINGDOM? WHAT THEY WERE CAPABLE OF? THESE BEINGS HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT SUCK OFF THE RESOURCES OF THIS WORLD TO FEED THEIR OWN POWERS! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHAT THEY DID TO THE SERPENT OF ORDER? WHAT THEY DID TO YOU, TO ME!?" Of course Luna remembered what had happen to the serpent of order and what happen to her. Those memories were burned into her mind. She could remember all the pain, the suffering, the despair and hopelessness. She was a little curious as to what they did to her older sister but her gut was telling her that it might not be the best time to ask. All she could do was replied in an even tone "I haven't forgotten dear sister...I...I will give the order." Celestia, happy by her sister's response, managed to calm down enough to reply "thank you Luna. I know it must be a very difficult choice. Now, if you don't mind, I have some work I would like to catch up on." Luna nodded her head in understanding and made her way out of her sister's room. Once she was clear of her quarters and was starting to make her way back to her room, she thought to herself "Something terrible must have happen to you Celestia. However, I can't allow your emotions to cloud the kind nature I know you have. You may not be happy with what I plan to do, but it is the only way I know to keep you happy and our land peaceful." Really hope you all enjoy this chapter. I really do appreciate all those who take the time to read this story and I do hope you will take the time to leave a comment about how you think the story is progressing so far. > Chapter 14: The Welcome Party > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This was originally going to be part of the previous chapter but I kind of lost some motivation and I wanted to get something posted. Chapter 14: The Welcome Party Checking out of the hospital prove to be a lot easier then I had hoped for. After a quick check over and the okay from the doctor, I was already out and on my way towards the library with Twilight. As we were walking along, we started having some small talk about various topics that were of intrest to us and a bit of town gossip. Occasionally, we were return our attention back on the strange marks that were surly getting covered up from the dirt road. Twilight was certain that there had to be a book in her library that had some more information on it but the only thing we could be able to say with certainty was that the marks and my weird freak out at Fluttershy's house were somehow connected. What it all means, I had no clue but with the prospect of attending an official Pinkie Pie party in the near future; my concentration was somewhat lax. We eventually reached the library and Twilight made a gesture to suggest that I should be the one to enter first. Noticing her rather difficult time trying to hide a fit of laughter, I gave a brief shrug, or as much of a shrug as a unicorn was capable of, and opened the door. I was surprise to find the library so dark but before I could even think about turning on the lights; they suddenly exploding in a near blinding flash and the word "Surprise!" shouted from the mouths of all the ponies who gathered their. Of course the loudest was Pinkie Pie herself to which she was now happily bouncing in front of me with her trademark grin. "Were you surprise? Huh huh huh?" Pinkie asked in her overly hyper tone. I did feel a strange sense of deja-vu from the whole experience but I decided to ignore that in favor of enjoying the party. Of course Pinkie had everything planned out from the snakes to the music. Of course the first thing that she wanted to do was play some party games. I should have expected that something was going to happen that would make this night a little more interesting. As I was busy talking with Spike and Twilight off to the side, I felt a shiver run down my spine. At first I thought it might have been a slight chill in the air but it was persistent and starting to bug me. Twilight noticed the way I was acting and asked "Is there something wrong Gamer?" I looked around and said in a mumbled tone "I don't know...it feels like somepony is watching me." Twilight gave a small giggle and replied "Of course there are ponies watching you. You are the guest of honor." I return the chuckle and replied "Yeah, I guess your right as usual." Still, that strange feeling was still present. However, before I could focus on it again, I felt a sharp pain in my head which caused me to which a bit. Twilight gave a gasp of surprise but before she could ask what was wrong, I said "Somepony trying to get into my backpack." I took off before Twilight could say anything. I moved as fast as I could admits the crowd of ponies. I knew where my backpack was because Twilight had told me on the way here that she had Spike bring it back to the library for her. He had placed it inside the room I was staying at and somepony was trying to get into it. If they managed to succeed, who knows what might happen to them or to the rest of the ponies in the library. All it would take was just one game and it would begin poisoning the innocents of this world. All those thoughts served to push myself further along, apologizing to anypony that I bumped into. I managed to reach my room and almost smashed through the door and the scene that I saw almost gave me a major heart attack. My backpack was opened and the soft blue light was emanating from the inside. The T.V was out in addition to my PS3 and two controllers. My gaze moved away from the equipment towards the ponies that were in the room. It was the Cutie Mark Crusaders in addition to a few of what I assumed to be their classmates. All of them had either a shock or guilty look on their faces and I saw that lying on the floor was a game that I was surprise to even be their in the first place. The cover of the game should a picture of a shadowy man holding two scythes riding on a black horse. In front of the man were the words "Darksiders II" with the 'II' being in dark purple. My eyes widen in horror as how close it was before these children had their minds corrupted. "Are you alright Gamer?" Applebloom asked but I was most certainly not alright. Waves of various emotions were coursing through my body. I could feel relief at the crises being adverted but anger that these fillies would think it was alright to just go ahead and mess around with my stuff. Part of me was even curious as to how they managed to get it set up this far but curiosity and relief were pushed to the back of my mind. I shook my head and said in a louder voice then I might have intended "Do you fillies have any idea as to what you were about to do?" Scootaloo replied "We just wanted to play on your totally awesome machine." I turned my head towards her and replied "Did I give you permission to use my stuff?" Scootaloo lowered her head which was enough of an answer for me. I walked over towards the game and opened it up to find, to my relief, that the game was still inside. "What's going on?" a voice asked from outside the room. I turned my head and saw that Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were next to the door. I gave a tired sigh and sweep my hoof as I said "These little ones were about to experience something that they...or anypony for that matter were not ready to see." Twilight was a bit curious and asked "What might that be?" I held up the game and said "They were going to play an M-Rated game." Naturally, that only caused them to have blank stares so I added "It means that this game is intended for mature audiences." "Well I'm mature enough!" Applebloom rebutted but quickly backed down when I gave her a rather cold stare. i return my attention to the older girls and said "Maturity is not solely based on age. Remember when I said that the realm of video games are only limited by your imagination." They of course nodded their heads and I continued "Well...you would be surprise as to how far that imagination will take somepony." I turned over the box to see the back and said "This game contains strong violence and gore, strong language, explicit content, and blood. and you young fillies were about to experience it all." Of course they had no idea what a few of the items that I had listed actually mean but the ones that they did know caused them to let out another gasp of surprise. Slowly, they started to realized my reason for the way I was acting and started to give the young ones a talking to about respecting sompony's property and the dangers of curiosity. Applebloom and Scootaloo got the most of it from what I could tell but Sweetie Bell, who had remain quiet through the whole thing, did not escape a talking to by her older sister. I gave a tired sigh before I heard Twilight say "It was a good thing you sense them messing around with your backpack. I don't know what might have happen if they managed to start that game." I gave a small smile and replied "Well...If it was me, I might end up having nightmares for the next few weeks; but in all seriousness, it was a little close for my taste." Twilight was silent for a few moments before asking "So do you think I'm mature enough to play that game?" The question surprised me but I had a feeling that was coming. I gave it some thought before replying "Well...the recommended age for playing an M-Rated game is seventeen..." I saw Twilight's eyes widen in happiness and I quickly added "But it really depends on how you handle the experience." Twilight asked "The experience?" I nodded my head and explained "One of the biggest things you have to keep in mind when playing any game is just that. It is a game, not reality. It is nothing more then lines of code combined with art and music for the single purpose of entertainment. It is very hard to maintain that understanding as games, especially some of the newer ones, do a fantastic job of making it look real. As long as you don't lose yourself, you will be just fine." Before we could have a chance to continue the conversation, we heard the sound of the front door opening followed by a gasp of surprise. Decided that it might be best to see what was going on, we made our way back to the main room. When we got their, we saw that five Royal Guards had entered the library although only four of them were wearing the usual gold armor. The fifth one was wearing armor that was colored in a deep almost midnight blue armor. Only his head was visible in addition to the curve sword that was attached to his back. As Twilight made her way over to them to see what was going on, I remain glued in placed by both complete surprise and fear. My eyes were glued to the pony in the midnight blue armor and the only thought in my head was "This is impossible. There is no way he should be here right now." However, no matter how much I tried to find an alternate explanation, there was no mistaking those pericing blue eyes with the black irises that glowed with intense fire. I was almost face to face with my own OC Moonsaber. I do hope you enjoy this story and I do appreciate any comments you have to say about it as long as it is civilized. > Chapter 15: Escape > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well guys, I hate to tell you this but we are coming close to the end here. I do plan on creating another part but this part is almost over and I hope I managed to end off in excitement. Let's get started. Chapter Fifteen: Escape I swear that I must been in some strange dimension or I was still sleeping because there was no freaking way that the character that I created should even exist in this world. Yet there he was was, the earth pony in that magical midnight armor that I always imagine him in and the Crescent Moon katana that was based on a rather famous videogame katana. I took a glance at his right fore-leg and saw to my relief that it was still in the shape of a pony. However, I knew all too well what he was capable of when he was motivated. Still, if he really did exist right now and I wasn't in some kind of weird dream or hallucination; then why would he be here in Ponyville? The only reason I could think of was that Princess Luna gave him a mission or an order and he was in the process of carrying it out. His skill in combat were second only to his loyalty to Luna. Twilight walked over to Moonsaber and said "What are you doing in Ponyville Champion?" Moonsaber gave a small smile and replied "I'm sorry for interrupting the party Miss Sparkle, but the princess has asked me to look for somepony and she believes he or she is somewhere around this area." For some strange reason, I felt a red flag going off inside my head and my heart was starting to beat in my chest. My gut was telling me that I had to leave now, but the shock and fear of the situation had me rooted to the ground. I was barely able to hear Moonsaber asked "By the way, what's the occasion?" It was at that moment that Pinkie Pie said, or more rather shouted from whiten the crowd "It's a welcome to Ponyville party for our newest friend Gamer!" I saw Moonsaber's eyes turn on to me and I felt myself backing up a step. His eyes felt like they were studying and judging me, seeing how much of a treat that I was. I did have a weird thought as to why I made him act like he was such a bad-flank but I reminded myself that I also gave him a rather rough past. Come to think of it, I never did finish his entire back story, but that was mostly due to the fact that I was in college at the time and I was very busy. "Who are you?" Moonsaber asked for the second time in a much sterner voice that caused me to snap out of my train of thoughts. I looked over to find that he was almost face to face with me. He wasn't very tall or short and he didn't have a lot of muscle on him. However, those who had fought him would know that while he may lack in strength, he makes it up with speed and other surprises. I made an involuntary gulping sound and I was sure that I was sweating up a storm. Still, I try to give a small smile and replied "My...my name's Gamer sir." Moonsaber contiune to look at me with those unwavering eyes for a moment before asking "Why so nervous Gamer? Trying to hide something from me perhaps?" "Aw...fudge. Why did I make him so smart?" I thought also taking notice on the way he said my cover name as if he knew it was fake. I swear I was feeling my heart bursting out of my chest and every part of my was screaming for me to run yet I continue to remain stock still, as if waiting for some event to motivate me to do something. That event was a lot closer then I thought I was going to be. "Sir! We examine the room and found strange machines that seem to be powered by strange magic." One of the guards said. My mind instantly went into overdrive as I realized that they were talking about the game system and T.V that were still set up in my room. Moonsaber nodded his head and said "Alright, gather up what you can and we'll take it back to the princesses." "No!" I shouted before I could even think of what to say "You can't. The princesses won't be able to keep a sane mind if they come into contact with my stuff." Moonsaber turned a critical and rather piercing gaze at me before saying "So you admit that this stuff is yours?" I couldn't form the words as most of the panic energy that I had was gone. Rather, I just nodded my head and Moonsaber says" So you admit that you are the Admin that has entered our land without permission." I felt a slight confusion enter my mind and couldn't help but ask "What are you talking about? What do you mean an 'Admin'?" However, Moonsaber was feeling a little annoyed and accomplished from what I could tell and shouted "Don't try to play dumb with me Admin. I have no idea what you were planning but it ends tonight." I gave a yelp of surprise as I felt the energies from the two unicorn guards encase me in a field and binding me to the wall. I tried to struggle against the binds but the two were clearly skilled at this and I wasn't as strong in my magical ability as they were. I tried to focus my magic but it also appeared to have been restricted from me. Still, I continue to try and resist the binds until I heard the sound of a sword being drawn and the collective gasp of surprise from the other ponies in the room, though it was fewer then before as some had left smelling trouble. I stopped my struggling and saw that Moonsaber had drawn his sword out. I could see in his eyes the small regret in his eyes and I knew that it was because he didn't enjoy hurting other ponies. Still, he was very driven by his duty and no matter what, his duty was going to come first. His eyes were asking for forgiveness and a part of me wasn't entirely sure if I wanted to. I felt a sense of dread in my body as Moonsaber started getting closer. I tried my hardest to escape the binds that were holding me but they remain firm. Panic and fear were coursing through my body as I really didn't want to die yet it seemed more and more likely. Eventually, I just ran out of energy and slumped on the wall, feeling a sense of defeat in my body. I looked over at Twilight and saw that she appeared to be frozen in fear, unable to figure out what was going on. As I was staring in her eyes, I felt a small flame seeming to flicker inside my body. I started thinking that I didn't want Twilight to see this...that I never wanted to see her feeling scared or sad. That flame inside of me started to grow and grow and I had no idea where it was coming from. Before I could think of anything, the fire seem to burst in a large explosion and I felt an overwhelming power flowing through my body. It felt like magic but it rather then feel like a river, this power was wild and unpredictable like lighting. The world seem to start to go blurry in my eyes as lines upon lines of game code was flowing everywhere. However, unlike the last time, the code seem to be gathering around myself. I felt the bonds holding me vanish and the everything went white. When I finally came to, I found myself outside on a dirt road with no civilization in sight. Back at the Library "Sir. We've try everything we could, but the door leading to the Admin's room seems to be magically locked." said Sgt. Fastfoot of the Royal Guard Pegasus Division. Moonsaber nodded his head and replied "Very well...it seems we might have underestimated what this Admin was capable of." Moonsaber looked around the library, taking stock of what had happen. In truth, things had happen faster then he was able to react. One moment the Admin had appeared passed out and the next, those strange marking on his hooves started glowing followed by that blast of magical energy. There was no real physical damage but when the smoke had clear, the Admin was gone and the door where those strange machines were located had closed and appeared to be locked. Moonsaber gave a tired sigh as he comes to terms about the rather unexpected turn of events. From what Luna had told him, he would have gather that this Admin was still new and had zero training. Yet, how was he able to create such an explosion. Moonsaber knew he had to get back on his trail before he manages to find a hiding spot or dawn arrives. With that in mind, he had the two unicorns, Corporeal Blackice and Pvt. First Class Sandrider, using locating spells in an effort to track his transportation spell. Moonsaber would have asked Twilight for help but she had sent everypony out of her library except for her friends and refuse to open the door again. He imagined that they were going to send a letter to the castle to see what in the hay was going on and Moonsaber was not sure if they were ready for the truth. Besides, he had already sent his fastest pegasus Pvt. Eagleeye to the castle and inform Luna of what has happen and what Moonsaber was going to do. It was then that Moonsaber felt the familiar feeling like he was about to throw up and before he was able to give off a warning, gave a large belch of blue fire which materialized into a scroll. Fastfoot gave a humorous look of sickness and said in a joking matter "Man sir, you really need to lay off those late night firebomb brownies." Moonsaber ignored the mild banter but Fastfoot could see the ghost of a smile on his face. He read through the letter before closing it up and burning it for real. Moonsaber then returned his attention towards Fastfoot and said "Luna has managed to located the Admin. He's heading north towards the Land of No Water in Dragon territory. Luna want's me to make sure he doesn't wander off. Meanwhile, I need you and the others to keep Ponyville calm and secure Luna is on her way to explain the situation to the Elements." Fastfoot gave a quick salute to which Moonsaber responded before raising his two front hooves and slamming them down. Upon impact, a cloud of black smoke appeared around Moonsaber before turning into a cloud of smoke and shooting north leaving only the hoof imprint left. Forest of Fire-one mile south of the Dragon-Pony border I felt tired, cold, and scared as I continue to walk along the path. I was unsure as to where I was heading but I knew I had to keep moving and find someplace where I could hide...at least till morning. Once the sun was out, I should be in a much better situation then I was before. I knew that one of Moonsaber most noticeable shortcomings is in his 'magical' abilities was in the fact that he was at his strongest under the moon while in the day he is much weaker. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to over power him in that condition but at least I would stand a better chance. I knew I was in a forest but there was something odd about it. for starters, most of the trees here looked dead to me. However, when I took a closer look, I saw that there was evidence of a large fire. In fact, the entire forest felt dead and lifeless, even the sounds of the forest appeared to have been silenced long ago. the only noise left were the sound of my own hooves and the groaning of dead trees. I suddenly felt the prescience of someone nearby. However, as I turned to look, I felt a sharp blast of pain of my face. I gave a sharp scream of pain and gave a sharp jab at where I thought the attacker was. I felt my hoof connect with metal and continued with the action. However, I only managed to succeeded in pushing the attacker a few centimeters. Rather then sticking around, I started galloping as fast as I could away from him. I knew it was Moonsaber and that somehow he had found me. I could feel the sting of the wound on my left check and the blood that was dripping from it. Wither I was lucky or not, I had managed to stave off what could have been a much more fatal inguray. I was then aware that I had left the dead forest but my sense of flight was still going strong, pumping me with more adrenaline and energy then I would usually have. Vaguely, I felt my body seeming to pass some kind of magical barrier and I couldn't help but stop to catch my breath. I turned my attention behind me and saw Moonsaber staring at me from the forest edge. However, it seemed as if he was unable to move or act and just continue to stare at me with those determine eyes. He didn't speak the words but his eyes appear to say "You better hope to Luna that I never catch you here again." Without another word, he turned around and reentered the forest. I gave a breath of relief as I turned my attention north only to find myself staring down a vast desert. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I think I might be the first person to do something like this with an OC, but I could be wrong. Anyhow, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and keep a lookout for the next one. > Final Chapter: The Admin > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is it...the final chapter of My Story. Fear not for there will be a part 2 which I will be starting as soon as I am able to. I had originally plan on having the last chapter be the last one but decided to give you this one. You're welcome. Final Chapter: The Admin I didn't know how long I was walking for, or how far I had traveled. All I knew was that I wasn't going to last much longer. The desert felt endless, stretching as far as my eyes could see. Still, I couldn't return to Equestria because for some strange reason there was a barrier that prevented me from returning to the forest. The sun was shinning brightly in the sky, cooking the ground and myself under its intense heat. A part of me even thought that Celestia had actually planned on making this day hot in an effort to snuff me out in this dry desert heat. As much as I wanted to prove her wrong, my strength and will were quickly being drained. My eyes felt heavy and full of sand particles making it hard to see where it was I was going. The wound on my left cheek had stopped bleeding but I could still feel the sting and I figured that it might eventually leave a scar. For all I knew, I could have been walking around in circles given the fact that there were no visible landmarks. Finally, my body just couldn't handle it anymore and I collapsed on the hot desert sand. I felt as if my own body was being cooked as I rolled over to stare at the sky. I wish there was a cloud somewhere I could use as shade but the sky remain clear. Under any normal situation, I would have welcome the beautiful day but now all I could do was hate it. As I lied down on the sand, my thoughts returned back to what happen at the library. I remember Moonsaber calling me an 'Admin' which was strange because if I remember correctly the term Admin was given the a person that was in charge of an online server. Did that me I was somehow inside my computer in a virtual Equestria? Part of me felt that might have been true considering that the show was created with computer animations and yet I still had my laptop in addition to all of my other gaming and reading equipment. Maybe the term Admin was use to identify a pony of technological skills. I shook my head and told myself that the only thing I was really good at was playing video games. I had very little skill in actually creating them, heck that was the reason I was in college in the first place. "So what does the term Admin mean here?" I thought to myself as I started to feel a warm embrace of sleep wrapping my body. I knew I was dying, it was almost at the forefront of my mind Yet, I felt myself merely accepting it. I had always wonder what it was like to experience death and I found that it was a very humbling moment for me. Sure, there were things that I had wanted to do while I was alive but they seemed unimportant right now. Despite how short of a time it was, I did managed to come to Equestria, home of six ponies who had a profound impact on me and got to meet them all. I'm sure that they would be able to move on after a while and would have forgotten all about me. After all, there was always the danger that somepony could have gotten into my game system and played a title that had a lot of violence and I couldn't live with myself if that were to happen. I felt my eye lids grow heaver and heaver as the last sound I heard before entering the peaceful sleep of death was the sound of a pegasus flying. Back at the Library (During the events of Chapter 15) Twilight, for the first time that she could remember, was completely left out of the loop of what was happening. She watched as the guards who were with Moonsaber examine the door with the strange marking on it and in a fit of frustration, kicked them out of her library in addition to the rest of the party guest who were still here. The only ponies and dragon left were herself and her friends and Spike, who looked just as confused as she was about the situation. Even Pinkie Pie seemed more passive them before, having her trademark 'Welcome to Ponyville Party' end on such a sour note. The other were either interested in the strange mark on the door or were watching Twilight as she remained sitting in one place. Finally, Twilight gave a defected sigh and said "Spike. Take a letter." Spike notice there was the lack of fire that Twilight would usually have when she was about to send a letter to the Princess. Spike was unsure why Twilight was feeling so down and not even Twilight herself was sure as to the reason. Spike pulled out a quill and parchment and was about to begin writing before a regal voice said "That will not be necessary Spike." Everypony turned their heads to see Princess Luna standing by the doorway. She gave a curious look to Twilight who managed to get out of her unknown funk temporarily at least to stand in attention. Luna gave a small smile and asked "Is it alright if I come in Twilight?" Twilight of course responded "Yes of course Princess." Luna nodded her head and made her way to one of the cushions placed on the floor and settled down. The other ponies were quick to replicate her actions minus Rainbow Dash who was content with just hovering in the air. Luna looked at each of their faces and said "I'm sure you all have many questions about what happen this night." Applejack replied quickly "Darn right there Princess. What the hay was your Royal Guard going up and harassing poor Gamer like that?" Luna couldn't help but smile a little on the inside. Ever since her freedom from the control of Nightmare Moon, she had done as much research as she could on the new wielders of Harmony. She didn't take offense to Applejack rather forward approach and as much as she wanted to sugarcoat the truth, they had every right to know the reasons behind Moonsaber's actions. The others notice that here face was both stern and sad as she replied "First of all, you have to understand that the pony you call Gamer is not all that he appears to be." "What do you mean Princess?" Twilight asked. Luna gave a small smile and replied "Please call me Luna Twilight. I really don't feel like much of a Princess after what happen tonight." Luna gave a small sigh and said "First of all, you should know that there were two reasons behind Moonsaber's actions. The first was that this was the only real way he would be able to be clear of the crime he had committed." The ponies let out a collective gasp and Twilight asked "What crime?" Luna responded "He broke into the P.I.T.S and tried to access sensitive information. I think that this was the reason behind Gamer existence in the first place." "You mean he wasn't always a pony?" Pinkie Pie asked. Luna just merely nodded her head in agreement and said "The second reason was that he was ordered to. However, the order didn't come from me but rather from my sister." Twilight was surprised by the evidence on her face and she couldn't help but ask "Why would Celestia order Moonsaber to get rid of Gamer?" Luna gave another tired sigh and said "Because she hates your friend and that hatred stems from the fact that he is an Admin." Luna raised up her hoof and said "Please let me explain before we get too off topic." The others nodded their heads and settled down to hear the story. Luna took a small breath and said "The Admins were a very...unique race the resides in our world. No one knows where they come from or their origins other then the fact that they didn't make their prescience know to history until after the three countries were established. The Admins were never confine to one race as they could appear in any form be it pony, griffon, dragon, and even some of the minor lands like zebra donkey and changeling. What made them special was the unique kind of magic they were capable of using called Ether. Ether, from what I am able to understand, follows the same logic as regular magic but is supercharged to the point where it becomes impossible for any one to use safely except for the Admins. Throughout history, they have always served the other kingdoms with honor and never once plan on ruling a land unless there was no other option. They served as adviser or scholars or any other position that they wanted to. However, two incidents happen that caused them to fall from grace." "What would those be Luna?" Fluttershy asked. Luna gave another sigh and replied "In an effort to study more about Ether, they decided to try an experiment in which they would inject a small does of Ether into a subject. They figured that the only ones capable of handling the raw energy was someone of immense power. At the time, the three most likely choices were The Serpent of Order, Celestia, and I. All three of us agree to take part and we were put into a machine that gave us the Ether." Luna paused for a moment as the memory was replayed in her mind. Lost in thought, she almost didn't hear Rarity asked "So what happen?" Luna shook her head a bit to clear her thoughts and replied "The experiment worked. The Serpent of Order, Celestia, and myself had about five percent of Ether injected into us. We discovered that with the Ether, Celestia was able to control the sun while I was able to control the moon. Our Cutie marks reflected this and we returned to our kingdom to begin our new duty. However, something changed in the Serpent of Order. I am not sure what exactly happen but we eventually received a report that the Serpent had broken into the injection chamber and took more of the Ether." "What happen to the serpent?" Twilight asked. Luna gave her a sad look and replied "You already have seen what has happen to him. Driven insane by the large does of Ether inside of him, his body started to change and more to reflect that chaotic nature." One by one, each of the ponies realized what the Princess was hinting at and she decided to drive the point home by saying "Yes, Discord was once the Serpent of Order." Silence filled the room as Luna waited for the information to sink in. After a few minutes, Twilight asked "And the second reason?" The memory of what happen resurfaced inside Luna and she was having a hard time fighting back the tears that treated to fall from her face. In an almost chocked voice, Luna said "The fault lies with me. After Discord was trapped in stone, I started to notice how much attention ponies had to the day and how little it was spent on my night. I also notice how much stronger my older sister was getting in terms of magic and I wanted to be just like her. So I asked the Admin to give me another injection of Ether. They refused of course, memories of Discord were still fresh in their minds but I...I demanded them to give me the injection. Eventually, they agreed but under the pretense that they would only give me the same amount as last time fiver percent. I agree and was given the shot. It was a success and I didn't feel any sudden changes and neither could the Admins. But...something did change inside of me. A part of me, born from my anger and jealousy over my sister and fulled by the Ether, had grown and was ready to be unleashed. Those emotions, aided by the Ether, had created the monster Nightmare Moon." Another gasp filled the library as everypony started to realized how much their history had been changed in order to hide the truth. Princess Luna went on to explain how after Nightmare Moon defeat and banishment to the moon, Celestia went ballistic on the Admins, believing them to be the cause of all the suffering that has happen to her subjects. They tried to reason with her but she wouldn't have it and using the Elements of Harmony, banished each and every Admin from the land. Questions were asked and answered but it wasn't long before everypony decided to return to their homes for some sleep. Spike quickly went up to his bed for some shut eye leaving Twilight down in the main hallway staring at the strange symbol on her door. Luna said that such marks were used by the Admins to keep something secure and that It would take some time before it would be weak enough to be able to remove. Twilight understood that but she couldn't help but place a hoof on the door. She let out a gasp of surprise as the mark started to glow brightly before fading. Twilight heard the sound of a door unlocking and went to try and open it. Sure enough, the door opened on her touch and she made her way inside Gamer's room. She saw the game system still set up but what surprised her was the addition of a piece of parchment placed on top of the game system. Carefully, Twilight picked up the parchment with her magic and read the words written on them. Dear Twilight, I do not know what is happening right now, but I do want to apologize for whatever problems I may have caused you. I never thought my time spent here would end so quickly but the moments I got to share with you were some of the best. That is why I am trusting you with my game system. At the bottom of this letter are a list of instructions on how to operate it. I believe that out of all the ponies in Equestria, you are the only one I can trust to be able to handle the games that I have inside my backpack. I only ask that you remember me as you play them and not let them ruin any future experiences in your life as it has done to me. Stay and Play Safe, Gamer Twilight read through the letter again in addition to the instructions. They were set up in a way that she was able to understand and it wasn't long before she had everything ready to go. With careful ease, she lifted up a game titled "Legend of Spyro: Dawn of Dragon" and opened the box to removed the disk and place it inside. Soon the library was filled with the quiet sounds of a digital orchestra playing and the calming wise voice of Gary Oldman. I know it is a short chapter but I felt it wrapped things up quite well if I do say so myself. I would like to thank you all for taking the time of day to read this story and I do hope you keep a lookout for my future stories. The next one, which is not the squeal to this one, will be my first foray into shipping. Thank you once again and have a great day.