An collaboration crossover of Tales of Xillia and MLP.
An collaboration crossover of Tales of Xillia and MLP between Dirty Bit and myself.
Twilight was familiar with both the cutie map's function and the existence of another world, but when approached by the princesses one day, her, Spike, and her friends are now tasked with liberating yet another world from certain doom with the help of its inhabitants. With this new world's different set of rules, will they succeed in their quest?
The following takes place after 'Make New Friends but Keep Discord'
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright of Hasbro Tales of Xillia is copyright of Namco Bandai Games Cover Art by Lyra-Kotto
That was what the Princess of Friendship wanted to know, upon looking at the map that was showing a landscape that she hadn't seen before. Being an active reader of books, she was familiar with all kinds of locations and what they look like around the world. Her friends stood in their thrones watching the alicorn trot back and forth with uncertainty.
Applejack was the first to break the silence, "Heck if Ah knew. All Ah can say is that we jus' have t' go an' check it out."
"Duh! That's what adventure's all about. We'll never know til we get there!" Rainbow Dash boasted, flying in the air using her forelegs to punch the air.
"Wherever our destination lies, I do hope it's more pleasant than our time liberating that town Starlight Glimmer controlled." Rarity added using her magic to fan herself.
"Whatever it is, we can't ignore something that requires our presence. What say we get to it right now?" Twilight stated looking at the arrow pointing at an unknown city.
"Alright! We're going on another quest!" Pinkie shouted.
"Um...Shouldn't we bring supplies for our trip, just in case?" Fluttershy muttered.
"Of course! It's not a quest without supplies, silly!" Pinkie said giving the shy Pegasus a wide gin.
"Why do Ah get th' feelin' we're steppin' into one o' Pinkie's fantasies?" Applejack muttered to Rarity.
"I don't know...I feel it as well, all of the sudden..." Rarity replied feeling a sense of worry.
"Weird..."
Taking her attention off the map to her friends, Twilight said, "Ok, here's the plan. Pinkie, you and Applejack will be in charge of the food supplies. I'll try to see if I can find some information of this place in any of the books with Rainbow's and Fluttershy's help."
"I'm afraid things aren't that simple..." the sound of Luna 's voice could be heard. Twilight and her friends turned their attention to the door to see Luna with Celestia by her side. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, I had hoped to see you again, yet I wish it was under better circumstances for some troubling news has come forth."
Twilight asked the one question that was in everypony's mind, "Is Tirek back?"
"You all have no need to worry about him." Celestia answered, easing everyone's worries. "However, that doesn't mean that the situation isn't any less dire. Twilight, bearers, It pains me to say that a new threat to Equestria and other kingdoms will be appearing from another world."
The girls gasped in shock at the shocking news, with Rarity being the most the dramatic. Twilight was the only one of the lot keeping her calm. She decided to address her former teacher with the first question on her mind.
"Princess, can you tell us more?" Twilight asked.
"In due time," Luna was the one who answered her question. "But first, prepare supplies you'll need for the journey that awaits you. Twilight, take us to where you stored the mirror."
"Uh, princess, I don't mean to rude but who will take care of my animals while we're away?" Fluttershy asked, only to back away when Luna looked her way. "That is.. if that's okay.."
"What about that new friend of yours from the Gala?" Rainbow asked, flying over to her. "I better go let the weather team know that I'll be saving the world again."
"Oh, your right! I better go and ask her!" Fluttershy said leaving the area.
Rainbow followed behind leaving Twilight and the remaining girls in the room. Applejack and Pinkie Pie used this time to back to their homes to get what was needed for the trip. The three princesses and Rarity were the only ones left.
"I better wake up Spike..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Minutes passed until everyone was gathered in the room where the mirror was located. Luna and Celestia stood in front of it with worried looks on their faces. Endless possibilities of what this new danger could be filled Twilight's mind with dread. She wasn't sure what this new world was going to be like but she knew she would have her friends there by her side.
"Everyone," Luna finally spoke getting everyone's attention. "You all are about to embark on a journey to this new realm to stop humans from firing a weapon known as the the Lance of Kresnik." With these words she used her magic to project an 3D image of the weapon. "We were made aware of it by a vision.. however, this image was all we've gathered of it."
"Twilight, when you sent me that letter about the map, it led me to believe it's showing us the location of this weapon." Celestia added.
The girls started to discuss among themselves about the shocking news while Twilight stared at the mirror deep in thought. From what she gathered, the one who sent them the vision must be a very powerful being to able to affect the map in such a way. The fact that the connection was cut meant that she or he must of been captured or worse.
The fact they were all called disproved that this world was the one that she had been to twice. Sunset would of told her if anything was amiss, or if a new danger was coming. The fact that Luna said humans meant this world also had them...but there was one question that was bugging her.
"Luna, are you saying that humans created this weapon?" Twilight asked, to which the princess of the night nodded, confirming what she thought.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle, we have reason to believe that these humans that built this awful weapon don't represent all of humanity. Please take that into account when you mingle with the locals, okay? Then again, you all know this from Twilight's adventures from the other world, right?" Luna said to the other five mares and dragon, who all agreed. "Very well then, Twilight, join us as we combine our powers to open the gateway to this new realm!"
Twilight looked at her friends, "You all ready for this?"
"Are you kidding?! I'm ready to drop some flank kicking on these guys!" Rainbow stated excitedly.
"I have to admit I'm interested to see what these humans considered fashion." Rarity remarked.
"You betcha, sugercube."
"Uh, sure. I'm.. ready."
"Pinkie Pie is here and ready to party!"
"And don't forget your number one assistant."
Twilght smiled and trotted into the middle of the two sisters before giving the go ahead. All three pointed their horns at the mirror as small glow started the form. The remaining girls and Spike watched the three princesses as the light grew in size. The obvious stress of the spell can be seen just from their body language. The sudden blast of the spell forced the mares and the dragon to cover their eyes.
After a few moments, Twilight's voice called out, "Girls, it's time to go."
The first time that they saw upon uncovering their eyes was the mirror, namely the glass rippling like water. By the mirror was Twilight, who was the first to enter. They followed her as the girls disappeared through the portal one by one.The last thing that happened once everyone was gone was Luna looking at her older sister with worried eyes.
"Are you sure they will be alright, sister? The Great Spirits..." Luna said not wanting to finish was she was going to say.
"I'm sure they do fine with Maxwell on their side..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Twilight, wake up!"
"Spike..." Twilight was about to continue when the first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was that Spike was still a dragon. "Does that mean..."
"Yeah."
The confirmation left Twilight with so many burning questions that needed answering. They would have to be saved for later as she had friends to wake up. She managed to get everypony to open their eyes with Spike's help.
"Whoa, that was weird." Rainbow said rubbing her head with an hoof. "Is this how you felt when you and Spike followed that Sunset pony?"
"Yes," Twilight stated. "The problem is why the mirror didn't change us into humans. However, we have a bigger issue and that is finding this weapon..."
"The question is where do we start looking?" Spike pointed out. "I mean, we don't seen to be near a city of any kind."
"Maybe there's one nearby...but with us not humans I'm sure we're be getting lots of attention. I could use that spell that turned us into breezies." Twilight suggested, frowning. "The two problems with that is that I have to let my magic rest before I tackle the spell and we would need a human."
"Great..." Rainbow deadpanned before she noticed Applejack looking around. "What's the matter, AJ? Scared?
"Shut it, Rainbow." Applejack fired back. "I just I don't trust this place worth a hill of beans."
"She's right...." Rarity said uneasy."I feel that we're being watched..."
"Yeah, let's..." Twilight was cut off before she could finish what she was going to say by the sound of something falling down to the ground. She and the others turned to the source of the noise and saw three monsters surrounding them. "I think.. it's best that we leave now.." She said anxiously as she and the others began backing away.
The group continued backing away from the three monsters that surrounded them, nearly bunching up together as their predators closed in. Two of them were large birds with over-sized beaks, while the other appeared to be a tall and lean horse with long ears. When Pinkie caught a glance of the latter, she perked up.
"Hey, girls! Why are we backing away from a pony? Why don't we reason with them?" She offered to her friends.
"Well, fer starters, Pinkie," Applejack said warily, "Ah'm pretty sure that there pony ain't friendly. Otherwise, we wouldn't be in this pickle." She felt compelled to take another step back, only to feel something soft with her hindleg. Applejack looked behind her to see what appeared to be a battered bipedal figure laying on the ground. "What in the hay?"
Spike looked back at the being himself and flinched at its condition. He could easily identify what was laying down before Applejack.
"A human." He said, drawing the attention of his friends. The human appeared to be feminine in shape, and after inspecting its wounds before looking back at the monsters, Spike put two and two together. "We could really be in for it if we don't do something." The purple dragon added fearfully.
"You heard the dragon, girls." Rainbow Dash piped up as she hovered into the air "Why don't we show these monsters what we got?"
"Well, it beats waitin' fer them t' make th' next move." Applejack said with renewed confidence as she got into a stance. "Fluttershy. Ya think ya can stay with th' human, just in case it's alive?"
"Yes." Fluttershy said as she knelt beside the human, although was still tensed by the monsters surrounding her. "Please hurry."
"No problem!" Rainbow Dash said eagerly as she flew into the air and swooped down on one of the large birds, ramming into it and knocking it down on the ground, while Applejack quickly turned her back on the other one and bucked it square on the beak, knocking it back a couple of inches.
Twilight decided to follow her friends' example and decided to launch a beam at the tall horse, eliciting a pained whinny as it simply stood. All three monsters were then riled up as they began their counterattack. The bird Applejack had hit quickly dashed forward and hopped into the air in front of the apple farmer, then shot out its legs in a brief flurry of hits that connected with her face, slashing at her until she recoiled in pain.
The bird that was taken down by Rainbow Dash recovered and attacked with its massive beak, slamming it into the cyan pegasus and sending her back a few feet. Meanwhile, the tall horse neighed angrily before it charged at Twilight, forcing her to quickly jump up into the air as it now made a course towards Rarity, who shrieked as it drew close. A gout of fire halted its advanced as Spike protected Rarity from her attacker.
"Oh my goodness..." Rarity said before she collected herself and smiled at Spike. "My hero." The purple dragon instantly returned the smile after receiving gratitude. His heart soared any time he was thanked by Rarity.
Spike's euphoria was short-lived, however, as the horse whinnied angrily before it went to resume its charge. Twilight was about to shoot a magical beam at it, hoping to slow it down, only for it to be sent back by a fire ball. Twilight stared before smiling down at Spike, who - along with Rarity - stared with widened eyes.
"Spike, that was amazing!" Twilight said cheerfully.
"Then who would-" Two loud bangs were heard as Rainbow Dash's opponent was stunned with a pained screech, confusing the cyan pegasus, along with the rest of the group. Pinkie looked over the monsters and grinned.
"Look! More humans!" Pinkie said as she hopped up and down.
A couple of feet away from the group were three beings who looked ready for battle. Among them was a female with long, blonde hair, wearing white attire that was slightly revealing. A sword was seen in her right hand while her left hand was stretched out towards the battle. Resolve was clearly seen in her magenta eyes.
Next to her was a tall male with brown hair, wearing a light brown jacket and a long black scarf with a goldenrod end on his neck. In his outstretched left hand was a pistol while he held a broadsword in his right hand, slung over his right shoulder. In contrast with the female, he seemed more seasoned and laidback.
The last one was a male with darker brown hair, although he appeared younger than the former two, wearing a unique outfit with shades of blue. Despite being seen with gauntlets covering his hands, he appeared slightly hesitant in contrast with his teammates, but was willing to fight.
The three then dashed into the fray, where they spread out and confronted the three monsters by themselves. The female made quick work of the horse with a few quick strikes, the tall male alternated between his sword and his gun when fighting his bird, while the shorter male resorted to close quarter combat to take down the other bird.
The ponies and Spike quickly stepped away from the battle when they noticed how easily the monsters were being handled by the newcomers, watching in awe at their combat experience. They noticed how the female stood still and was surrounded by what appeared to be a magical aura as she muttered something, focusing on the horse before she held out her left hand.
"Splash!" She shouted, as a small torrent of water appeared and bombarded the horse, making it disappear.
Meanwhile, the tall human shot at the first bird a few more times before it, too, disappeared like the previous monster, smirking smugly as he spun his pistol. The shorter male demonstrated graceful martial arts and managed to take down his own target, dispatching it just as efficiently as his fellow teammates. After they had finished, the three humans looked over at the ponies and dragon that stood near the injured human, and the female held up her blade.
"It seems there were more monsters than we thought." She said with a mature voice. "Let's hurry and dispose of them."
"Wait, stop!" Twilight shouted instantly, holding out her hooves in a placating gesture. "We're not monsters!" The lavender alicorn's plea instantly surprised the humans.
"Whoa, did that horse just talk?" The tall male said in confusion before he cast a pensive glance towards them. "Actually, come to think of it, I've never seen these types of monsters around these parts..." He said as he sheathed his weapons.
"Hey! We're not horses or monsters." Rainbow Dash said as she hovered in the air, offended by the assumption. "We're ponies, plain and simple." She then looked down at Spike before pointing a hoof at him "Oh, and he's a dragon."
"I see." The female said as she lowered her blade. "If anything, they're some kind of anomaly that even I'm unaware of."
"I'm just as surprised as you two are." The shorter male said as he examined the group before his eyes fell on the injured human, to which he perked up "Oh, right! We have to help her." The shorter male made his way over and knelt beside the downed human, holding his hands out on her body. His hands then began to glow as some of the injuries seen began to disappear, intriguing the ponies and dragon as they watched.
Afterwards, there was a tired moan before the human began to pick herself up, revealing that her face was covered with a mask and goggles along with her hood. She held her arm as she looked over at the three humans.
"Thanks." She said, sounding as if she woke up. "A little longer and I would've been dinner. You guys look like you know how to fight. Just don't let your guard down like I-huh!?" The female noticed the other ponies and dragon and jumped back "There's more!"
"There's no need to worry." The blonde female reassured. "We can conclude that they mean no harm, especially since they're capable of speech. It's best that you hurry to the seahaven so you can recuperate before your next journey."
"Hm..." The hooded human stared at the odd group for a moment, noticing how any of them didn't make any attempt at a preemptive strike. "Well, you don't have to tell me twice. Today's just not my day." She said as she decidedly headed off into the wilderness. After she was gone, the blonde focused back on the others.
"Now...We know that you're not monsters, can speak like other humans, and yet you just don't fit in this world. What exactly are you? Spirits?" The blonde asked, to which Twilight stepped forward and donned a friendly smile.
"Not exactly. We're just ponies and nothing more." Twilight placed a hoof on her chest "We would like to thank you for stepping in and saving that other human. My name is Twilight Sparkle." She then pointed a hoof at the others. "These are my friends Spike, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy."
"Wow, what a colorful assortment of names." The tall human said in amusement as he crossed his arms. "You're definitely not from around here, are you?"
"No, we aren't." Twilight said as she shook her head. "In fact, we hail from a different world, tasked to help this world with stopping something called the Lance of Kresnik. Do you know about it at all?" She asked.
"Wait a minute, how do you know about the Lance of Kresnik?" The blonde said in surprise. "Of what world do you all hail from?"
"We're all from a land known as Equestria, where we thrive with magic, friendship, and harmony." Twilight explained.
"That sounds like quite the place." The short male said in intrigue, with a friendly smile. He then knelt down in front of Twilight and held out a hand "My name's Jude. Jude Mathis." Looking at the hand briefly, Twilight smiled before she met it with a hoof.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jude." Twilight said warmly.
"Well, I should introduce myself, too." The tall male said before he held up a hand with his middle and index finger pointed up "Name's Alvin. Nice to meet ya."
"And I am Milla Maxwell, otherwise known as the Lord of Spirits." Milla said as she placed her left hand on her hip. "This Equestria you speak of sounds very different to the world of humans. Are all ponies civilized individuals that live in peace?"
"Well, our world isn't entirely made up of ponies, but it is rather peaceful most of the time, without the occasional problems that usually rise." Twilight then paused before her eyes lit up. "Maybe we can use this as an opportunity to swap knowledge of our respective worlds!"
"Hey, you're right." Jude chimed in with nearly as much enthusiasm as Twilight. "If we manage to learn more about each other and build off of that knowledge, perhaps there can be a way to make Reize Maxia a better place."
"Oh boy, looks like our little honor student found a kindred spirit." Alvin chuckled. Pinkie Pie tilted her head at the tall human.
"Umm, I don't know if you heard us, but we're not spirits. We're ponies." She then pointed at Spike "And one dragon." Alvin stared blankly at Pinkie's response.
"Well, while we're aware that we share the same goal, perhaps we can vacate to a more safer area?" Rarity voiced herself, looking around at the vast landscape. "It's nice to know that we've possibly developed a friendship, but I'd like to converse in a place where I know we won't be ambushed by monsters again."
"Me, too..." Fluttershy said as she shifted her eyes around at the many monsters that were seen in the area.
"An excellent point." Milla said with a nod. "We'll talk more at Aladhi Seahaven." She then rubbed her chin as she stared at Twilight and her friends. "Although, you'll undoubtedly attract unwanted attention."
"Not a problem." Twilight said to Milla. "I just so happen to know a spell for such an occasion, but I'll need a volunteer." She then looked up at Milla. "You'll make for a good base for my spell, since you're the only female human around here."
"Human?" Milla parroted in bemusement. "Clearly, you're mistaken. I may appear human, but I've already made it clear that I am Maxwell, Lord of Spirits."
"Oh, so you're basically assuming the form of one?" Twilight said as she examined her body. "Fascinating...Although, now I wonder if my spell will even work."
"I was unaware that you ponies are even capable of magic. Are all ponies born with a mana lobe like other humans?" Milla asked inquisitively.
"Erm, I'm not familiar with that term, but we are born with magic, if that's what you're saying." Her horn glowed. "Unicorns and alicorns channel it through their horn. We can talk more when we reach this Seahaven you speak of, but I'm gonna need either Jude or Alvin's help with this."
"I'll gladly volunteer." Jude said as he stood up. "Will I need to focus my mana in conjunction with yours?"
"Not at all. Just stay still and let me take care of my spell. Spike, girls, gather around!" She called to her friends as they complied to her request. Twilight then focused her magic until a bright light covered her and her friends. It then subsided to reveal that humans now stood in place of the previous group. Each of them had similar hairstyles in their previous forms, and they had peach colored skin much like the humans they had met, wearing bikinis that matched their former coats, with the exception of Spike wearing purple shorts.
"Gah!" Jude said before quickly covering his eyes. "I didn't think that would have been the result!"
"What would?" Twilight asked innocently before inspecting her new body and purple bikini, yelping before she covered her chest and waist with her arms. Rarity instantly followed suit out of instinct.
"This is weird..." Applejack said as she inspected her body.
"Yeah, I'm with you on that." Rainbow Dash as she examined her arms and legs.
"Oh my..." Was all Fluttershy could say as she tried wrapping her head around her transformation. This was entirely different from when she was transformed into a breezie.
"Wow. So this is what being a human feels like?" Pinkie asked before she hopped up and down, giggling as she bounced. "This is fun!"
"I'll say." Spike said as he inspected his features. He had green and spikey hair, and came up to Jude in height. "Definitely beats being a dog, that's for sure."
"Come again?" Alvin asked, befuddled by Spike's words.
"I'd rather not talk about it." Spike instantly responded. He then noticed how Twilight suddenly fell to her knees, eliciting shock from him and the other former ponies as they surrounded her with concern.
"It's-...It's alright." Twilight reassured her friends as she took deep breaths. "The spell just took a lot out of me is all."
"Well, it won't do to linger out here like this, especially since you've used up so much of your mana. Let's make for Aladhi Seahaven and talk there." Milla said as she took point and began to walk away, with Jude and Alvin following her.
After Spike helped Twilight up, the group began to follow Milla back to their desired destination, only to have Twilight's friends lag behind with haphazard movement. The former alicorn only giggled at the sight.
"You'll get used to it." She said as they followed their new friends towards civilization.
The walk towards their destination was certainly awkward for both parties involved. Luckily, their new allies promised that they will get them clothing. That eased the worries of Rarity and Twilight a little bit, the rest were a bit confused by their reactions. This made sense as Rarity was the only one that was interested in why human wear clothes.
It didn't help matters that Applejack and the others were still struggling with their new forms. Twilight used this opportunity to teach her friends how to walk, which took a lot of tries until they were able to do it properly. The only exception to the rule was Pinkie Pie, who was bouncing as they traveled.
Twilght and Rarity had to talk her out of doing that for obvious reasons
After a while, they finally reached the gate that led towards the Aladhi Seahaven. Milla and her companions entered the seahaven, leaving Twilight and her friends behind. Rainbow rested her back against the wall with an annoyed look on her face. Twilight would of guessed it had to do with her missing wings. Good thing that she explained on the way that her having wings would be another thing that would bring unwanted attention.
"I do hope they don't take long." Rarity said disgusted, still trying to cover herself. "I don't want to stand around here without something to wear. That's so indecent!"
"Rarity, what's the big deal?" Rainbow answered crossing her arms."I mean we hardly wear anything as ponies and that human wasn't wearing much."
Twilight stepped into the discussion before it got out of hand, "Rainbow, the humans in the other world also had clothes, remember? I don't want to go into full detail, so I'll just say it's for modestly reasons and leave it at that, okay?"
"Hey, Twilight, what do you think of all this?" Spike asked changing the subject.
"It's great to hear that we're not the only ones trying to stop that weapon. With that in mind, I think the best course of action is to ask them what they know about it." Twilight explained seriously. "I still am interested in knowing what this world has to offer."
"So, that's the plan, huh?" Rainbow stated. "I want to learn those sweet moves those guys dished out back there."
"I don't trust that fellow with them weapons." Applejack stated fixing her hat.
"You mean Alvin?"
This startled the girls and turned to see Milla ending there, Twilight was the first to reply, "Sorry about that! You just scared us..."
"I see," Milla said holding up bags of clothes. "Jude and Alvin are waiting for us at the inn. Get dressed and meet me inside." The seven friends nodded in agreement as they grabbed their clothes.
.................................,
Jude Mathis sat across from Alvin at a table, waiting for Milla to return with the others. No one knew what to make of this new development and the ponies' knowledge of the weapon really complicated matters. He agreed with Milla that many questions needed to be address once they had clothes to wear and have a place to sleep in. That being said, he had to deal with some teasing from Alivn.
"We're back." Milla announced entering the inn with the rest now dressed.
Twilight was wearing a purple sweater and a skirt covering her knees. Applejack had on a orange vest and some cargo pants with her trademark hat resting on her head. Rainbow Dash's outfit was white midriff and a blue short jacket, complete with matching blue shorts. Rarity's white lolita dress helped show off her beauty. Fluttershy's was a yellow hoodie and pink shorts. Spike's was a simple robe and pants. And finally, Pinkie's was a frilly pink dress with a short skirt.
"Sorry for taking so long." Twilight said, sitting down in one of the seats. "They are still not used to walking on two legs yet." she looked at Pinkie, who still hasn't stopped bouncing. "Well, most of us."
"Anyways, I know you have questions and we're be happy to answer them. We also have some questions, as you all seem to know about the weapon that we are looking for." she added."I guess I should start with what you know?"
Milla nodded and sat in the seat besides Jude before sharing her story about her journey to a place called Rashugal, investigating a recent wave of spirit deaths that were happening there. The girls listened until she finished her tale with where they met them and why they there. The girls were instantly shocked after hearing about the involvement of the king of Rashugal and what happened at the laboratory.
"Why... would he do that to his own people?" Fluttershy asked, terrified.
Twilight sat idly by, not saying a word until Rainbow snarled, "That creep! How dare he treat his people like that!!"
"Rainbow, your causing a scene." Rarity scolded until she noticed that the only ones besides them was the innkeeper.
"No, Rainbow... is right." Twilight protested, leading the others to look her way in shock. "Someone like him doesn't deserve the title of king..."
"Indeed," Milla agreed. "Which is why tomorrow we're be heading out towards Nia-Kheria in order to free the Four Great to stop the Lance of Kresnik from being used." She then put a finger on her chin in thought. "Hmmm... that brings up the question of how you know of it's existence."
"Right," Twilight nodded in understanding. "Princess Luna and Celestia were the ones that told us that it was shown to them as a vision. They have reason to believe that the weapon might be used on our world otherwise they wouldn't of have the vision. They were the ones that tasked us with this mission in fact."
Alvin gave a low whistle and remarked. "Talk about friends in high places."
"Twilight is the Princess of Friendship after all." Spike announced surprising Jude and the others.
"You are?"
"Yes, it's true." Twilight confirmed, blushing. "I was a unicorn before my transformation into an alicorn, and I became a princess on the day of my coronation. This is why I left out that we were at my castle. I wanted you to treat me as a normal person and not as a princess."
"I see." Milla remarked, deep in thought. "What you said about Lance of Kresnik is troubling. If the king of Rashugal is indeed planning to use it upon your world then that is more reason to stop it."
"Which is why we are coming with you!" Rainbow interjected with a hint of pride. "I'll have you know that your looking at someone that kicked but during the Changeling invasion!"
"You do know we were doing the same thing, right?" Twilight sighed.
"Changeling invasion?" Milla questioned. "What are Changelings?
"It's a long story. I'll explain later." Twilght answered, not wanting to recall the event at the moment. " Nia-Khera. Is that your hometown, Milla?"
"Yes, you can say that." Milla responded. "More accurately, it's where my shrine is located."
"Shrine? Oh, right, you did say you were the Lord of Spirits, didn't you?" Twilight asked, earning a nod from the woman. "Wow, there's so much I want to learn. Do you have books in Nia-Khera? Even ones about magic? There were no library that I saw when we enter here you see."
"You mostly find libraries in big cities." Jude Informed. "Small towns and villages have book stores that you can go too to buy books."
The gang talked until it was time for everyone to go to bed in order to leave in the morning. It was decided by Twilight that they can share knowledge about their world as they traveled. Alvin enjoyed teasing Jude about it before the group retired for the night.
......
Morning came for everyone staying at the Aladhi Inn as Twilight was the first to wake up. Waking up the others, they walked into the inn's main room and were greeted by Milla. She sat at the table and waved them over once she noticed them. The group sat with her and started to eat the food that Applejack and Pinkie Pie brought with them. One of them caught Milla's eye.
"What is this food?" Milla asked holding one of the cupcakes that was on the table.
"You never heard of a cupcake before!?" Pinkie gasped. "Try it! It's the best!"
Milla blinked at the pink haired one and looked at the cupcake in her hand. She looked at the others who nodded their approval of tasting the treat, She was impressed at how good it was once she took a bite of it.
"Wow, you girls sure have a sweet tooth, don't ya?" Alvin teased walking up to them with Jude following behind. "Don't tell me you girls wasted money on all this?"
"Of course not, silly!" Pinkie giggled handing him a cupcake. "I made them myself!"
"Really now?" Alvin said, impressed that a creature without hands was able to make something like this.
Jude was the next to be given a cupcake, "I'm sorry, I'm sure it's good, but it's not something you start eating during breakfast."
Pinkie just smiled at him, "That's okay!"
"You said that we'll be passing Hamil on our way to your hometown?" Twilight asked Milla.
"That's right, we're be setting out once we finish our meals." Milla informed.
The group nodded and soon after, Milla and her group ordered their food.
The group, after finishing their meals, exited the inn, and by extension, the seahaven as they journeyed to Hamil. After adjusting to their new forms, attire, and the world they're in, the ponies and dragon took in the vast landscape with more appreciation than before with the exception of Applejack.
Several beasts were littered across the wilderness, walking about in a seemingly docile fashion so long as the group kept their distance. Fluttershy would have been more enamored by the sight, if not for the fact that the monsters were hostile.
"So, going by your friend Rainbow Dash," Milla broke the silence as they continued along their own trail. "All of you are capable of combat, yes? What weapons are you most proficient with?"
Fluttershy squealed instantly at the question.
"Wh-What?" Twilight asked, caught off-guard by Milla's question. "Well, yes, my friends and I have fought before, but not exactly with weapons. We much prefered our own magic and hooves." She stared at her peach colored hand before chuckling sheepishly. "That is, when we were ponies."
"Twilight has your answer." Rarity said before flipping her hair with a hand. "Besides, I don't really see myself weilding some sword like some battle-hungry maniac." She looked over at Alvin. "No offense, darling."
"None taken." Alvin said as he briefly pulled out his weapons. "After all, I've got more style than your average brigand."
"I have a weapon!" Pinkie voiced herself cheerfully before pulling out her party cannon, shocking her friends. "This baby's stuck with me for the longest time!"
"Interesting. I've never taken you for a cannoneer." Milla said as she inspected the fun-sized cannon."
"Wait a minute," Rainbow Dash said incredulously. "You had your party cannon with you the whole time!? How's that possible when we don't even have our own supplies?"
"Hey, that's right." Applejack piped up. "Just how in the hay can Pinkie Pie still have her items when we lost ours after transforming?" Twilight paused before the realization dawned on herself.
"Oh no, Rainbow Dash is right!" Twilight said anxiously. She and her friends did feel lighter on their feet after performing her transformation spell.
"You didn't lose them, silly. I got our saddlebags right here!" Pinkie chirped she held two saddlebags in arms, further shocking her friends.
"Huh. I suppose Pinkie's got a solid inventory going for her. You folks came prepared." Jude said nonchalantly.
"Seriously? None of you are the least bit surprised by this?" Rainbow Dash said to Jude, Milla, and Alvin.
"Well, it doesn't seem out of the ordinary that you would have your own plethora of items at the ready for your quest. Perhaps Twilight's spell helped to adapt to our world's rules."
"Yeah, we sort of got an inventory of our own." Alvin said as his arms rested behind his back. He smiled at Pinkie. "Nice cannon, by the way."
"Thanks. I made it myself." Pinkie replied brightly.
"Well, perhaps Pinkie can lend us her assistance before we accumulate enough gald to purchase weapons for the rest of you." Milla proposed as she crossed her arms.
"Even me?" Spike asked hopefully. Milla looked down at the dragon-turned-human.
"I don't see why not. You seem capable for being a young human." The lord of spirits watched Spike grin from the compliment.
"Spike, I don't think it's right for you to risk your life so easily despite us all going on this quest." Twilight interjected, looking down at him with mild sternness. "You're better off leaving the fighting to us." Spike puffed his cheeks.
"There you go again, treating me like a child. I helped you before in a different world, you know. And besides, what if this world had young people who can fight so well?" Spike asked.
"You know, Spike," Jude voiced himself, grabbing Spike and Twilight's attention. "Fighting in this world isn't as glamorous as it sounds. Not even I enjoy harming people myself. Besides, judging by Twilight's concern, you're obviously important to her. Wouldn't it be better to spare her the worry and stay safe for her sake?" Spike stared at Jude before looking away and huffing.
"Fine. Everyone else would've probably said the same thing, anyways..." He muttered bitterly.
"They wouldn't be wrong, little man." Alvin said. "Besides, it's better to live to see another day, right? The rest of your friends are as toothless as you right now."
"An' just who're ya callin' toothless, buster?" Applejack shot a glare at Alvin, who simply looked away with a playful smirk.
"No one in particular." He said tersely.
"I believe we've reached an agreement about our formation earlier." Milla said finally before looking at her new companions. "We can properly size up your combat experience when we reach Hamil, but until then, we have to get moving."
"Of course." Twilight nodded before looking at Pinkie. "Pinkie Pie, place our supplies...wherever you got them from and we'll be on our way."
"Okie dokie loki!" Pinkie said before easily stashing her items behind her, her cannons and saddlebags moving out of view entirely.
"I'm used to things coming out of your mane and junk, but I'll never get used to that." Rainbow Dash said before the group resumed their journey.
The sun hung over the sky as the group reached what appeared to be a rural town with buildings resting on varying elevations of land. Fluttershy looked around with a small smile.
"So this is Hamil? It seems like a rather peaceful town." She said warmly.
"I know. And would you look at all this fruit?" Pinkie said impressively. "I could make so many parfaits with that!" Applejack sniffed at the air for a moment before smiling to herself.
"Feels like home, alright. Ah'm pickin' up some cider 'round these parts. These folk must run their own orchards."
"Quite the keen nose. I catch it, too." Alvin said while smirking.
"Well, well, well!"
The group noticed an elderly woman dressed up in a unique burgundy coat with white fur on her sleeves and collar. White fur was also seen on the end of her black trousers. Her eyes were closed as she approached them.
"We don't get many visitors around here, especially with your numbers!" The lady said as she stopped in front of the group.
"Do you live here, ma'am?" Jude asked politely.
"I would hope so. I'm the mayor!" The lady said proudly.
"You're the mayor? Neat!" Pinkie grinned. "This place is already reminding me of Pony-" Her mouth was instantly clamped shut by Rainbow Dash as her muffled voice stopped after a second.
"Pony? Well, if you're referring to those Fleet Mares on the trails between this town, I wouldn't put it past you to think of them." The mayor chuckled heartily. "So, what brings you all out here?"
"We seek passage to a certain destination. Is this the right road to Nia Khera?" Milla asked.
"Nia Khera? Now that's a name I haven't heard in ages." The mayor said with an air of mild nostalgia.
"What do you mean?" Alvin asked curiously.
"It's what people call a long-forgotten village. I don't even know if it still exists." The mayor responded.
"I beg your pardon?" Rarity said in surprise "I was under the impression that this Nia Khera was more of a well-known location in this world."
"Well, your journey hasn't been for naught, young lady." The mayor said with a smile. "I heard tales of the village as a child. People claimed that it lies beyond the Kijara Seafalls."
"Does this mean we're gonna be swimming?" Spike asked his friends. "What'll we do with our clothes if we do?"
"Where can we find it?" Jude asked.
"You'll have to cross some seriously rugged terrain to get there. It won't be an easy journey." The mayor warned with a serious expression.
"In that case, we should probably rest here before heading on." Alvin proposed.
"Agreed." Jude chimed in.
"I'm afraid our village doesn't have an inn." The mayor said with a penitent frown. "Not much call for one."
"That's okay." Pinkie replied before pulling out her own saddlebag "We got tents, so we'll camp out here for the night."
"I see. Well, enjoy your stay." The mayor said before heading back to her own home.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but honestly, continuing on doesn't sound all that bad." Rainbow Dash said with her arms crossed. "I mean, we've made it here from the Aladhi Seahaven without any scratches. Also, we're pressed for time, aren't we? Why don't we just keep going so we won't have to waste too much time sitting?"
"I won't deny that every second counts for our mission, but there's still the matter of you folks getting into fighting shape for the journey ahead. Conflict is unavoidable in this world." Milla stated matter-of-factly.
"Ain't that the truth." Applejack said as she crossed her arms and shook her head. "So what do ya suppose we do about our own means o' self defense? Unless we can get by in our own bodies without weapons, we'd be easy pickin' for our enemies."
"Well, considering that Twilight has demonstrated magic, it's probably best to see if each of you carries your own set of spells and skills." Milla responded.
"Hang on a second." Alvin interrupted. "I understand you possess magic and junk, but do you even have their own Lilium Orbs?" Alvin asked. "Can't exactly fight monsters without them."
"Oh yeah, I completely forgot about that." Jude said as he pulled out a white oval shaped orb. "I don't know if you'll ever get far enough without the use of a Lilium Orb."
"Hey, we don't need no fancy orb to know we can kick some butt after a little practice." Rainbow Dash said as she slammed a fist into her left hand. "Just a little training and we'll be ready to go in no time."
"Ah'm with Rainbow." Applejack nodded. "We did hold our own before y'all came along an' saved our hides from them monsters when we arrived."
"I'm surprised you even showed up when we were doing a job." Alvin said as he shook his head with a smile. "Life really is funny at times, isn't it?"
"Well if it wasn't, no one would be laughing!" Pinkie said proudly with a giggle to emphasize her point.
"Maybe you can teach us some spells?" Twilight said with an eager smile. "I'd love to know the spells that humans know in this realm." Milla hummed as she rubbed her chin.
"Well, I'm personally not one for teaching humans about magic, but we've not much else to do at the time. Not to mention, we have the entire day to practice if it means getting you all properly fit for future battles."
"Oh dear. Can I sit this one out, please?" Fluttershy said as she looked away and fidgeted her hands "I'm not one for fighting."
"Trust me, I don't blame you on your feelings about this." Jude said to Fluttershy in comfort before he inspected his own gauntlet. "I, myself, want to help people, not hurt them. It just pains me to have to raise my fists on so many occasions, even if it means having to fight for my own life."
"Well, duh, that's the idea. You can't be pushed around your whole life, or even give up on it." Rainbow Dash said before looking at Jude. "Actually, maybe you can help me, since you're not as much of an egghead as Twilight."
"Hey!"
"I'd be happy to, but how can I help you?" Jude asked.
"You got some smooth moves, and I'm a black belt in karate back home. Maybe you can show me some of your moves." Rainbow Dash said as she grinned "You'd be doing me a huge favor. You're totally awesome in battle!" Jude blushed lightly at the compliment.
"Thanks. It's something I picked up as a child." Jude said nervously.
"Think ya can give me some lessons, too, sugarcube?" Applejack asked Jude "Ah'm tryin' to get used t' this body, and ya know yer way around it."
"Now our honor student's becoming a grandmaster. I'm really impressed, Jude." Alvin said with a smirk.
"Perhaps I should learn magic alongside Twilight, provided I wouldn't have to take any physical measures." Rarity said as she looked down at her dress "I wouldn't want to get this beautiful ensemble ruined on the field of battle."
"Then it's settled." Milla nodded in approval. "I'll take Twilight and Rarity under my wing while Jude will teach Rainbow Dash and Applejack martial arts."
"What about me?" Pinkie said before bouncing up and down. "I wanna learn stuff, too!"
"Something tells me you're fine, sister." Alvin said while scratching his head. He somehow felt that there was more hidden potential beneath Pinkie Pie than what was shown in her cheerful demeanor.
"Very well. Then perhaps we should go into the Aladhi Trail so that we'll have an appropriate expanse to practice on." Milla said to the group.
"You mean you're going back to kill those monsters?" Fluttershy asked. "But wouldn't that be wrong to just intrude on their home and just..." She gulped. "...murder them?"
"We've no other option." Milla said firmly. "Some day on our journey, we will possibly be ambushed again by either humans or monsters, and you'll have no choice but to take a life in order to spare your own." Jude looked at Milla before hanging his head down, a depressed look on his face. Fluttershy whimpered before she hung her own head as well. It wasn't long until the rest of her friends followed suit.
"I suppose I've never thought about it that way, now that Fluttershy put it to perspective." Twilight said, pausing before she took a deep breath. "But, if it means we stop the Lance of Kresnik, then we really do have no other choice."
"That's the spirit, Twi! We'll learn some skills and take down that crummy lance no problem!"
"Be warned that destroying the Lance of Kresnik is no simple task." Milla chided Rainbow Dash.
"Maybe Fluttershy and I can go take a look around town while the rest of you are busy with your workout." Spike said as he stood by a sullen Fluttershy.
"Smart move. At least you'll find a way to occupy yourselves while we're gone." Alvin said with a respectful nod.
"Alright then. Let's go to the Aladhi Trail and get on with your training. I expect big things from all of you, since you're from an entirely different world." Milla said as she led the group back out of Hamil's entrance and back into the wilderness.
"I hope they'll be okay..." Fluttershy uttered as she looked out at her friends gaining distance from herself.
"Hey, this is our friends we're talking about, remember? I'm sure they're in good hands." Spike then looked at his body and grinned. "Speaking of hands, I gotta get used to this new body. Let's go!" Spike said as he grabbed one of Fluttershy's hands and led her further into town.
