> Gunpowder and Magic
>  by paintballfox
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1 Gates
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Escaping reality… let’s face it, folks, we all do this in one way or another.  If it’s not video games, it’s books; if not that, then you are staring at a T.V. But, in the end, each person in their life feels the need to get out of the rut that is the human life now and again. This was my simple thought as I was just sitting behind my computer. Not playing any games, not watching any shows through the net, just staring at a fan fiction web page.


“Is it to fill a hole? Or maybe just feel important?” I mumbled to myself.


Leaning back in my chair, I glanced over at the second monitor and looked over the windows.   Weather?  Not much for the next day. Skype? Well, some folks are on, but let’s face it. Who would I feel okay to bother out of the blue? Shaking my head I just sigh, combing my fingers through short red hair.


This was just another day to me, but in a way it was what I always wanted.  Just moved out of my parents place into a condo. My job was steady and hell, I actually had an opportunity to finally work at the skill I had studied in college.  This was the start of the dream for most single guys, right?


Then why do I feel restrained and empty? Something binding me to… nothing?


Stretching a bit, my chair rolled back and another sigh filled the room. My cursed gift was thinking and it was running away from my control again, and not in a particularly good direction. 


“No!! It’s all in my-” Stopping abruptly, I looked over to the door of the small computer room and spotted a faint light flickering from down the hall. “…hmm? What’s this now?”


Tilting my head, I slowly got up and heard cracking, like glass straining and about to give way. 


“Umm… hello?”


I got up and poked my head out the door to look down the hall. I could see light emanating from the dining room. Reaching back for something to defend myself with, I grabbed a replica sword and slowly pulled it out of the sheath, keeping a grip on the hard cover in my offhand without even realizing it. Being part of three fandoms had its upsides (like how anime fans loved to have replica swords around the house).  This one was the reverse blade from Rurouni Kenshin.  Sure it was a replica and would maybe snap on the first strike, but man. What a first hit it would be!


Slowly slipping out of the room, my eyes spot what looks like a flashlight’s beam sweep across the floor and my breath caught in my lungs. My palms were sweating from the shock of another person in my home. Thoughtlessly, I set the sheath against the wall so I could put both hands on the handle of the sword.  In the dark I could not see the sheath slowly sliding down the somewhat smooth orange peel wall from where I left it.


Suddenly, it clattered loudly to the hardwood floor. 


“Ggaaaa!”


Looking behind me to see the sheath on the ground, I gripped the sword, adrenalin racing through me. I grit my teeth in irritation but realized that something was a bit odd. The light was gone but there was no sound, no clatter of feet running out the front door or window… just dark and silence.


Fearing the intruder had merely turned off the light, my adrenalin-fueled hands grip the handle of the sword hard, making the bindings and wood creak slightly. Jumping around the corner and taking a preemptive slash in the dark, my battle cry clapped loudly like thunder, then faded as I looked around the dim dining room. 


“Ok, so, note to self: I am, in fact, going crazy.” I whisper in a mockingly cheerful way.


After flicking the lights on and taking yet another look around the room, I couldn’t help but think to myself- Shutters are closed; door is still shut and locked; from what I can see, nothing out of place or missing.


I relaxed a little and looked around. All I could see was a paper on the floor.  Stepping forward and leaning over, I picked it up and looked at it tiredly. 


“Go home, paper, you are drunk. Though,” I added, frowning at the bill, “I suppose I should still pay you.”


It had been sitting on the large table in the dining room.  Setting it back on the table and spinning around, I walked back to my computer in the next room over. I picked up the sword’s sheath on my way and slipped the sword in before resting it back on its stand.  Taking a seat back in front of the computer, I closed the fan fiction site that was on and glanced at the second monitor. No change. 


“Well, now I have a reason to getting that shotgun I’ve had my eye on.”


After rubbing my face tiredly, I started shutting down to make my way to bed. A shower and a change into some sleeping shorts was all that was needed. With nothing more than brushing his teeth the man flops onto his bed and sighs yet again.


“Why must it be only Monday?!” 



-Four days later-







“That’s it? That’s was all the week had to offer?” Setting a bag of things from work down on the table, I walked into the kitchen. I continued in a mocking voice, talking to myself. “That’s the end of the fiscal year, everyone, thanks for all the hard work! Now sit around for a week and do nothing as the work orders of the New Year get worked on by the higher ups. But remember we will be mad if you look like you are not working on the nonexistent orders.” 


With a grumble I pulled open the fridge and grabbed some leftovers from the night before. 


“It’s not like I love to get paid to sit around in a clean room and twiddle my thumbs as I stare at the clock for ten bloody hours! Gods, it’s like they want to make us cringe.” Pulling the top off the container and sliding it into the microwave was almost an automatic motion for me.


Bachelor life at its finest, folks! Nuking the cold food and pouring a glass of sweet tea was all just another broken-record-like action to me. Day in. Day out. Nothing out of the ordinary, though. Finishing the meal, I soon found myself on the computer yet again, clicking bookmarks at a fast pace to check the sites that keep me in the loop to the current events of my fandoms.


Attack on Titan update? Knew about it. 


New art on Deviant Art? Always! 


Another story featured in EQD? 


…
… …
… … …


Why, don’t mind if I do! I thought with a slight smile. That’s right folks, I’m a Brony! Successfully out of the parent’s house with a nice, cool job at a company that made parts for space craft. And I was a fan of a little girls’ show. Does that paint a nice stereotype for ya? 


After clicking the link I glanced over the synopsis and smiled. Yet another OC falling in love with one of the princesses of Equestria, facing turmoil and hardship along the way. Played out to a degree but this was one human who just could not care about such things. Reading, among other things, was fun and I enjoyed the work put into the story to try and convey feelings to the reader.  Seeing as it was once again the start of the weekend, this marked the start of yet another reading binge.  


Three chapters in and there I was, holding back some tears. It was a good one if it was able to elicit such an extreme reaction from me.  Nothing overdramatic, just a few solemn tears slipping down my shaved face and dripping off my chin. I sometimes hated myself for letting stories get to me like that, but, at the same time, I myself more for how I would constantly read things like it.


Reading on, I was overall feeling better than the last time a story did this to me, kind of like it was reliving a long overdue pressure. That or I’m just slowly getting used to it.  That was, until I heard something that made my soul try to run right out my mouth. 


Glass. Well, to be more precise, it was that same sound as before, glass straining just before it would break. A quiet, crunching, grinding sound that pierced the quiet condo I considered home. Which reminded me of that plan I had made involving a shotgun. Particularly a one KSG. It had a unique configuration that made the overall length of the gun just a little over two feet long. That and the two feed tubes gave it some fourteen shells.


Well, fifteen if you cheat one into the chamber. This was it. Time to see if this makeshift plan and a single day at the range will work. I quickly wiped the few tears from my face and turned to look back out the door. Much to my dismay, it was, in fact, back; a soft light flickering from down the hallway in the dining room.


Slowly reaching for the short home-defense shotgun, small shivers run down my spine as my fingers make contact with its cold steel. Taking a moment to loop the neck strap around my neck and under my right shoulder, I then clipped it to the firearm. I pushed away from my computer and slowly roll back my chair across the floor mat to grab one of two boxes of shells behind me, all while trying to steady my breathing and calm down a bit.


Yeeeeah, that’s just not working at all.


After loading seven slugs into one feed tube, the other with buckshot, I finished off with one more into the chamber. Quietly pulling myself from my rolling chair, I grit my teeth and made my way to the light dancing in the dining room. With my back to the wall, I slid along it like some kind of bad ninja, I flipped up the front and rear sights on the weapon’s top rail and braced the butt of the gun to my shoulder. A moment to catch my breath and be sure of what I was about to do. That was all that I needed to remember the day at the shooting range and that small amount of work was making a difference. Breathing slowed down but heart rate did not. But it at least stopped pounding in my ears.


“Don’t short stroke, that kinda jam will get ya.” I whispered almost silently, slowly. “Keep your finger off the trigger. Stand fast… gods, I hope I’m not screwed.”


Slowly inhaling, the pump gets slammed forward making that well-known ‘shotgun-being-racked’ sound. 


“STAND DOWN!” was the only thing I thought to shout in a low stern voice, bringing the firearm to ready and pointing it at the light source.  My eyes widened and pupils shrank as I stared at the… target?


No man stood in front of me, or even a being or animal that I knew of, but instead was what looked like a hole in the air.  A shimmering pool that looked like something made of mercury floating vertically in the air with faint cracks above and below it. Lowering the firearm, tilting my head, and examining the anomaly in the dining room, I felt a slight breeze pulling me toward the hole. It was all the sign I needed to keep back about ten feet as I walked around it.


“My gods above, it’s flat from the side!” My voice shook but I continued to circle it. “I have to be asleep on my keyboard right now. There is just no way in hell this is happening. It’s just too bloody cliché.” 


Looking around, up, and down, I could not help but glare all around. 


“I swear if this is some bad fan fiction I’m going to walk right now!”


Here was this small floating thing breaking a hole in both my mind and in reality, about the size of a medium painting just hovering over my dining room table. After a moment, I could not help but point accusingly to the bill that was still sitting on the table.


“I blame you. Gods, if I have a heart attack I’m going to sue… someone… maybe.”


Okay, now that that was out of the way, I had to stand back and think about what was next. Do I leave this thing alone or do I poke it? Standing there and staring at it, something disturbed the mirror-like thing and changed its look. I could see a blurry image through the light. Maybe that’s what it is? A portal maybe? But if so, what is it connecting to? Or rather, where?


Inching closer, eyes squinting, I started to see more and more. But the cracks started to shift. Towards me.  “Okay, that’s not- What the-!!” 


One of the cracks splintered forward right toward my chest and the only thing my body could do as I was leaning toward the portal was lift up the gun in my hand to block the stray fissure. Hitting the gun a moment latter I watched as the crack in reality seamed to grab the firearm and start to tug. Quick and sudden with the same motion as a crack would spread through ceramic…but in reverse.


“nope! Nope, Nope, NOPE!!! Time to let go now!” 


Fumbling around to disconnect the strap from the gun the crack pulled harder and more of its ilk arced towards me as I got closer. No other gaps hit me but instead just started to surround. Eyes starting to dart back and forth as the barrel of the weapon starts to slip into the shimmering pool.  Giving up on the strap and instead trying to slip it off was the next thing to do. The KSG was now almost completely engulfed and chances of getting away dwindled. A moment later and another tug from the rift and a shoulder was the first to come into contact with the rippling rift.


“WOO~ nelly! That’s cold! That’s ice cold!” Reaching around with my free hand yielded nothing as I was pulled into the widening hole. “Well, I guess that’s it, then.” Realizing it was pointless, I just waited for the darn thing to do its bloody job. To be honest, I could feel the gun on the other side with my swallowed arm so that was kind of reassuring, in a way.


I started to chuckle “Well, maybe all those folks that we all call crazy were right all along. Guess I’m certifiably crazy… or am I? Can’t be crazy if I just up and disappear and can’t say a thing to folks, right?”


With a sigh and yet another tug from the portal, I was becoming increasingly irritated at how long this was taking.


“Okay, I’m sick of freezing! Just get this over with!”


Planting my feet right on the table, I pushed as hard as I could to propel me into the rift in the hopes of hurrying things along. Surprisingly, it was not all too different than jumping into a pool… An ICE. COLD. POOL.


It’s a strange thing, getting pulled out of one’s dimension and forced (I use the term lightly as I’m impatient) into another. At least, I think that’s what happened. The doorway looked flat but it was, in fact, about ten to thirteen feet long. On top of that, it was reminiscent of a waterslide at a waterpark or something like that. It was clear, though I couldn’t tell what I was looking at. How would one explain the view as you pass out of your home and in-between that of (as far as I knew) other worlds? It just can’t be done. Well, obviously it can.


You could say I saw lots of light and spots of dark. But, come on folks, that’s bland. What could be explained was what the feeling was like. As each limb made it through the rift at one end, I could feel strings wrapping around them and pulling them to the other end of the portal/wormhole/dimensional rift. Whatever.


Ever walk into a spider web? Kind of like that, but instead of being sticky, the threads seemed to wrap around more. More than just the physical form. It was as if I was being pulled from deep within.  From my very soul. Like each part of you had to be ferried across the worldly divide that separated these realms, holding life from the lifeless gaps between. (That sounds about right… right?) Well, that and the fact that I was steadily getting pulled faster. Before I knew it, I was looking at the other “gate” and bracing for impact. 


Eyes shut, I once again felt the freezing cold and gravity returning with a vengeance.  Much to my horror, I did not slow down as I had expected to. Not that I should have any expectations in an insane situation like this.


“Uh-oh. Don’t throw me off a cliff or in a lake or- OOOMPH!!!” Thankfully, I was not knocked out by that slam and slide over the ground ending in a face plant. “That… sucked…” I turned my head and spit some grass out. “Yuck.”


Becoming aware of my now-pained joins, I started to realize some things. Soft grass, cool breeze, sound of nature… bet I’m outside. Rolling to my back, I sat up to look back at the portal. I was indeed outside. I couldn’t help but chuckle.


“I should make a game out of guessing where I am if this happens again…” I mumbled, dragging a tired hand down my face before looking back at the portal. Eyes widening, I gasped as I realized: “It’s still open!”


Struggling back to my feet, (Hey, I was sore from the ride) I made a mad dash to the rift which now, on this side, looked strangely familiar? It looked more like a tear than a hole in the air. Odd. No matter! It was shrinking and I had to make it back! Taking a flying leap at it, I quickly learned, was a futile action. With a bubble-like pop it was gone and I found myself face down again.


“That’s it? Left in a bright meadow of pastel color and calm weather?” I complained into the ground challengingly. “Hell, here I thought I was going to be tossed into some ridiculous situation.” 


I need to learn to shut up. 


I heard a mechanical whirring next to me, like a computer buzzing on a hot day. Slowly pulling my sorry, grass-stained face up, I could see there was what looked like an actual large computer sitting near where the portal had been, some cables draped on the ground. Moments later I could hear something behind me moving, a gasp of surprise. Shotgun still live, it was pulled back to my cheek as I spun around only to be stunned yet again.


Oddly, I kind of hoped it was a monster to shoot, but it was something I knew all too well.


About four small horses… ponies, to be exact… were looking at me. One seemed surprised but the other three looked to be angry. Glancing back over my shoulder, I could spot a dark forest. That can’t be Everfree. Letting the gun down and looking to my right, I could see a small rustic town. I suppose that makes that Ponyville? Facing forward, I slowly pulled myself up to stand and look toward the point of the gasp.


Putting things together, I now realized must be crazy. “Well, that’s what I get for jumping into a portal in my dining room, hmm? At least I can say I’m safe… I think?”


Now before any one jumps up shouting that I could not be taking this so well, think of this: do you know of anything good coming from freaking out? Me neither. Well, that and the fact that some of them looked to be of Celestia’s Royal Guard and they were pointing their spears at me. Well, I didn’t have much room to move to start with, so standing still it was!


Realizing this could be worse, I decided to start disarming. Pulling the pump release and ejecting the chambered round into my hand and stuffing that into my back pocket I let my gun dangle and raise up my hands. And faced one pony in particular. Said pony was a unicorn and one I knew all too well.


“It’s all right, Twilight, I’m not going to do anything.” I said softly, calmly. “So, please, just tell the guards to put the spears down? I don’t want any mishaps.” 


Wide-eyed and a little fearful looking, I could not help but realize something was off.


“Y-you are Twilight Sparkle… r-right?”


My response was meeting with a confused horse whinny.


“Oh no, you have got to be kidding me!”


After a moment of thinking how to turn this around with no words I step forward and extended my hand as I slowly made a fist to try a hoof bump. Hell that’s all I got to try and show I’m friendly to beings I can’t talk to. But that may not have been the best idea as all the guard took a single step forward shoving the spears closer to my face and seaming to shout something but all I could hear was some loud horse vocalizations.


Stopping fast I slowly kneeled down and looked at twilight with a scared smile, still holding my fist to her hoping she would understand. All the Guards did was look back and forth from me to the unicorn and I could tell they were getting more and more uneasy as the seconds passed.


After some hesitant moves from Twilight, she smiled a bit and bumped my fist. This was a mistake for me and I just found out why. Soft bony hand getting smashed by a hoof is a terrible feeling! Recoiling back with a shout I grabbed my bashed hand in my free hand. All this fast movement and loud sound must have scared the guard.


I don’t care who tells you what, ponies are strong sons of bitches and, as if a strike to the back of my head was not the topping on this cake, the follow-through thrusting of my face back into the ground for a third time was the cherry on top. And that was it for me.



Join in with me now everyone: “K.O.!”

> Chapter 2 Change
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waking up with a hangover happened to me ONCE. Back in college. Never again, I told myself after what happened that night. Well, what I could remember of said night. But not this time. This time I was hoping for a hangover. As far as I could remember, it was better than what I was feeling at the moment.


At the time, it was like a headache that was aggravated by any light, sound, or heartbeat.  This was worse! Today my whole body felt like my head. Scrambled by a trip through a gateway between dimensions, the nasty fall from getting thrown into this world, and then the shaft of a spear to the back of my head.  Oh, yeah! Let’s not forget the three face-plants within three minutes. Good times. 


Curling around my shotgun was not my idea of comfort. Like picking up your cellphone before you open your eyes, I unclipped it from the strap and pushed it aside. It clattered across what sounded like wood and then fell off of it, ringing out as it hit something hard, like tile or stone. Unfortunately, this just made me curl into a tighter ball as the racket made my brain throb.


“Okay. Let’s try this again. Could be fun.” I muttered to myself, not really thinking anyone would respond. Right off the bat, I figured I was lying on what felt like wood (Let’s just go with that). I could’ve been in a house on the floor, but I heard echoing of ponies talking... well, I think they were talking.


Some big house, perhaps? Well, I can tell it’s bright, even with my eyes closed, so maybe a hospital? Nah, why a hospital for a knock out? Town hall! I think it had big, open, wood floors. Yep, I’m in Ponyville’s Town Hall.  Slowly sitting up, I could feel whatever I was on move as I shifted my body. Slowly opening my eyes and rubbing the back of my head, I realize I’m actually in a wagon. Can’t say it’s the way I wanted to wake up. Was hoping it was a dream and I would be waking up in front of my computer to some bad fanfiction. The massive throbbing on the back of my head and body would have me thinking otherwise. 


And, oh, how it got better… NOT! Looking forward, I was met with large, towering, elaborate doors flanked by ponies in guard armor beside pillars of pale marble. “Oh, for god’s sake, don’t tell me I got moved that far? Not here. Why here?”


Slowly turning around, I found multiple unicorn, earth, and pegasi pony guards along the walls, all staring at me like some kind of freak show.  All but three ponies at the end of the grand hall. Pupils shrinking and recoiling was all I could do. Seeing the alicorn sisters in person is intensely different than seeing them in a show or reading about it. Knowing their place in the world you now find yourself in was all that was needed for me to be a bit scared. For all I knew, this was going to be a trial about what to do with me and I was S.O.L.


Oh. And I’m now one for two in my game… dang it.


All the way at the other end was the pale white alicorn herself, Princess Celestia, shining with glints of gold from her crown and gilded hoof covers. To her right was the more petite but stoic mare of the night, Princess Luna, with as much regalia as her elder sister. Standing just in front of the two alicorns of royalty was the unicorn known as Twilight Sparkle…


……..hold up, unicorn?! Focusing my eyes revealed that she, in fact, only had her horn and no wings. Hmm, okay. That’s a bit odd. I would ask what the date was, but seeing as my current state rendered me essentially mute around here, it made that endeavor useless. As if on cue, the three looked to me, then back to one another, and, after a nod, they looked back to me. Taking a breath, I decide to face whatever they had planned for me.


Pulling myself up to my feet and hopping off the cart, I simply stayed next to it, not wanting to get near royalty and bothering the guard. And getting walloped by a spear again.


Stepping forward, Twilight moved toward me with her horn aglow and pointed it right at me.


“Okay, I was kidding! I’m not ready for magic!” holding my hands up and stepping back, I try keep a distance between me and the cute pony. A small flash found a beam of power lurching forward, striking my neck. Being able to dodge the quick bolt was not in the cards, so resorting to just gritting my teeth and taking the hit was all I could do.


Should not have been too surprised that nothing hurt but my vocal cords tingled as the light faded. Well, now I feel silly. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt. It was Twilight, after all. Rubbing my neck, I could see the mare opening her muzzle, making a face and gestures with her hooves as if to encourage me to talk.


“Hmm?” Tilting my head and shrugging was all I could think to do “Do you want me to just say something?” then it hit me “Oh! A translation spell! Oh man why did you not try that before back at the portal?” With a hoof to her face, Twilight just sighed as the royal sisters looked to each other with a concerned look. “What? Did I say something wrong?”


Twilight waved her hoof as if to tell me to stop and looked back to her mentor.  As the three spoke, I could hear nothing but horse sounds again. “Oh… I see. No success. Well, that would have been too simple. And a bit of a cop out, I guess.” Slumping over, I decided to simply take a seat on the cart I was hauled in on.


As the three talked to themselves, I found myself looking around the room. Admiring the stained-glass windows along the grand throne room, I could only see the one with the main six defeating Nightmare Moon. Okay, so maybe I’m still in season one? Was this world canon to the show? Thinking this over was distracting me to the point that I did not realize the lunar princess was staring me down from the end of the room and charging her horn as the other two looked on.


A faint blue haze slunk its way over toward my head and slipped in through my ear. Suddenly pulling taut like a slender string, my mind seized up like I was stumped on a test question.  Luna was trying to probe my mind. What she hoped to do, I’m still not sure but her expression was much more dramatic than my own look of utter confusion. The spell suddenly shattered and the blue alicorn was panting with a look of cold fear on her face. Taking a moment to come out of my daze, I snapped back to reality and shot a sharp glare to the three not knowing who did what but knowing something was done.


Slowly shaking my head and glaring at the three, I growled: “Whoever did that? Don’t do it again. It’s not cool to go mucking about in someone’s head and you know better!” Sadly, none of them knew a word I was saying, so, that was pointless.


Celestia and Twilight looked to Luna, as if asking if it worked, and Luna shook her head with a slightly surprised expression. After that, I had decided not to take my eyes off the three for the time being. Maybe magic isn’t working on me just for the simple matter that I’m not of this realm? Like I’m not compatible with what it was intended to work with? Will I ever talk with them or am I going to be damned to live in a land where I can’t communicate with any being verbally and slowly turn truly mute with no one to talk to? Man, I hope not, otherwise this is going to be one hell of a pain to try and find a way back home… hoping there is a way back home.


After what looked like a small argument between Luna and Celestia, a book was pulled into the room by means of a magical flash. Holding the book in her magic, Celestia flipped through looking for something, like she knew it was there but didn’t precisely know what she was looking for. A moment later, she had a smile on her face as she showed the book to her sister. Leaning forward, Twilight seemed to ask what it was she had found. To which the princess spun the book around to show her.


Now, being as far away as I was, I was surprised I could still make out something that looked like a question mark, an arrow, and a simple sketch of a pony. This resulted in a twitch of fear and all my muscles starting to tense up. “Oh, no!” All three look back to see why I had made a sound. “No way in this land’s hell!” I started shaking my head and waving my hands as if to tell the three: “No!” more clearly.


Looking back to one another, Luna seemed to agree with me (she was now my favorite princess) while the other two held looks of concern… but conviction. Exchanging whinnies and neighs, the two seemed to convince the reluctant mare.


A moment later the two alicorns horns started to glow. Understand, I did not hate this world or those who dwelled within it, but I was not so hot on joining the inhabitants’ species. I feared getting changed into something I was not or more to the point, having a spell like that backfire on me like the other two spells had done.


Sadly, it looked like that was not on the minds of the casters, as magic flowed off their horns and started to meld in midair, forming another power greater than the two alone. Magic so strong, it was filling the air and making it thick. “I’m telling you ponies to knock this off now! I’m not going along with this!” I shouted as I was looking around for a place to hide, aside from the easily fallible cart. Looking around for something else, I spotted a couple of the many guards wincing away from the bright light the spell caused in the grand throne room. That can’t be a good sign.


Finding nothing, my gaze shifted back to the two all-powerful casters of a spell that may just kill me as much as change me. Shielding herself from the light, Twilight took a step back as the sisters floated up into the air slightly. The book Celestia had produced flashed a vibrant gold light. At that moment, a swirling vortex of sapphire and gold blasted toward me like a tidal wave.


Don’t just stand there, Legs, MOVE! That was all I could hear in my head and, soon, my legs got the hint, taking a few steps back and turning to sprint as fast as I could. It was only about thirteen feet from the door, I can make it…


“Thirteen feet?” was all I was able to mutter as the wave slammed into me and lifted me up in its warm embrace. Looking over my body, I could see my clothes fluttering in some kind of breeze as the magic started to disintegrate them, almost like the spell was burning away unneeded material. My body at this point started to shift, as well. Fingers started to retract and the bones reconfigured, I was glad to note that none of this was hurting at all. Being spun around by the tendrils of magic, something started to hint at a fault…


Something’s wrong… well, more wrong. The spell was not reacting well with something on my form. And then it hit me. The buckshot shell in my back pocket! The gunpowder! Starting with my limbs and working inward, a light started to consume me, shifting my form more rapidly than before. Much too preoccupied to realize this, I was reaching for my back pocket to retrieve the forgotten round. By that point my gun-strap, shirt, shoes, and socks were completely evaporated away and the legs of my pants where following suite.


That was nothing compared to what was about to happen.


I was too late, and, as a result of me not being able to get the live round away from me, a small explosion rang out, scaring and surprising everypony within, even the princesses. A spray of red mist and some small parts of charred flesh splatter and bounce across the pristine floor of the castle room. One guard shuddered when a bit of the blood-mist tarnished his armor. To their credit, the guard are more trained and seasoned than I had originally thought.


The channeling severed from the two sisters and they fell to the ground abruptly. At least, I assumed so from the sound and sudden shock of the spell… not stopping, but changing. The main spell continued on as it was in a sort of auto-run at that point. After the first shock, all eyes trained onto my still changing and shifting form which even I couldn’t see because I was covered in gold light. I was screaming in immense pain, but nothing could be heard, perhaps the spell was working my vocal cords at the time?  Finally taking the form of a pony, the screaming and poison I was spitting started to penetrate through the hall. Slowly lowering to the ground, the spell dissolved, revealing a slightly tall unicorn stallion with a short dark red main and tail who crumbled down to the floor thrashing around.


BECAUSE GETTING SHOT IN THE FLANK FUCKING HURTS!


Fourteen shells remaining.


“God damn it, that stings! Fucking! Gods! Rraaa, Hell!” My words rang out in pain. Still not used to the new body, I tried putting my hands over a now-gaping hole in my leg, only to find hooves and a bleeding right flank.


Gritting my teeth and trying to get up on my new hooves was useless as I slipped in the pool of blood that was increasing in size around my hind quarters and soaking my light earthen brown coat. My ears pick up the sound of gasps and running hooves, to which my head snapped up to see the lavender unicorn running up to me with the princesses trotting up behind her. “Oh no, oh no, oh no! Are you all right?” looking back to the alicorns she pleaded: “Was that supposed to happen?”


Celestia lifted her surprised head as it slowly shook from side to side.


“You!” I shouted at them. My horn lit up and my magic suddenly grabbed ahold of the shotgun from next to the wagon. Flipping the selector switch to the slugs in tube two and racking the pump as it flew to my side, I took aim right at Celestia, disregarding the sights altogether. The princess stepped back, more in confusion than surprise, from this strange club-like thing being pointed at her in a shaky manner, not realizing it’s potential. “I told you not to cast that spell and you CAST it! You didn’t even TRY to ask before you changed my life?! WHY?! Did you think about what would happen if it failed like the other spells before?! NO!” Magic gripping the trigger in a blind rage, the shotgun recoiled as a loud bang rang out, missing its target and sending a slug over the ruler’s head by several feet.


Twilight screamed and Luna took a step to the side, as if to dodge the round. Celestia was frozen in silence, her ears flat on her head from the blast of sound. She finally realized a projectile had just gone over hear head and also realized what it could have done. As the fired round blasted a hole in the upper wall far behind them, I could not help but keep going.


Thirteen shells remaining.


“You could have killed me, you immortal fuck!” The gun ejected an empty shell as the pump reciprocated within a magical embrace to chamber the next round. Guards rushed toward the princesses as I clenched my teeth. As I pressed my hooves to my still bleeding flank, I could feel my mind slipping from the lack of blood. Glaring back with hate in my eyes, the shotgun fell to the ground as the magic faded from lack of power. Pointing a blood-soaked hoof at Celestia, a drop of crimson life dripped from it. “Mark my words, Celestia, you bitch!” Cursing through my teeth, I winced in still-more pain “You will regret thi-“ Eyes rolled back into my head and, falling limp to the floor with an audible flop, I was out like a light.



Omniscient POV



With blood still gushing from the hole in his flank, the princesses and Twilight finally snap out of their shock as guards surround them and train their spears to the body on the floor. Recovering faster, Luna broke the silence first.


“Guard! Fetch a doctor right away! And get that… club… thing away from that stallion before he hurts anypony else with it!” The two guards by the door rush out for a doctor and a single guard dashed over to pick up the fire arm in his mouth, carrying it away.


Moving back to her throne and leaving the others to tend to this new being, Celestia sat down, taking slow steady breaths. “What has just come into this world? Into my land? And why?” She whispered.


Turning to see Luna glancing at her, she could see that her little sister was just as concerned as she. Twilight, on the other hoof, seemed to be more worried for the stallion on the floor as a doctor started working on the wound. Placing gauze over the hole, he put his whole weight into applying enough pressure. Moments later, two ponies with a stretcher ran into the hall and started to load up the limp body.


As he was pulled onto the stretcher, Celestia’s voice calmly and gently rang out through the hall. “Station guards around his room and don’t take your eyes off him! Inform me the instant he awakens.”


With that, Twilight looked back to her teacher with a worried expression on her face. After watching the bloody stallion being hauled off, she hung her head low and turned to Celestia. “I’m sorry, Princess. I didn’t know he would be violent.” Looking at her hoof, she remembered the feeling of his fist bumping it back near ponyville “He seemed to be friendly and nice.”


Shaking her head, Celestia walked down to her star pupil and rested a hoof on her shoulder. “Something happened as we attempted to understand his words by changing him into a pony of this land. From what I could see of what happened and the kind of pain he suffered can make any being lash out at who caused it.”


“Then why only you, Sister?” Luna pointed out as she trotted over to the two. “And how did he know you?”


Shaking her head, Celestia responded in a warm tone: “We will just have to ask when he wakes, now, won’t we?”
> Chapter 3 Sisters 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Uggg. I have got to stop waking up like this. It hurts far too much,” mumbling under my breath, I started to stir from yet another forced sleep. “Hold up…” I mumble as I go rigid for a moment.  Slowly moving my face over what felt like a soft pillow. “A-am I… can I-” shifting around, I could feel something soft under me, a bed, and sheets over me. My heart started to race as thoughts flooded into my head. “I am!” I almost shouted as my eyes shot open. I sat upright in the bed to toss the covers off. “Thank the stars I’m back home! It was all a dream!” throwing my hooves into the air with so much joy I could hardly care about the hole in my flank.

Looking around was much more of a shock as reality set in that I was not, in fact, home but in a pale white room.

“Hold on, hooves?” looking up my arms… legs to, what used to be small hands, were hard hooves of the equestrian kind. “No.” I whispered softly as a pain shot through my flank. “Oh no, please, no.” I whispered again as I looked down and slowly ran a hoof over the mass of bandages on my hind end. Shortly after, I heard the clack of hooves on the floor and my ears snapped up as I slowly followed the source of the sound with my eyes. My heart quivered as it felt like someone was ripping it out of my chest while my eyes locked onto the rulers of the land and a student. “I’m still in Equestria.”

Aside from now sucking at my own guessing game, this was a big hit. It felt as if I was home just a moment ago, the bed was just like mine at home. Instead I was now looking at a sad-looking Twilight, who was probably just concerned after what happened. Celestia merely looked concerned, as if I were simply just another one of her subjects. I was not one so I couldn’t see what her deal was. Or if this was just some ploy. Luna was… blushing a bit?

It was difficult to tell with a fur-covered face but she seemed surprised I could see that much. With a sigh I started to slowly run a hoof over my face.  I leaned back into the bed taking in the view around and past my visitors. “Lots of white. Am I in the hospital or something?” running my right hoof over the bandages again only brought a sting to my nerves.

I could hear the unicorn clear her throat to respond. “Yes, you are. You were hurt pretty badly during the transformation spell somehow and you began bleeding out. We rushed you here to the hospital in Canterlot.”

Putting both hooves over my face, I sighed “Gunpowder and magic don’t mix, I guess.” I told her, which she responded by tilting her head.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” she asked.

Removing my hooves from my face I looked at her with a slight bit of surprise as I responded “You don’t know what gunpowder is? Do you have guns here?” all three looked at one another then shook their heads.

“We do not have such things, nor do we know about these… guns.” Luna responded quietly.

“Well… I don’t think I want to change that, then. The less you know about it, the better this land, this world, will be without it. All you need to know is that the two will not mix without exploding, it seems. So, don’t mess with my gun.” Even with desert-sand tan fur, my face still went pale as I recalled what I had done with said shotgun. Pupils shrinking to the size of needle heads I slowly look to Celestia. It only took her a moment to realize what I was thinking and her stoic face was scaring me more and more. “Umm…e-he he…” I weakly chuckle. “Okay, umm… in my defense, you changed me without trying to ask.”

“We could not understand a single thing you were saying. We wanted to know.” The elder sister retorted as her look slowly but surely shifted to a glare.

“So you risked my life with a spell that could have failed like the two before?” Twilight and Luna looked away with a slight huff. Leaning forward the solar princess narrowed her eyes.

“How else could we find out how you appear to know so much about this land? Or why you came here?” Pressing back into the bed in an attempt to get away was pointless, but I just wanted some space. My head was reeling.

How do I tell them I watched a show about them? The vast information held up in my mind, the mind of a human? No! I can’t tell them, I’m not going to play into that kind of power grab or hold that over them. “I can’t tell you that. It is for the best that I keep what I know to myself until I think any of you can handle it. And I never meant to hit you with that shot.” Looking away I continued. “I was in a blind rage and I had to vent in that manner so I just made sure to aim super high. I know that is no way to explain doing something so dangerous anywhere near you.” Looking back to the ruler of the sun with a sudden glare. “But hear me Sun-Butt, I will hold true to my word. That and I did not come here of my own accord. The gate pulled me here by force. I did not willingly jump in. Now, if you would kindly change me back, I will not be mad for this whole thing.” I muttered only to see her lean back with some surprise.

“Ex- excuse me? What did you just call me?” she takes a step forward, barely a bit of anger on her face, it was still mostly stoic. “Is that a threat?” she holds up a hoof clad in a shining gold hoof cover and two guards look in from the doorway. My ears lay back and a shiver clearly runs through my being. “I see.” The princes whispers and lowers her hoof, the guards retreat. “To be honest, we cannot change you back. First, this is the only way we have to talk with you. Second, what do we change you back into? Nopony has ever seen anything like you in this land. So, if your kind does not exist here, how can we transform you into something we know nothing about?” And with that she had a point.

How do you turn somepony into something you know nothing about? Now fidgeting in the bed, I was starting to get nervous with three such important figures around me. Even if one of them didn’t know that yet.

Looking at me as I fidgeted, Celestia let a smile slip onto her muzzle. “Very well.” she commented as she glanced over to Twilight.

“What?” I voice as I look back to the three. I knew that tone in her voice; she was planning something. But with her age and knowledge, she gave no clue as to what it was she was thinking. One hell of a poker, face I tell ya.

“So…” looking back to my flank, then back to the three ponies. “When can I leave? I’m not too keen on staying here any longer than I have to.” I ask the princesses only to hear another pony respond.

“When you treat the princesses with more respect, for a start!” Blinking, I quickly looked over to the voice entering the room. In cantered a white coated mare with a pink mane and a red cross with small hearts around it for a cutie mark.

“Nurse Redheart? I could have sworn you worked down in Ponyville. What are you doing in Canterlot?” Tilting my head, I could see the surprise in her eyes. Slowly curling my lips, I realize how I may end up scaring some folks with small info slips like that. I’m going to need to stop doing that.

“Well,” she starts back up, “if you must know, I just finished a class for the nursing school when I was suddenly needed to tend to some stallion who, I was told, had blown up his leg somehow.” She eyed me as I lifted up my hooves defensively and sighed.

“Okay, okay, I get it.” But I was not going to like this. For lack of a better way of putting it, I was pissed as all hell at Celestia. But I needed to get my KSG back and to be in good graces with them or this was going to be one hell of a bumpy ride. After a moment I realized I could lie my way through this. Just enough to make it look ok, and it should work. Looking back to the two princesses, I sighed again as I sat up a bit more and bowed as best as I could in the hospital bed. “Forgive my rudeness, your highnesses, for I am new to this land and its ways. I beg for your understanding for how I have reacted. May we start anew?” That should be about right to make it look funny and over the top right? But in my head, I reminded myself that this was not the end of the matter of changing me. Looking up I could see Celestia holding back a laugh and Luna bowing a bit out of old habits. Okay, that works. I thought to myself, biting back a smile. Now, let’s not make a habit of this. Twilight was smiling and waving her hoof. “Too much… umm. What is your name?”

Name? Oh boy, how do I pull this off? No way am I going to give a human name here in this land. That is a dead giveaway I’m not from here. Not good for fitting in if I want to pass for one of the many. All four ponies looked at me, waiting for a response. With a heavy sigh, I waved one hoof dismissively. “I’m not going to tell you my true name for the same point that keeps me from explaining a lot about what I know.”

Looking at one another a bit annoyed, Twilight looks to me. “So, then, what do we call you?”

“Well…” shifting over in the bed and looking down at the unbandaged side of my flank, I suddenly realized that I had no cutie mark. “What?! I have no mark? Gods, I’m a blank-flank on top of everything else! Might as well call me Blank Space.” I whine.

“Well then, Blank Space, you are free to leave.” Redheart chimed in. “Your wound is mostly superficial, some muscle damage, but it will heal fast. It will, however, undoubtedly leave a scar.”

“A scar I can deal with. What I fear more is that I have to pay a bill or something. I don’t have a bit to my name, so, I have no clue how to pay for this kinda thing.” But with a green light, I start to move my way off the bed without falling off due to my changed limbs. 

“That will not be a problem.” Celestia steps forward as I finally slip off the bed and land right on my flank. Despite my careful efforts, I had still slipped on my hooves. “Considering we are the ones who put you here in the hospital, we will pay for this expense.” After gritting my teeth from pain and finally getting to my hooves I slowly turn to the princess of the sun and slowly bow.

“Thank you for your generosity, your highness. H-how can I ever repay this kindness?”

“Tell us what you know.” Luna snaps with a faint grin.

“Anything but that! You must understand that I will not use this information in a bad way. But by the same token, if you knew all that I do…” lifting my head, I glanced to Twilight, then looked to the princesses sternly. “If I did, who knows how it would bend the future and affect the life… sorry, lives of those involved.”

A visible shiver runs down Twilight’s back. Solar and lunar princesses looked to one another then back to me. “Let us get out of here first, shall we?” Celestia queries.

“About time! I was scared I would be here all day.” The white nurse comments as she sat next to a wheelchair that had been retrieved and was waiting patiently near the doorway.

As the doors slid apart to make way for the small party leaving, I could see it was dusk outside. I sighed at the seemingly-universal rule that I had to be wheeled out of the hospital, looks like some things are the same from dimension to dimension. After pulling myself out of the seat I stretched my new limbs.  Two guards rushed to flank me and I saw the princesses walked up next to me as Twilight led the way. Slowly at first, my pace was shaky but thankfully I was quick to learn. Odd, this would lead to be one of the many things that would unsettle me as time went on. “How did I pick up walking so fast?” I ended up muttering to myself as one of the guards gave me a strange look.

With the guards between me and the princesses, I finally looked skyward and asked: “May I ask you something, Twilight?” looking back the unicorn smiles and nods.

“Sure!” eyes falling back to the mare I tap my horn.

“Okay, you’re a unicorn so I hope you will know why but my horn seems to feel like it is being tugged somewhere, like a string on the tip pulling it. You got any clue why?”

Turning to face me she blinks “It does?” Walking up to me she fixates on my horn and the sisters look on. “May I try something, Blank?”

I’m going to have to change my name if this keeps up. I’m hating it already. “I don’t see why not at this point.”

She nods. “Alright. Where does it feel like it’s pulling you to?”

“Hmm…” I hummed, looking around. I nod as I point with my horn. “Towards the castle.”

“Oh? That’s strange,” she blushes a bit as she pushes my horn with one hoof away from the castle, then back to it, then to the side. “Well, normally it shows where something you value is close to you after a location spell is used. But what is at the castle?”

“Well… I’m going to guess it’s my shotgun. That’s the only thing I have from my world.” My ears lay back as I turn away from the castle. “But seeing as to what I did and how others may want to study it. I fear I may never see it again.” A short pop was heard and a moment later, my horn was tugging in a different direction. It was much stronger of a pull, too, like it was closer. Following the tug, I turned around to see Celestia holding the KSG in her magic along with two guards between me and her. With a stunned look on my face and a gentle smile on the Sun Princess, she waved the gun from left to right.

The pull on my horn was physically pulling my head as if to follow the firearm. “Will you tell us your secrets, Blank?” the elder ruler asked as she rose and lowered the gun, making me nod in following it.

“No, Princess, I will not.” After a light giggle, Luna bumped her sister and shook her head a bit. “I don’t mean to sound desperate, but will you give that back? Not only is it mine to start with, but it is full of gunpowder. And with all that magic holding it, I would rather not have you hurt if it detonates and I get blamed for it. That and the safety is off.” Looking back to me, Celestia seemed to think about her response.

“You did attempt to harm me with this… club-thing.” The two guards pointed their spears at me. Just holding till the word was given to move. “You will get this back when you leave Canterlot and are under supervision that trusts you with it.” Celestia decreed.

“When I leave? Supervised? Sounds like I’m on probation! Where am I going to go that is away from here yet you keep an eye on me?” I could not believe it! The one thing I had in this realm to remind me of home and Sun-Butt, here, was holding me by the tail for it.

“Oh not me…” My ears stand up as I look her broodingly. “My pupil will do just fine in my stead keeping an eye on you. She may think of it as a test to see what she has learned from her studies and her friends.”

“You think the magic of friendship will help me?” I deadpan, and the princesses looked a bit annoyed as I slowly looked to Twilight. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t question the power of friendship. There’s just nothing to fix on me but my form and to send me home. The Elements can’t do that, to my knowledge.” After a moment of surprise, the purple mare shook her head clear.

“How do you know about my studies and my friends?” she inquired.

“I just do. Get used to it, Sister.” I quip.

“Maybe the princess sees something else in you that needs to be fixed?” Twilight proposes with an annoyed look. I glanced from the unicorn to the solar and then lunar sister.

She nods a bit and I roll my eyes as I shut them to rub my face with one hoof. “Ok, ok, I’ll bite. So you want me to hang around Ponyville with Twilight and let her try and, fix me like some project as it were? If so, then I know that will not work. The power of friendship will not change me back or send me home. Hardly think it would know how to deal with a being from another realm. Or do you think something else deeper is wrong with me?” I restate as I roll my eyes sarcastically. I was hoping she would say otherwise.

“You catch on fast, Blank. And in case you have not realized, you are of this land now.” The taller princess commented. With a flash, my shotgun disappears as Celestia’s magic teleports it away. “Oh, and find a better name, will you? I hardly think ‘Blank Space’ is a fitting name for you. Now, hurry and catch the last train before it leaves, for now you are not allowed in Canterlot until I feel I can trust you around this city.” With that, the princesses bid us good night and took to the air, back to the castle, leaving me with Twilight. Celestia took that better than I would have thought considering I could have possibly killed her.

Slowly looking back to Twilight as the last bits of light left the sky, I sighed and hung my head a bit low. “Please, tell me you three did not plan this out… did you?” With a bit of a sly grin, Twilight nodded.

“Where else would you sleep?” she responded as she turned and walked to the train station.

“Pffft, was just going to sleep under the stars.” I followed her as she walked.

After boarding the train, Twilight and I found seats and sat down for the long ride back to Ponyville. This was not at all hard as the last train out of Canterlot was fairly empty. So much so that the car we were in was empty! Other cars barely had one or two other ponies. I thought this was kind of a waste of a train, but this was a different world so maybe it was normal. Making myself comfortable on the seats, I simply looked out the window to watch the moon start to rise and the stars appear.  So strange to see it all happen in the span of a minute as the princesses controlled it all. But just as stunning none the less, if you ask me.

Out of nowhere, I could hear my travel companion sigh. Looking over at her without moving my head, I could see she wanted to ask me something but stopped. With a deep breath of my own, I looked back out the window as I talked. “Okay, Twi, whatever it is, you can ask me. Aside from how I know this land, despite the fact I am new here. I can deal with just about anything else. Though, I want to warn you about the responses I will give may not be to your liking…” The mare blinked a bit and taped her chin as she thought.

“You don’t want to be my friend do you? Is it because you know the princess is trying to force you to be?” she asks.

“What made you think that?” I wonder.

“How you spoke about the magic of friendship sending you home,” she points out.

“Oh, I see. Well, I hope I can convey this correctly.” Shifting a bit to face the mare, I sit up properly as I continue my response. “As you know, I have a strange knowledge of this land. Seeing as it is you, Twi, I will ask that you not tell your friends or the sisters anything I’m about to say. I’m kind of taking a risk here, okay?” staring back to the now-intrigued unicorn to see her nod. “Pinkie promise?” A moment later, the mare goes through the motions and the rhyme. “Okay, perfect. Next, I need to know what time it is around here. Have you gone to the Gala?”

Surprised I knew this, she nodded. “Yes, I have. It wa-“

I cut her off “-was horrible, I know. But it was okay when ya got to Pony Joes for doughnuts with the princess and you’re friends, right?” Stunned she nods as her mouth hangs open. “Okay, have you run into Zecora?” Another stunned nod from the future princess. “Okay, what about the mishap with Celestia and her phoenix?” Yet another nod of confirmation. “Well, then… do you know who Discord is?”

The pony looks at me while tilting her head. “I don’t know who that is… should I?”

My eyes shrink and I quickly look away, I was hoping the “Mane Six” would be past that! “Nothing much to worry about. When you hear that name next: just stay calm and remember who your friends are.” Rubbing my face, I kept looking out the window at the night covered land zipping past.

“Are you sure?” she prods further. “Seems to me it is something I should know about.”

I looked back to her with a bit of a blank look. “Twilight, my knowledge of this land is not unlimited. It has constraints and it is, in fact, limited. I don’t know all of what will happen. But I know of key points that are based around you and your friends.” I turned back to look out the window so I wouldn’t have to acknowledge the unicorn’s questioning looks and to dodge her last spoken one. Rubbing my wound, I kept talking. “I would love to be friends with you and the others close to you, it would be an honor! But I just can’t do that. I can’t be a good friend to you until my information has run out. It is-”

She butt in, “How does what you know affect being a good friend to me and my friends? If you want to be friends why hold it back?” she tilted her head, a bit confused at the idea.

Letting my head rest on the window sill, I decided to ask Twilight a question. “Tell me… if you knew the fates of your friends, you would jump to help them, right?” Watching her from my periphery, I could see the confused unicorn nodding. “Okay, well, what if the problems your friends were facing would help build them into better friends and, overall, better ponies? To face bigger things and rise above them.” Now turning fully to face her, she seemed more confused and could not respond. “That is what I face. Imagine you knew a friend was having a terrible time with something. But you could not help. I mean, if you did, it would be easy for them. But now your friend will not grow from it, nothing will be learned. After a time, they’ll all turn to you to save them from everything. They become completely dependent on you.” Twilight glanced away as a look of sadness slipped onto her face. She understood what I was saying.

“But that’s not all, Twilight. After saving your friends over and over, you reach the end of your foreknowledge. You have expended all of your information and another event happens, worse than before. What then?” slowly Twilight’s face showed a look of dread and she suddenly looked at me, frightened.

“What happens to my friends, Blank? Will they be okay?!” The mare blurted out.

“Hold on, there! Calm down.” I waved my hooves to try and keep her calm. For the time being, I’ve managed to compartmentalize everything happening so I haven’t collapsed into a complete mental breakdown. Thank the gods for small favors and coping mechanisms. “I’ve already said too much, okay? Just… just don’t worry. I know that is hard. And I want to help! I truly do!” I heaved a long-suffering sigh. “But I can’t. I will do what I can and I will help if it is needed. But for the major events, I will not be around. Can you see now why I can’t be a good friend? What kind of friend will just disappear when you need them?”

Man this is hard. I wanted to tell her it would be all right, but would that give her a false sense of safety? I could see she was starting to panic and overthink things, too. Mumbling about how to stop the unforeseen or something like that. “Twilight!” I shouted and her incoherent rambling stopped as she looked back to me with watery eyes. “Okay, okay. Pay attention. If you truly feel in danger just find me or something. I will let you know as best I can if it will be okay or not. Just please stop freaking out, okay?”

Showing her Cadence’s ‘breathing trick’ early shouldn’t hurt, I hope. It did help out tremendously; she finally calmed down. “Better?” I asked as I rested a hoof on her back.

“Yes. Thank you, Blank.” Getting back to my seat, I nodded. “So, if what you say is true, then we can never be friends?” Her voice was soft and sad.

“I don’t see why this bothers you. Pinkie I could understand, but not you. You barely know me and yet you want to be friends with the likes of me?” I point to myself with my hooves. “I assaulted the Sun Princess. I want to tote around the only thing I have from home, which happens to be something made to harm others. I don’t think I’m good for ya. Hell, I can be kind of a brute… but that’s just what I see.” I shrugged uncomfortably and looked back out the window, up to the moon.

Twilight started to talk as if she had rehearsed. “Even if we can’t see it right away, everypony has something to offer. After first seeing you I thought you had something that could help not just me, but others in Ponyville.”

Looking back to the unicorn, I lifted a brow showing skepticism. “Is that so? Well, I don’t think I have anything, but okay. I can keep playing along. I would feel better if I had my shotgun with me, though. To be perfectly honest, I’m a little worried about leaving it out of my sight. I just don’t want others getting hurt trying to mess with something they know nothing about.”

“What is that thing, anyway? The, uh, shot-gun you called it?” the mare asked.

“It’s a weapon, like a sword or axe. But it is more like a bow and arrow. Instead of arrows made of wood and feathers, it fires little balls of lead so fast that you can’t see them. No armor in this world could stop them… but magic may stand a chance.” I shrug a bit as I continue “I’m not sure, but I don’t intend to find out.”

Laying her ears back, Twilight looks at me scared again. “That sounds like you could harm lots of ponies with it. Why have it? Equestria is a land of harmony, what good would it do here if all of what you say is true?”

“Still have creatures like Timber-wolves, right? But you misunderstand, Twilight.” I waved my hooves a bit dismissively. “I’m not here to rule or kill any pony. That’s just wrong. I would rather intend to protect others but, like a bow and arrow, it only has a few shots left. Seeing as no one around here makes shotgun shells, I would rather use what little I have left to protect. After that, I don’t know. With no shots it’s pointless, like a bow with no arrow.”

The clacking of the wheels on the steel rails penetrated through the car and filled the slight silence. “You can’t just make more?” she inquired.

“Not that I know of. Brass and lead are in this world but I don’t think plastic is. I know what to use to make gunpowder, but now how much of each. Messing that up could be just as bad as mixing it with magic. That and I have no clue about the primer at all. So, no, I can’t make more. What I have is what is left in that gun.”

Realizing this made me shiver a bit. The only thing that could have given me anything to do is limited. I huffed a bit as I looked back out the window to the calming night. There goes being a guard or hero with a strange weapon.

When I finished speaking, Twilight got up and smiled slightly. “Please, excuse me. I will be right back.” Trotting off down the train car, she opened the door and moved to the next car, leaving me alone.

I kind of liked it. Alone to listen to the sounds of the train and think about my next moves. All while looking out the window. I could just spot Ponyville over the horizon and chuckled at the thought that I was going to spend a night at the Golden Oaks library. Probably any Brony’s dream and here I am, one of them, yet I’m gonna try and avoid it AND the “Mane Six” as much as I can. “Gods, this will suck.” I muttered as Twilight returned.

“Sorry?”

Still looking out the window, I just shook my head. “If things were different, I would be so happy right now.” Rubbing my still bandaged gash on my flank, it throbbed to remind me that none of this was a dream. It was real and not going to end any time soon.

Taking her seat across from me and giving me a concerned look, she smiled a little. “Things will get better. You’ll see.”

Eyeing her, I shook my head as I responded. “Time will tell, yes, but I don’t see it getting any easier for me.” As long as she and her friends turn out the same by the end of my foreknowledge, it will be worth it. I just needed to remember that, for their benefit and the land. And as far as I could tell, I was not gonna be too much a part of it.

More unsettling silence was exchanged as we both sat there, me begrudgingly wanting to keep my distance, and her probably not knowing what to say. Soon after the chat, we made it to the Ponyville Station. My chaperone, Twilight, was already on the platform as I stood at the threshold of the train’s car door. Just staring at the gap, I was a bit worried about stepping onto the platform. And for completely different points than anyone would think.

I knew full well one pony in this town that may make all I plan to do so much harder to accomplish. Stay away from the “mane six” and try to not interrupt their time lines. Looking back up at Twilight, I see that she stared back at me with a strange look of both wonder and confusion.

“Blank?” she stepped forward. “Are you all right? You need to get off the train before it takes you to the next stop.”

Pointing a hoof at the platform I shake my head “If I get off this train I have no doubts that one particular sense of the pink variety will detect me as a newcomer and I’m not sure I can deal with that this late in the night!”

“Are… are you scared of Pinkie Pie?” she held a hoof to her muzzle to stifle a chuckle.

“Hell no! I’m not scared of Pinkie… more of what she will try to do this late at night. She’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but the absolute last thing I need is for my first impression to be loud and wake up the whole town.”

Shaking her head, Twilight waved one hoof, beckoning me off the train. “She’s asleep and if she wakes up, I think I can get her to be quiet.”

“You sure about that, Twilight?” Lifting a brow, I tried to point out that: this is Pinkie we are talking about.

“Let’s find out how good her sense is. This is a perfect opportunity to test something I can never figure out.”

“I know that, Twilight, but I’m not up for an experiment right now,” I responded. With that said, her horn still lit up as a determined smile tugged the corners of her muzzle. “What are you casting, Sparkle?” I demanded as I took a step back. I didn’t move. Shortly after, I could feel myself lifting into the air by the unicorn’s magic. Not struggling, knowing that would do nothing, I glared at the mare as she floated me out over the platform, three feet from the wood floor. “Don’t do this! If I hear so much as a giggle out of that pink mare, I will bolt out of this town so fast it will not be funny!”

Watching me struggle a bit, Twilight tilted her head. “Then how will you get the gift I got for you at the library?” And I stopped moving.

I open my mouth to say something, or to shoot a comment back at her, but my curiosity ate at me. Having something to finally look forward to was far too tempting to merely brush off. Looking off to the side, I just sighed and grit my teeth. “Fine.” This pony is much smarter than I thought. I needed to remember that.

With that, the levitation stopped and Twilight nodded. “Good!” That was too cheery of a response, if you ask me. I landed with echoing clips as all my hooves hit wood at once. I brace myself to run or to be tackled, looking around quickly and straining my ears for any hints of a giggle or running hooves.

After a moment of me acting like a hummingbird on crack, Twilight shakes her head. “Nothing is happening. Happy now, Blank?”

Moving slowly, I stood more at ease and shook my head. “I will tell ya when we get to the library and I figure out what this gift of yours is.” With a huff, she turned and started walking to her home. I simply trotted next to her, still looking around to dodge any party-cannon fire.

Suddenly, I felt bad for Luna. Ponyville looked calm and peaceful in the dark under the moon’s light. At the same time, I can see why others could find this boring. I made a note that I should do this more often, taking walks at night.

After I sort out that pink mare I can wander the streets during the night without fear. As Twilight and I walked through the rustic town, I could see some homes still had a single light on. And I could catch glimpses of others just having them turned off. Stopping for a moment, I looked at a house in the distance with lots of colored lights and a faint thumping, pulsing through the ground. “Hmmm… Vinyl Scratch?”

Looking over her shoulder, I could almost hear her eyes roll in her skull. “Eeyup.” Was all the unicorn muttered.

With a shrug I turned to follow her as the cool night air slowly flowed through my coat. It was one sensation that I was not at all mad about from the change. Rounding a corner, something made my ears twitch. Suddenly shifting my stance to that of a bracing one to take a tackle, my ears swiveled to locate the sound.

Looking back, Twilight looks around to try and find what I was trying to locate. A moment later, I spun my head to look behind me, only to see another pony round the corner of one of the homes. With a blank look, the stallion nodded at the two of us as he passed. “Good evening.” He spoke in a slightly wispy tone as Twilight reciprocated the greeting.

“To you, as well, sir.” Then, turning to me, she shook her head and waved a hoof to follow. “Come on, scaredy- pony, others walk around at night, just like us.”

Slowly relaxing and turning to follow the mare, I simply rub the back of my head. “It’ll be better to deal with things after I get some much needed sleep… that is not brought about by a blow to the head or blood loss.” Spotting the large tree ahead, Twilight looks back over her shoulder.

“What? The day of unconsciousness wasn’t enough?” She asks as my eyes go wide.

“An entire day?! What?” I almost shout and she places a hoof over her mouth. “Sshhhh! You want to wake up Pinkie?”

Covering my mouth, my ears flattened back. “Okay, okay.” I whisper through my hooves. “Let’s just get to the library, this has been one heck of a day ok?”

With a nod, the mare continued on and I simply followed, rubbing my head as I swore a slight headache was manifesting. So many things I wanted to ask about what was going on. I had a few for either one of the princesses, as well. But that had to be held off for another day. Like when I was allowed back into Canterlot to talk to one of the sisters, of course. Too many things were happening all at once and it was starting to make me physically sick.

The night’s cool air was doing wonders. At least, once I stopped being paranoid about Pinkie Pie in the dark. Finally making it to the library, Twilight just looked back with a slight smile and opened the door with her magic. “I can make this quick so you can get some sleep. The gift should be on the table in the center of the room.”

I nodded as I walked past the purple mare and looked around the library. Funny how you think you know how some place will look through a show… but it just never adds up to the real thing in real life. A small smile makes its way onto my face as I take in the smell of a library built inside a living tree. It was fantastic and almost overwhelming, the somewhat sharp smell of the pages of the books, with the strong smooth scent of the oak tree.

Walking forward slowly, I wasn’t really looking ahead as I was attempting to work off memory. It was just so I could look around the small but grand room of the library. Gently bumping into the table, I quickly turned to see the large wooden bust wobble back and forth. Stepping back a bit in surprise, it slowly stopped its rocking and righted. With a sigh of relief, I looked down at the tabletop and was shocked to see what my ‘gift’ actually was.

“My KSG! Twilight, are you serious?! You got Celestia to hand it over, already?!” In a flash the bullpup shotgun was in my hooves, embraced like an old friend. “Oh, man, Sparkle, thank you so much! I so owe ya for this! So much so!” Letting the gun down a bit, I realized what I had just shouted and lowered my head as I followed up that previous statement. “Yes, Twilight, I’ll even answer your questions.” Slowly, I look back to see a wide smile on her face as she clapped her hooves together. “But heed my warning, as well, Miss Sparkle. The answers you seek may be a bit more than you bargain for and you must not tell any of the princesses. Do you understand?”

She suddenly stops and looks at me with her big eyes, tilting her head. Smile slowly fading I could tell her mind was spinning trying to decide if she should ask or not. “What is that?” She asked instead and I was a bit shocked.

Blinking, I looked to what she was pointing to and, sure enough, it was the gun. A heavy sigh slipped through my lips and I held up the gun in front of me. “This is the product of some 750 years of designs, tweaks, research, along with trial, and error. One of the newest in a long line of weapons meant to kill one another. This was born of war and necessity. This is something that I hope your land does not make but, instead, continues to rely on harmony to protect the land.” Using my magic I pull the action lock and pull the pump back to eject the live round that was still in the chamber. With my hoof, I loaded it back into the feed tube. “Okay, that was a bit weird. How did I do that with such ease?” Staring at my hoof, I just shook my head and got back to what I was saying. “This one is called the KSG and it is a shotgun meant for combat. If I pull this little trigger, here, then little balls made of lead come out here. The thing is, they’re moving so fast, they break the sound barrier as they leave the tube. Anything in its the way can be fatally harmed or killed. Sadly, this kind of sums up a part of the history of my home. And just so you know, this does not pay back my debt to you. So, you can use that at any other time.”

Looking back to the frightened mare, I wondered if she truly knew what had she just given back to me? Was this for the better? But, as always, the bookish pony wanted to ask more questions. “One door closes, but so many more open, hmm?” I asked only to have her nod back at me. “Well, if it’s okay, I can do that later. For now, if you will excuse me, I need to get some sleep.”

I started for the door, only to have her step in front of me. “Hold on. Where do you think you’re going, Blank?” she questions.

“Okay, look, I’m not going to sleep in this place. Can you imagine what would happen if one of the other Elements saw that? Some strange new stallion sleeping in your home? So, if it is all the same to you, I’m going to sleep just outside, under the balcony. With this new coat I now have, I should be alright.” Lifting my shotgun with my magic, I stuck it, barrel down, on my wounded flank as if it was holstered, and held it there with my magic.

“I’ll be fine, Twilight. It’s not like I’m sleeping in Everfree, right?” I pointed out. After a bit of thought, she nodded and stepped out of the way.

“Fine, but you will be back inside for breakfast, alright?” With that comment, I chuckled and nodded as I pushed the door open.

“Yes, Drill Sergeant.” I pushed the door closed with my hind leg and stepped away. Walking around the left of the door, I spotted the balcony in mind, and nodded as I curled up under it. The cool soft grass was like nothing I had felt before. I had no clue if it was this new body or just the long day, but it was too good. Lulling me to sleep, I moved my weapon to rest between my front legs, and lowered my head to rest on it. With a faint click, the safety was engaged with a hoof, and I quickly fell into a deep sleep. Find it odd and strange that I was going to sleep with the one and only item that reminded me of the world I was born and raised in, only to be ripped from it?

Yes.

Did I care?

Hell no.

> Chapter 4 Forest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Bam! Bam!... Wham!*

The door? Who is thrashing? at my chamber door? “What is it?! I’m still asleep.” 

*Bam! Bam!* “Get your lazy ass out of bed man! You are going to be late to work!” 

“What part of, hold up, it’s Saturday!  There is no work for the sleeping today!” 

*click pop!* “fine, ya ASS! If you will not say anything and make horse noises at me I’m heading in to drag you to work! If I suffer so do you!” 

Horse noises? The hell is Kevin on about? “Don’t come in man, I’m sleeping in today!” Carpool or not why did I ever give him that key? I thought. 

The door to the small bedroom swings open slamming into the wall behind it and a short dark skinned man with short black hair walks in with a sudden surprised look on his face. He stumbled back in shock as he looks at the bed and what is held within. The occupant on the other hand slowly looks up to him as he wakes up. 

“You love to kill my sleep right? Ya dick!” the covers are thrown off in a sudden motion as the once sleeping being sits up to look at the intruder. “Can’t you just let me sleep Kevin? Bloody hell its Saturday there is no work! Ya clod!” 

With a look of confused fear Kevin steps back pointing “Horse! The hell is a small horse doing in Malone’s bed!” 

“What! The hell are you on about?” looking down the man spots his hooves and short tail. His breathing shutters and then speeds up, cold sweat covers his face as his heart starts to race.  His lungs start to fail after the first few panicked breaths and his breathing grinds to a halt. Gasping for air proves worthless and the stallion’s hooves shoot to his neck in some ingrained response to breathing failure.  As his vision starts to blur and his mind flickering from lack of oxygen in his blood. The pony collapses back onto the bed still gasping for air that cannot be caught. Limbs twitch as he tries to move them only to feel gravity holding them down as if they were made of stone and lead. Only able to wheezes out the last his words, from his now burning lungs, before he slips into deaths brisk embrace as she suffocates in a tariffing grip of fear. 

“Why… why can’t I… Why. Can. I. Not… Sleep?” 

*GASP* 

My eyes shoot open as my mouth gapes wide open taking in two lungs worth of air. Quickly pushing myself up with my front hooves I exhale and takes in another gasp of air as cold sweat drips off my brow and slides down my muzzle, eyes darting around to verify the surroundings to be sure I was not in another dream. Yep, still in Ponyville, its morning, it feels brisk but I think my coat has something to do with that and it not being just bone cold instead. After five minutes of this I finally calm down and slowed my breathing along with my pounding heart.  Wiping the sweat from my face I slowly look  around to actually comprehend my surroundings as opposed to just looking for key threats. Slowly standing up from the soft grass under the golden oak’s balcony and gently rubbing my stiff neck I clear my thoughts right as my thrashed flank throbs. “So help me if this turns into a common thing.” Looking over my shoulder and rubbing my eyes, I blink a few times to be sure I was seeing things properly. 

“You done screaming there buddy?” the emerald reptile asks in a bit of a groggy tone. “You are the guy who twilight was talking about right? The one with a strange club?”

Slightly nodding I respond in a bit of a strained voice. “Well I guess that’s me then spike. Though I wish folks would stop calling this a club” using my magic the shotgun floats over my head and spins a bit. “But in a way I guess it kinda looks like one. Meh, oh well.” the firearm gently places itself, pointing down, over the blank scared flank on my right, as if to hide the large mass of bandages from sight, unsuccessfully by the way. 

“Well come on.” spike waves to follow as he turns around “Twilight wants you inside for breakfast and all the food is getting cold. So hurry up!” 

Tilting my head I could only wonder. Food? oh gods what is going to happen now? I don’t think I can handle a vegetarian diet! Oh gods help me keep sane.  Well, all I can do now is just follow Spike I guess. It did not take long at all to get to the front of the library and threw its door. After getting inside I stared at the handle of the open door behind me. “If I just will it? Would that work?” I mutter as I tried to move the door with my mind. Nothing moved after a minute of trying to imagine the door moving so with a shrug I pushed the door shut with a front hoof and turned around to see Spike still walking towards the kitchen. Following the dragon towards the kitchen my nose is suddenly assaulted with the smell of something fantastic! “Man it has been too long since last I had eaten anything! Something smells out of this world!” Rearing back a bit I took off in a short lived gallop to see what it was that smelled so delicious! 

Sliding on the hard wood floor into the kitchen I almost bump into Twilight’s assistant as I skidded to a stop to observe the table filled with what looked like breakfast. But it was not something I was familiar with. 

“Good morning Blank! Thank you for joining us.” Twilight beams from the far side of the table behind a stack of pancakes covered in maple syrup and strawberries. “Have a seat and talk. We made a little too much, we did not know what you would like or what you could eat. So we made a little of everything.” 

“Well that may be the start of a problem.” I walk over to the table taking in the sweet scent of the breakfast that had been made for me. But I was obviously showing a look of confusion that Twilight picked up on in a flash. “Nothing here is what I would normally eat. Well aside from the pancakes, which look fantastic.” Reaching over for a plate of the flat food that had not been claimed I could not help but get a whiff of the other foods. It was not just the flapjacks that smelled lovely, it was all the strange herbivore kinds of food that did as well. Why? Taking a seat with the pancakes I take a bite awkwardly out of the round food without using any utensils. 

“So all you eat are breads? That’s not much of a diet.” Spike comments “And if that’s so why where you drooling at the whole? table before you got the pancakes?” 

At this point I was starting at the silverware next to the plate in front of me and making odd faces as I was trying to move the fork using my magic and not touching it. “Well that’s just it little guy. The thing is,” I stop and look up to twilight, who is just going to love hearing any information about where I had come from.  “Ok first off.” I point to spike. “How much does the dragon know about me? I know I can trust him, mostly. But I would rather keep what I am, was? Hidden.” 

Twilight looks to Spike then to me with an odd look. “He was with me when you came through the portal. He has seen the real you, or was the real you.” The mare levitates a fork to cut and pluck a bit of pancake from her plate and takes a bite. 

Hmm, I don’t recall seeing him at the gate. Well that’s no matter to me. Hell I was eating the ground a lot more than normal that day so perhaps a concussion or two may have erased that bit of information. Taking another bite of the pancakes I cleared my thoughts after a moment and started to elaborate. “Ok here is the facts, Twilight, where I come from we are all omnivores. Me to be more specific, I was more of a meat person then veggies. Liked fruit, but I was manly a meat consumer. That said.” I take a look over the table again spotting what looked like a sandwich filled with daffodils and daisies. “I am finding some of the things on this table to look, well, just plain savory! And I normally don’t like half the food here, let alone able to digest the other half.” I point to the sandwich that was out of my reach. “Mind hoofing me that? I want to try some.” 

Looking at the sandwich then back to me the book pony just gives me a confused look. “An omnivore hmm? Meat? As in other animals?” she leans back in her chair with a bit of concern and disgust as she uses her magic to give me the plate. “You can’t levitate it yourself? You are a unicorn you know. Don’t you know how to use magic? You must have had that back in your world or you would never be turned into a unicorn.” 

“Don’t worry Twi,” shaking my head as I take the plate in one hoof and set it down in front of me. I lift up the sandwich in my hooves. “The animals around here can think, there sentient to a degree and oddly, thinking about slaughtering and eating them makes me a tad, sick?” inspecting the greens between the slices of bread I continue to ramble a bit. “So I don’t think you need to worry about me eating any one. As for the magic? I can’t use it. Tried a bit just a moment ago on the front door and silverware and I can’t use it. As for magic back home? Well nothing like what you can do here exists in my realm. Magic is the stuff of fairy tales back home. I have no clue as to why I’m a unicorn. I figured it was just a role of the dice kinda thing.” I shrug a bit as I continue. “But that is not to say I’m not wondering how it works here. I would like to try and learn it so I could use it.” taking a bite of the sandwich paints me surprised. “It’s good, how!?” I could not help but almost shout. 

“Thanks, made it myself” Spike boasts puffing his chest out a bit with pride.

“Not a problem Spike. But like I said, I should not like this, or even be able to eat it! Maybe the plant life in this world is different somehow?” looking over the sandwich more and more as if it contained the secrets of life itself that I could not figure it out. “I am human, was human, human at heart? Or just in my mind and memories now?” 

Twilight brakes in after swallowing more pancake delight. “Well it is probably the spell the princesses used on you to make you what you are. And I have seen you use magic to hold that gun of yours. What is holding it to your flank right now?” 

After inhaling the rest of the strangely scrumptious sandwich I looked back over my right shoulder to the bullpup magically holstered to my side. “Hmm? Oh! Well, I’m not sure. It just happens. I’m not really thinking about it when it moves. It just sorta happens.” my horn lit up in a deep crimson glow as I pulled the gun from my side and pulled it forward to inspect it. After a moment and a poke from my hoof it floats back to my side and sticks back into place. “Not sure I can do anything other than that right now with magic.” With a shrug I look back to the forgotten neglected pancakes and dig in. After a moment something flickers into my head. “Say, would you happen to know what the name of the spell they used on me was twilight?” one eye brow lifts as I tilted my head slightly. “There was a chat about it before it was used. I could discern that much. But at the time I could not understand a word of it, still don’t. anything helpful said?” 

“A Reformationem spell I think” twilight scratches her chin with one hoof. “Other than it being powerful and able to change any creature into a pony body and mind, No.” 

“Sounds like another language and failure somehow.” using my hooves to grab a small cup of what looked like tea and sipped it happily. “hmm…good.” again I noted how simple it seemed to be to pick up a cup with a pair of hooves. This was getting annoying how this worked, kinda. Happy that things where just happening like I knew how to all my life. But annoying at how simple it was. No transition period of me being clumsy like in fan fictions and others of that ilk. Things just worked and I knew how to do them. 

“Well it is old equestrian, translates to reform in more current language” the librarian point out. 

There was a moment of silence as my head rapped around what I was just told. Suddenly the gears in my head spun at over a thousand RPM. Choking on the tea in surprise I wipe the remaining liquid from my lips rendering a stunned look from Spike and Twilight. Clearing my thoughts I was almost shouting “A reform spell?!” getting up from my chair and almost falling over my own hooves in the sudden process. “Those two cast the REFORM spell on me?!” stomping a hoof to the ground causing a small pop of light I bit my lip trying to contain my anger. “Now I think I know why Discord was so quick to eat that book to hide that spell!” 

“There it is again. What or who is Discord?” Twilight questions as she glances at my hoof then back to me “I’m starting to think it is something I should know about.” she slips off her seat to leave spike hiding behind the table from my little outburst. 

“Hold on a moment.” my head shot up looking twilight dead in the eyes “That spell is only meant to mess with somepony’s will, right? How in Tartarus did it CHANGE me? And forget about discord!” 

“For not knowing how to use magic you seem to know a lot about it” Spike comments as she pokes his head out from behind his makeshift barrier. 

The unicorn glances from Spike back to me “Indeed, well I don’t know what that spell really does. I did not know about it until it was used on you. The princesses did not say much before that. Luna seemed to know something, like it was harmful, something about it would change him too much. Celestia convinced her quickly that it was the only option.” With a gentle shake of her head the mare looked back to me, more confused now then a moment ago.

“Well, I’m glad the spell was interrupted. I don’t think you fully understand what that spell was supposed to do! I think I know but that’s not any better.” was that spell meant to change me into a pony body and mind, and on top of that reform me for follow there commands and will like what was intended for discord? This idea flew through my mind but I knew only two ponies could answer this for sure. “And I knew Celestia was the motive force in this! Ggaaaa! That’s it! I can’t stand this! No wonder things just worked without me dropping things or tripping like a fool! Darn near brainwashed me just to talk to me if I’m right about that spell! Gods! Might as well cast a mind control on me and take away my free will!” with that I spun around and started to stomp towards the door. 

“Hold on, where are you going? You need to calm down first. We can talk about this and fix it, I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding!” twilight pleads.

“Ya, come on Blank, sit back down with us and eat more and cool off. We can figure this out.” Spike asks holding up another plate of pancakes.  

“Sorry, but no! I’m pissed as all hell and sitting around here eating is not going to help at all! I’m going for a walk or something! Anything!” I tuned to get out of the library but the door knob was posing a large challenge as my hooves slipped on its polished surface. “Why a knob on the inside but a handle on the outside?! Ggraaa!” With a sudden flick of my horn my shotgun was at the ready and safety disengaged. 

*Chick, chlak!* 

*BLAM!*

*Chick*

With blurred movements the buckshot made fast work of removing the latch from the door all together.  A smoking shell popping out of the gun and clattered as it fell to the floor as the KSG floated right next to my head. After a flick of my ear that was right next to the gun I used a front leg to kick the door open and walk out without hesitation. “Will fix that when I’m not so pissed. Sorry sparkle.” I deadpanned as the firearm stuck itself back to my side, its breach left wide open and empty. 

Twelve shells remaining.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Cowering behind the table from the tremendous blast Spike looks at the mare hiding next to him as she rubs her ears from the loud blast of sound. “What was that?! Sounded like a spell backfiring!” Spike askes as he slowly looked out from behind the table and sees what is left of the door. “Oh no! He blew up! Now what do we tell the princess?” Spike starts to panic as Twilight rests one hoof on his head. 

The future princess rolls her eyes to her assistants concussion. “Relax Spike, he is fine, and that was not a spell but his gun, that club looking thing on his side. All I know is that thing is loud and you don’t want to be in front of it as it goes off.” Getting to her hooves and walking over to the door to see what the angry stallion did, she just looks out the door with a worried look as Spike slowly walks up to her and holds onto her front leg hiding behind it. “He gave me his word he would not hurt others with that thing. But have I made a mistake in trusting somepony I hardly know?”

“Should we go after him then?” the dragon asks only to clutch the mare’s leg tighter. 

Twilight shakes her head and uses her magic to pick up the bits of the door handle and reform them back into the door and their previous form. “This may be the time to trust his word and let him be for a little bit. But I will still send a letter to the princess.” pushing the door closed Twilight’s face shifts more to that of worry, was it wrong to give him that gun back? Or was she worried more for the stallion then what may happen to others?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



 Anger is an odd thing if you ask me. Makes you want to pummel any one, more often anything, in sight for no discernible resin. Hell punching the air kinda did something now and again. It also tends to feed itself by making any slight gesture similar to someone flipping you the bird.  And over all it makes the sight of happy jolly pastel ponies going about their lives just infuriating to no end! I mean why the HELL do others get off scot free as I get the entire gantlet thrown in my face? “Why so care free? Gods all mighty, I know this is not  fair but I need to get out of this town be for I do something incredibly stupid!” grumbling under my breath was barely the definition of what I was doing and it was starting to bring unwanted eyes my way. “I hate anger so much” I start muttering to myself as if to vent the hatred safely. “Why change me like that? Was she so blind to what fear looks like and what it may mean?” I kick up my voice and octave to mimic sun butt “We did not understand you and also wanted you to do as we say with a spell to reform you.” dropping my voice back down as a spa pony trots by.

“Good morning!” was spoken in sort of a chiming way by Lotus Blossom.

Gritting my teeth and nodding with a smile was about the safest thing I could do to keep from biting any poor bystanders head off. So help me if I snap and some poor passerby. I would never let myself live that down.  Just simply keeping my pace and passing her was not the simple end of it as I hoped. I could tell she stopped in her tracks, possibly looking back at me so I keep trudging forward as if nothing was amiss. Not even going to look back.

“Excuse me sir! But are you ok? You look very stressed for being up this early” slowly looking over my shoulders…hunches? Meh. I could see she was talking to me and was closing the gap between me and her as well.

“God’s help me to not snap, and at a spa pony no less.” I mumbled under my breath as I turned to her “sorry I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed today, that’s all. Nothing to worry yourself about miss…?” pretend you don’t know anypony and you will look fine. I muttered in my head.

“Lotus Blossom, I have not seen you around but if I may be so bold, you look like you could do with a day at the spa to unravel.” She catches sight of my bandaged side and gasps a bit covering her mouth with one hoof. 

Yep, meets a pony for the first time and already drumming up business, go figure. And did she realize that she made a small pun? I could swear my eye was twitching a bit.

After letting her hoof set back onto the ground she continues. “I run a simply luxurious spa around the corner and I can give you a deal for an early morning massage, mister?” she leans forward batting her eyes and giving me what I had to admit was a quite a becoming face in an attempt to lure me into a sale. 

Nope! No way was this how I was going to be calmed down. Stepping back and still gritting my teeth threw a fake smile I responded a little more gruffly then I would have liked. “Yep, I’m new so I’m not sure where it is but don’t worry, I will be fine Miss Blossom. Well would you look at that I need to be going on my way, bye!” Before she could get another word in I was taking off at a good trotting pace. Could not have others rubbing out my muscles in my world or this one, and not in this pissed off mood ether. The cerulean mare tilts her head and shrugs as she continues on her path in the other direction. 

Turning around a corner to be sure I was out of sight just about made me crash into another pony. Spinning on one hoof to avoid contact was almost automatic. Nodding to the passerby I wondered to myself. What is it with this town? It has got to be a little after sunrise and there had to be half the town up and about. Or was I just in the wrong part of town to be avoiding the pastel patrons?  This was suddenly all irrelevant as I had realized what building I had wandered in front of.  Looking up the front shudder doors to spot that all too familiar ginger bread looking roof with what looked to be icing around the edges, with a giant cupcake topping the entire thing. 

“Sugarcube Corner!? You have got to be kidding me!” looking back and forth I started to back away from the sugar filled sweets shop. I need just a little bit more time before I run into pinkie! “Another time I swear! But not now!” Turning and rearing back a bit as I got ready to run I had a sudden thought as my front hooves meet with the earth. No! Don’t run, she will see, hear, or sense it. That’s not what I need, stay calm and this may work. Slowly I continued walking away trying my best to keep calm as I trotted away from the shop.  A moment later my ears swivel back to catch the sound of an exacerbated gasp, freezing in place I look around to see others looking back to the shop with confused looks. Painfully my head turned out of pure curiosity just to see what it was. Good thing I’m not a cat or I would have been killed.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see the front door wide open with a pink mare standing on her hind legs just behind the threshold pointing dramatically with one extended hoof the other holding the side of her head. My eyes shrank in panic as I could see she was pointing right at me and a grin a mile wide was forming on her face. 

“Oh buck me.” 

Just those three words deadpanned out of my sandy muzzle at that moment. Now I knew there was no point in running from Miss Pinkamena Dian Pie, but darned if I was not already running at full gallop by the time this ran through my head. I figured had an extremely tiny window to lose her and it may only last ten seconds at my best guess. Rounding a corner and slipping down the next corridor behind some buildings was going to be my best bet. Diving into a trash can seemed like just enough to slip away in the small time frame I may have had.  Doing my best to calm my lungs and catching my breath was done none too soon. Outside the steel can I could hear hooves bouncing outside and a light humming.

Slowly looking out from the can but staying hidden I just catch a glimpse of a cotton candy tail hopping past. Sweet stars I did it! Heck yeah I dodged  Pinkie! Slowly and quietly I slipped out of the trash can and dusted off the debris from my coat and started trotting down the corridor.  Accomplishing that feet had more then killed off most of my anger for that morning, but it was not too last as my ears perked up yet again to some heavy hoofsteps behind me.  Far too heavy to be Pinkie and I can hear the clank of something metallic along with it. 

Glancing back just enough to see it was actually a royal unicorn guard! And he seemed rather disappointed, but that could have just been a default look for the guard.  Ok I’m not one to make these guys mad any more then need be, they are not pushovers by any means like in the show.  Turning around but still slowly walking backwards, forcing a smile to the approaching guard I call out to him. “Hello Mr. Royal guard sir! Sorry for causing a small commotion back there but did I do anything wrong?” I lower my head a bit trying to seam unintimidating as he keeps walking forward silently. I make it out of the corridor between the buildings and chuckle a bit to try and disarm any malice. “Ah, hahaha. Ok your starting to worry me sir, what do you need?” 

Leaving the shadows of the buildings something catches my ear behind me right as I bump into something sharp poking my flank. With a bit of a surprised gasp I spin around only to find three earth pony guard, swords and spears drawn, surrounding me. Looking back to the one walking out of the corridor I watch as he pulls his sword as well and points his horn to the sky. I wince back as a bright blue flair screams into the sky from his horn and pops like a firecracker. “You are to remain still until the princess arrives. And we know about your weapon so it better not move from your side.” 

“Is that so?!” I started to remember why I was pissed a moment ago and now I could ream the source of my anger. “good, beca-“ I was suddenly cut off by a sugary sweet voice.

“Oooohhhh! What does the princes want with this silly new guy here?” Pinkie chimes in right next to my right side making me jump a bit “Hi! I’m Pinkie pie, who are you? I have not seen you around so you must be new.” she starts to bounce up and down right next to me. 

This not only caught me off guard but also all the guards as well. But in a moment they all snapped back from the confusion of the pink mare suddenly appearing next to me. “Sorry Pinkie but I don’t think this is the time to be making friends, especially when said pony is surrounded and held at spear point.” I comment looking back to the guard a bit mad. “But I would like to know why the princess wants me. I did nothing wrong and it’s not even noon! In fact I would like to ask her about what she has done wrong.” 

A calm motherly voice breaks through the background noise of the town and Pinkie’s bouncing. “But you have done wrong, so there is no need to play dumb. As for what I have done? Now what could you mean by that?” slowly turning my head as an annoyed look started creeping its way onto my face as Pinkie and I look to the left to see Celestia herself landing gently on the ground. “First, I am unsure how you did it but I would like to know how you broke into the castle vault and stole that gun without tripping any alarms and leaving me unaware until Twilight Sparkle informed me with a letter this morning among other things you told her. May I remind you that I barred you from entering Canterlot.” Stepping forward she outstretched her wings to try and intimidate me, I think? It did not work much as she stayed behind the guard who scared me more than her. But that was beside the point. 

“Hold on a moment your highness.” Pissed as I was she still ran an entire country so I could not help but respect her a bit, as fleeting as that was. That and the idea of making the guard mad was an incentive. “Stole? What are you talking about? This gun is MINE in the first place! Hell, you don’t even know how it works let along how to use it.”

“Well dugh! You point it towards the sky like my party cannon.” Pinky chimes out as she points the gun into the air and pulls the trigger”

“NO!!!” Eyes widening all around as I try to reach for her to stop her but I was too late. Confetti had shot out and sprinkled all over the guard and the princes. We all hold in place as the paper shrapnel falls to the ground, Pinky simply giggling and slaps the gun back onto my side where it sticks. Shaking my head and looking from the gun to the baker I just sigh. 

Looking back to the higher ark with a shrug “Anyhow, you took it from me and then gave it back after Twilight sent you a letter last night saying I could be trusted with it. And how am I supposed to get there and back all in one night? Me and Twi where on the last train out of there when I left.” I pointed a hoof at her accusingly. “You GAVE me MY gun back last night so don’t you DARE accuse me of going back on my word! And on that note, care to explain what you were planning to do after using a REFORM SPELL on me? Mind you I do NOT take lightly to others wanting to control my free will!” 

The princes narrows her eyes at me in thought as the guards take a step forward as if to tell me not to talk to her in that tone. “We will talk about this in the privacy of the library, Miss Pie,” her smile returned as she looked to the pink mare “would you excuse us for now? I wish to talk to Twilight and this stallion alone for a while. You can have him back after that, if, he is still around.” 

Pinkie nods quickly and bounces away “Oki doki Loki! But I Need to throw him a big welcome party so make sure he does not miss that princes!” with that the bouncing ball of pink was hopping back to Sugarcube corner. 

With a gentle chuckle the princess nods “I will Pinkie, but that must wait for another time.” After a small wave of her hoof she then looks off toward where the library is and nods to one of the guard. “Come along blank, I think we have some things to discuss.” 

“Darn right we do, and can you get your guard to back off a tad. I don’t want to be cut if I sneeze” I use a hoof to push away one spear pointed so close I could shave my face with it. Only to have it thrusted back into position with a grunt from the guard holding it, thankfully Celestia nods her head and the sharp implements are pulled away and sheathed. “Thank you princess.” 

It was too long after, that we made it back to the Golden Oak Library. Would have been faster but the princes had to keep up her kind demeanor and talk to some of the towns ponies on the way back. All the while I was just getting looks from all the others in town. Confusion, wonder, maybe disgust? Well that’s what happens when you are surrounded by four guards following a princess. Or it could be that I was a full grown stallion with no butt tattoo. I’m sure that after this, everypony was going to ether despise me or be scared of me, I hopped the latter if I had my way but here is to hoping right? It was fun to see the surprised look on Twilights face as she walked up behind spike, who had opened the door when Celestia knocked, which was fantastically funny to me. Am I bad for that? After that we all filed inside, aside from two guards who stood guard just outside the door. The other two followed inside to keep me surrounded and to keep between me, the princess and Twilight. After some explaining about that nights actions there was an odd silence for a moment.

“So you sent me a letter during your journey back home explaining how you believe Blank Space to be trusted with the gun? Strange, I have not received such a letter from you.” Celestia was gently looking down at twilight a bit confused as the two stood in the main room of the library. 

“MY gun, thank you very much!” my tail swished from side to side as I responded in a slightly annoyed tone as I was the only one sitting on the floor, and not on a pillow. I blame cake butt. 

“Be that as it may it was ceased to be placed in royal custody to be guarded and studied. You had no right to just take it back.” as this was spoken she did not even look at the sandy colored stallion.  Yet no malice or anger was expressed.

“You had no right to take it.” I shot back. This garnered a slight hit to the back of my head from the mare guard to my left. I glared back at her as I rubbed the back of my head.

“But he was here the entire time princes.  In fact he woke me up in the middle of the night whining and making noses just under the balcony outside.” The unicorn looked at me with a bit of concern “I don’t know what he was doing but I can vouch for him being here all night” 

Looking out of the corner of her eye Celestia raised a brow in my direction.  “Is that so? And would you care to explain what the cause of such noise was?” 

“None of your business cake flank.” as she looked to me I looked away from her only to have a hoof jab my side courtesy of the mare guard next to me again.  Flaring my nostrils to the mare I stared back at her as angrily as I could. “My thoughts are my own.  If I choose to let you in I will, until then that’s not yours to know” I swat the guards hoof away and looked away from her and the princes. 

With a slight sigh emanating from the princess she looks back to twilight and smiles a bit more concerned than happy “well, I will trust my star pupil with the matter of overseeing Blank. But the matter of how the gun got into his position without any one knowing and this letter you sent that I have not seen is still a big problem.  Are you sure Blank did not teleport in some way or cast some strange spell?” 

Twilight shakes her head and looks over to me. “He can’t cast spells so I don’t think he could do that. He can’t even levitate anything aside from his gun. I’m sorry princess but I don’t have a clue as who could have done this. But I don’t think Blank could have done it.” 

“Well, I will have to…” Some muffled shouting interrupted the princes mid statement. Turning around to see what interrupted the princes left me, Celestia, the guards, and twilight all looking at the door. I don’t think spike heard as he was on the upper floor of the library sorting books or whatever it was that twilight told him to do as we chatted. Walking over to the door twilight uses her magic to open up the door to see what all the commotion was about.

“…a duty to find her! She left this morning and is still not back. Something is wrong and you need to find her fast!” looking over the shoulder of the unicorn guard to my right I could barely see out the door past the other two guards. It was Aloe from the spa. What was she doing here and what does she mean morning?  After looking around to find a clock I was shocked to realize we had been there for just less than three hours!  How did that much time pass so fast?! 

“Look miss, we are personal guard to her highness. You need to find the ponyville guard to help in this matter. We cannot help you at the moment.” One of the guards responded as Celestia looked back and forth from the guard, to twilight, then back to the guard outside the door holding back Aloe. 

Twilight steps forward and bushes by the two guard “Aloe? What’s wrong? Did something happen to somepony?” 

“Oh Twilight thank Celestia! It’s my sister Lotus! Like I told these guards, she left this morning to get some more herbs for the luxurious herbal bath that Zecora had shown us. But she is still not back! I think something just terrible has happened to her!” 

Now Celestia chimes in with a slight look of concern. “If I’m mistaken that means your sister is somewhere in the Everfree forest correct?” Aloe nods with a look of surprise to see the princes and fear as the Princess words reminds her of where her sister may be. With a nod Celestia looks to one of the guards “Private Steadfast! Go to the Ponyville guards and gather there forces to the Everfree forest at once.” With a slight salute the earth pony was gone in a puff of dust. Looking back inside the princess points to the unicorn guard “send word to Canterlot and have two Wonderbolts scrambled to aid in the search, double time! And…” Celestia looks around surprised only to spot a window that was not open a moment ago. Snapping back to the mare guard she slowly asks. “Quick Hoof, where is Blank Space?” the guard’s eyes shrank and she quickly looked to her side to find the stallion in question was gone. 

“But he was right here when you got up your highness!” she looks around frantically only to have Celestia stop her. 

“We will deal with him latter, for now just help in the search.” The solar ruler looks back to Twilight and the two start talking search and rescue plans. 

Personally I found it kinda genus to use old sun butt’s hoof steps to mask my own so I could get out that window. I did not care what she did but I knew if it involves the Everfree forest, there was no time to gather forces. With that place you had to act fast with what you hade at that moment. Seeing as her highness would not go in there by herself like this and her guards where off getting back up. I was the only one brave enough to fit the bill. 

“Pfff AHAhahaha~! Gods who am I kidding? If this forest is like the guard I’m dead!” galloping as fast as I could I make it to the path leading from Ponyville to Everfree in surprisingly fast time. “Well what do you know? This town is minutes away from ever free.” Not even stopping I charged headlong into the shadows of the forest. As far as I knew there was only one path in and out of Everfree so Zecora’s place must be on this path too right? Had to be, it was the same path the main six followed Apple Bloom after she followed Zecora the first time. If that’s so then Lotus had to be somewhere along that path. At that moment I heard low growls and what sounded like someone pleading.  Slowing down just before a turn in the path I could see the trail was clear ahead. Then I heard the sounds of a dog whining like it had been struck. Turning to look to the right I could see a pale blue mare cornered by about five Timberwolves.  Behind her was a large cliff face that was unclimbable. 

She was still a ways off the path, must have tried to run but picked the wrong direction. It looked like she had managed by bucking them as they got close but it was looking to me like she was getting tired and just delaying what would have been inevitable. 

Running at full tilt, my gun pulled from its hilt position at my side. My crimson magic gripping the stock and the pump as the iron sighs popped up from their folded down position. Sliding the pump forward locks a shell of buck in the breech and the clack rang out making one of the timber wolves turn toward me. Bringing the shotgun up to sight the first hound, my magic squeezed the trigger. A fraction of a second latter the first timberwolves head explodes into bits of bark, wood, leaves, and strange green sap looking ooze. The defining boom makes all but me jump at the sound and spin to look at me.  

Eleven shells remaining. 

The rest of the timber wolf’s body shivers and falls to the ground in a pile of greenery. Ejecting the spent shell and loading the next was a blur as my magic reciprocated the pump.  Just before I got to the next one in the line of wolves I jumped into the air. As I plummeted back to terra I brought my gun in front of me and, using the butt, slammed down with all the force my magic would muster onto the top of the next wolfs head.  Instead of smashing it and breaking apart like I thought it would, the animal was just slammed to the ground head first. After landing next to it I stumbled a bit in the soft damp ground but a moment latter I pressed the muzzle to the wolves’ skull and let another round lose with another ear splitting boom. Pumping another round into the gun the wolves’ body disintegrated into twigs and bark. Now facing the wolves I glance back to Lotus behind me. “RUN!! I can hold them! Just run through the gap!” I shouted.

Ten shells remaining. 

Lotus was petrified and shaking her head back and forth. She could not say a thing but it did not matter, she was too scared to move. Gritting my teeth I spun around and grabbed her front leg and hurled her forward toward the hole I had made in the line. “One pony can make it out safe if another stays to fight them, but you have to just run now Lotus! Just run!” she stumbles as she is tossed toward the gap and screams as one of the wolves finally snaps out of its confusion and pounces at her. “Just go now damn it!” I scream as several lead spheres rip through the timberwolves chest creating a gaping hole followed by the shockwave of the gunpowder explosion. 

Nine shells remaining.

Twigs and sap fall to the ground as the wolf disassembles in midair. Peppering the scared spa pony with sap and some light sticks witch stick to her coat. Running up behind her I push her flank with both front hooves to get her to run “Oh come on, run already!” a second latter the mare shakes her head out of the daze and speeds off back to the path. “Yyaaaouch!” Suddenly I can feel something clamping down on my back leg, sharp wooden teeth sank into my hide and forced me to shout.  The first fallen wolf was pulling itself together head first. And so its head was now clamping down on my back leg. Raising my free back leg I brought it solidly down on the head smashing it back into pieces and covering my back leg with green sap. With blood now flowing from the puncture wounds just above my hoof I look back to Lotus to spot one wolf making a dash for her. Pulling my gun close and Sighting carefully as the distance increased, I squeezed the trigger in my magic to fire another round of buck shot. 

Eight shells remaining 

I could barely make out two lead balls ripping out the back legs of the wolf, a few going wide and one tearing through its muzzle. Falling to the ground it struggled then spun to look at me, green glowing ooze pouring out of its shattered muzzle.  Now that the pony in danger had gotten away, now it was my turn, but oh how fate had better plans for me. Suddenly I felt so much heavier and my breath was stopped.  The last of the wolves had jumped on my back and was now clenching his teeth around my neck. To be fair, this was a wolf. Main strategy? Grab neck and choke target. 

My nightmare from that night flashed threw my head as I struggled to take a step forward and fell to my knees. I could see the other wolves reforming themselves and starting to look my way. Eyes going wide and starting to tear up I spun the shotgun around and jabbed the muzzle brake into the wolves’ eye and squeezed the trigger. Its head exploded and what was left of its body fell limp onto the ground next to me the wolf then burst into sticks and bark. 

Seven shells remaining 

Brushing off the jaw remains in a bit of a panic from my now blood and sap soaked neck and head, I got back to my hooves to start moving away from the now half reformed wolves. I trudged forward trying to rain in my emotions. Fear was holding fast and not letting go as another wolf started its attack after pulling itself back together. Eyes shrunken from fear I spun around and blasted it away with another round. Shaking in place I started backing away as the other four stared me down from the remnants of there fallen friend. The smell of fresh cut tree limbs along with the damp smell of the forest was filling the air more and more as this continued.

Six shells remaining

“Get back! You can’t win this! Wolves will not attack if they can’t win a fight or will get hurt!” Oh, duh! Stupid me, the bloody things will just pull themselves back together! Shouting was going to do squat. The wolves keep up with me as I keep backing away a bit faster. One steps onto a twig and the snap rings out through the forest. In a spasm of fear and adrenalin the KSG snaps to said wolf and squeezes the trigger. My magic sprays a jet of energy backwards to counterbalance the anticipated recoil for the round but nothing happens, just the click of the hammer rings out as the gun jumps forward a bit. “No” I mutter as I quickly use my magic to flip the selector switch to the next feed tube. I could not pump the next round in time and a wolf was jumping at me. The other three split off in a dash to either side to surround me.  Horn flaring with crimson magic I pulled the gun in front of me just in time for the wolf’s sharp teeth to wrap around the pump and barrel as it tried to gnaw threw the hardened steel of my gun. 

Pushing back with my front hooves did nothing as the big wolf stepped forward over powering me and forcing me to fall backwards and off my hooves. Land square on my back I try to buck the wooden demon off but the hound was standing over me so much my back legs just missed landing between its hind legs. Pressing down on my shotgun and me in turn. I started to sink into the soft mossy earth of the forest floor. I spot one wolf lunging at me from the right side. Shifting my push to the stock and away from the barrel I force the muzzle down and with that the trigger was pulled. A one ounce lead slug forced its way right through the entire length of the wolf, right in its mouth, through its entrails, and shattering where I guess its pelvises would be, dropping it to the ground in a heartbeat. 

Five shells remaining

As the wolf to my right coughed up sap all over my side the wolf over me was whimpering in pain. The recoil from the heavy round had make the gun slide through its mouth catching and breaking some of its teeth along the way. With its assault lessened I pushed back at the barrel and got the wolf to turn its head so much the muzzle was now pointing at the creature’s shoulder. Pinning my ears back and clenching my teeth I pulled the trigger and watched another slug fly, this time it tore right through the wolf taking the right side shoulder with it. 

Four shells remaining

Now with the wolf over me falling to my left to block the other wolf on the same side I scrambled to my hooves. At this point my heart was beyond pounding in my ears and head. It was just about to explode out of my ribcage at this rate. I got up and started to run but there was another wolf dead center. Racking in the next round I aimed true and sent another slug into its chest a bit on the downward angle. 
Three shells remaining

Ripping in and bursting out just below the rib cage the wolf let out a gargled howl as sap filled its lungs just before it dropped to the forest floor and popped into its components of forest debris. Leaping over the pile I started finally bolting towards the path in true fear. Seconds later I was skidding out of the forest onto the path and pressing my rear legs into the dirt of the path to carry me back to Ponyville. I was home free! “Four down and I’m…” I need to shut up. 

The fifth wolf that had made a run for Lotus was running alongside me just off the path. Gasping for air as my neck dripped blood I took aim with the KSG and sent another round right for the wolf. But this one was picking up on my dropping stamina. Right as the round fired he banked behind a tree and the bark of the tree splintered from the slug making contact. Without losing a step the wolf then sped out from behind the tree and makes a beeline right for me and jumps baring his teeth. 

Two shells remaining 

Thinking fast I flip my gun over and pull the pump down solidly ejecting the spent round right at the wolf. The hot round finds its mark and lands inside the timberwolves mouth, warranting a yelp as the brass burns its mouth. Spitting it out was the distraction I needed to bring the butt of my guns stock to land square on its jaw throwing it to the ground. Now panting hard as I skidded to as stop I pull the pump forward to load the next slug and just like the others. I aimed the firearm and blasted the wolves head clean off. Stepping back I chuckled a bit as the animated wood fell apart. “That’s right ya bundle of sticks and magic! Human ingenuity will always win out! Ya mindless bitch!” stumbling back as blood dripped onto the ground from my neck and leg I slowly turned to walk away. Not too long after I was making one last turn in the trail. My eyes could see the end of the forest path just beyond the shadows. I had done it, saved the mare and gotten out alive. Hell yeah! Coughing I spotted blood splattering onto the ground and the taste of it in my mouth leading me to think that perhaps that darn dog had bitten through to my wind pipe and had put a small hole in it.

Suddenly things slow down, like the slow motion button on a play back, as I heard something snap to my left. Looking towards the sound I spot all five of the timberwolves leaping at once at me. Eyes slowly going wide my gun snaps forward and pulls the trigger. The angle of my gun that was hovering over my head would have allowed me to just barely take out two of the last wolves but due to my strained state my aim was off. I watched the lead slug zip right over the heads of the wolves. I rack the pump just before the wolves make it to me but my aim was not so quick. I watch as there front paws make contact all at once in the same spot and launch me from the path where I was walking and send me flying into a tree some thirteen feet away. Slamming into the tree back first my body wraps around the trunk a bit and I can hear a soft snap.  “GGRAAAaaa!” Oh stars above let that be a tree branch! slipping down I slump down to my hunches soon falling to my side. Lying there I watch in now the normal speed of real life as the wolves slowly walk up to me. My shaky magic lifts my gun and the five stop, wide eyes as if to see who would be shot. Pff as if it mattered to them. Lazily I point at one and pull the trigger. 

*click*

No shells remaining 

“I’m out.” The words sounded shaky and weak as if a scared filly had spoken them. With that the wolves seamed to grin, realizing the only thing to stop them had ceased to function.  One stepped forward and leaned toward to my right flank, opened his maw and sank his teeth into my bandaged side, the bandages suddenly turning red as blood soaked through in a matter of seconds. Yelling out in a blood curdling scream I smacked the wolf off with one hoof. As the wolf let go it tore flesh and the bandages off with it. “What is wrong with you?! What? Want to make me pay for your pain and lost food? Well go punch sand ya twig bitches!” what would explain the grins and bite. Pressing my hoof on the freshly opened gash I glare at the wolves. “ya, laugh it up timber fucks, If had the right shells I would burn you all for good!  Rain a ballistic volley through your fucking heads and burn out your innards!!” gritting my teeth and shout was all I could do at the moment. Sitting up so I could reach out with my right hoof and pick up my gun just to swing it at them like a club to try and push them back a bit. Looking to one another confused one of the wolves shoves the others aside as if getting tired of dealing with me. “If I just had a slug of magnesium I could burn you all alive!” I hissed. 

Well to my credit I did what I could. Saved a pony who actually mattered more then me. I’m sure some pony will find my gun and Celestia will have her day with it. Sitting helpless I watched as the wolves start to fight with themselves as to who would get to kill me first, I guess. Not like I was able to move any time soon do to my state and overwhelming pain and I bet they all knew it. As the bleeding from my wounds starts to make my vision blur from blood loss as I pass in and out of  consciousness. My head falls forward and snaps back up as if I was try to fight falling asleep. With next to no strength my leg holding my KSG drops to the floor still holding my gun in my hoof somehow. Strange sticky hooves. Blood spurts from one of the holes in my neck as I chuckle a bit seeing the wolves finally sorting things out. “Guess I could have made a decent escort or body guard. Ya, that would be cool. To guard her for a job in this silly place. Pff, haha.” More blood seeps out from under my hoof that was holding my torn flank. 

Lyrics from one of my most loved songs back home started streaming in my head and out my lips and I weakly sang threw gargled breaths. “It’s funny how these things can slip away: Our frail deeds. The last will wave good bye.” letting my head fall forward I cough up and spit out more blood. Looking down to my hind leg and gashed flank as crimson life flows through the holes in my hide. A grim smile flickers onto my face as my eyes start to go hazy. “It’s funny how the hope will bleed away, the citadels we build and fortify. Hahaha. Goodbye.” I could swear there was a flash of light just as my eyes slowly slid closed just as something grabbed ahold of my neck. By instinct I drew a labored gasp, but this was the last thing as I just lost strength to hold myself up. 























It was strange to suddenly feel like I was just sitting all alone in the cold. Guess this was it for me then. Guess I can finally escape from this nightmare in a way. My eyes traced upwards to see stars over me, like it was night and I was outside. I chuckled to myself “All lies. I find no tunnel of light here, only a cold night sky. Well that’s cool I guess.” I smile to the stars and close my eyes again. “Nothing like a cool night sky to calm me as I drift off to my death.” I realized it was my chance to make my final words and I was not going to pass this up. I would feel a warm tear stream down the side of my face as I grinned. 
“Send not to know for whom the bell tolls, for it tolls for thee.” 

Nailed it.























Something tugged, and hard. Not my at body but at my being, just like the gate when it pulled me threw. But this time it felt like warm tendrils and not thin? wires. A warmth also started to return to my core of my body. No longer the icy cold of lost blood that had almost clamed me. And a voice, as if whispering from thirteen yards away.

“Don’t you dare let it end now. Push back, fight back. There is always somepony waiting for you to return.” It sounded like something a good friend had told me from years ago. But it was not the same voice. It was older, yet full of understanding to what was happening. Not something just read out of a script. 

I felt that tug again but it was on my body now. My eyes shoot open and looked down just a bit to see one of the wolves gripping my neck, clenching tighter and tighter around my trachea again cutting of my breathing.  Acting on instincts alone I pull a bloody shell from my right side and slowly load it into the breach of the gun that was resting under the wolf. My eyes filled with fog and tears as I pushed the pump forward locking the action.  Pushing through the immense pain I slowly lifting the barrel to point up at the wolves’ chest. My horn flickers weakly as magic manages to grasp and pull the trigger. My hearing was muffled but I could hear a boom ring out through a relatively silent forest. Looking further down I can see the wolves eyes go wide and start to tear up with more of that green sap. It suddenly burst into flames and lets go of my neck to howl out in agonizing pain.  Gasping for air for the third time today and spitting up more blood as I coughed moments later. I was surprise the wolf did not burst apart or anything, Instead it just held together and burned. Is this how you actually kill a timberwolf? I could not help but wonder. Other wolves looked shocked as I lazily looked to them and they bolted away in fear leaving the one to burn in pain. 

The entire time I could not look away from it, don’t think I wanted to ether. My eyes continued to tear up and the tears run down my face, but I did not feel as if I was crying just, extremely said somehow. Wiping my eyes did nothing to stifle them ether. After a few seconds the burning wolf finally succumb to the flames and flopped down at my feet. One of its front paws trying to reach for something only to have it grab my bleeding leg. I wince in pain as the burning timber sears and burns my flesh and hair. Kicking franticly I knock it loose and kick it aside. With hazy eyes I look at my leg with a charred  section just over my hoof still steaming from the heat. 

“well, that happened.” I weakly whispered to no one.

Sitting there for a moment just resting I started to chuckle again as what happened hit me, and I started to sing again. “Night came and I broke my stride. I swallowed hard, but never cried.” Ok so that last part was a lie. Slowly over the course of I guess five minutes I was able to dry my eyes and stand on my own legs, using my gun as a makeshift crutch. That is, I was using it to lessen some of my shaking. Time dragged on as I made it back to the trail. Even longer to make it back to ponyville, coughing and wheezing the entire time from my neck which had more holes now. Through my darkening eye sight and hazy hearing I could make out two blue pegasus flying overhead. “Late and helpful as always, bloody wonder bolts.” Oddly they were headed toward Canterlot and away from town. “Yep, there goes my luck again.” Trudging through Ponyville at a pace so slow it alone was killing me. I was drawing just about all the eyes of every citizen in town as I left a trail of blood to my destination. “ya look but don’t touch, not like I’m bleeding out and in need of help.” Strange how no one even stopped to help or ask if I needed it. One or two ran off but I have no clue why. I’m going to have to ask about that if I make it out of this. Guessing by where the sun was I finally made it back to the library just after high noon with a small crowd following me. But why?

Right as I made it to the library the four guards rushed out to surround me and princess sun butt herself steps out and rushes over to me. “Hay guard guys?” I asked in a haggard voice just above a whisper. “Am I busted for something?” no reply “I am aren’t I? Knew I should have left a note telling mom I was out late.” I keep slowly walking forward without stopping and despite my sarcastic remark the guards don’t even crack a smile. Kill joys, all of them. 

“Where in Equestria have you been!? And what happened to you?!” Celestia almost shouts but I think my still bleeding neck had something to do with curbing that to just a raised voice. “You are a mess, where you the one who helped that spa pony?” she points to one of the guard “Quick Hoof, get the town doctor and surgeon. Be quick about it!” said guard speed off but at this point I just did not care if I was tended to or not. I had something to do, I think? Hell I may have forgotten. Dang blood loss.

“Helped? No sun butt, it was that other tard that ran off with a gun to the forest.” At this I continued walking and pushed past the remaining guard. Their faces where not that stoic anger but instead a bit more shocked and concerned. Guess they do have a heart under that steel plate after all. It was easy to get buy them as I did not stop walking toward the library despite one of them trying to help me even after I decline the help. “Now if you don’t mind I have something I need to do.” I stagger to one side before catching myself and walk past the princess. I spat blood at the ground near the princess’ hooves but was sure none of it got one her. “Thanks for the concern and the backup that never appeared.” 

Twilight pokes her head out of the front door of the library to see what was going on only to flinch back in horror as I walked over to her.  “Blank!? Are you ok? You’re bleeding!” she rushes out to meet me halfway. 

Looking myself over slowly I chuckle lightly “Hmm, would you look at that, so I am.” Turning my head abruptly to one side I coughed more to clear my lungs. “Well I’m back now so you can stop whispering into my head to pull me back from death now. Just going to, ya, take a nap now. Warm sun and all.” 

“What in Equestria are you talking about Blank?” the lavender mare looks past me at the princes and her guard only to see all of then shrug with a confused look on their faces. “We need to get you to the hospital! You could collapse at any moment! Come on, we can get nurse Read Heart to help fix you up.” Twilight pleads as she tries to guide me back into the library. 

“It was not you? Hmm, well that’s odd. But that nurse is going to hate seeing me again. And I’m not going to keel over at any moment” coughing more I slowly make my way under the balcony on the library despite Twilights nudging to re direct me. Grinning like a mad man, blood dripping from between my lips only helped make me look insane as I sputter  “I-I’m going to keel over w-when I want to and that’s right n-now.” I trip with my last step as my eyes roll back into my head and I fall lip into the grass under said balcony. My gashed and blood smeared right flank was facing up but twilight could just barely make out something under all the blood sap and forest debris. 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


“Is that what I think it is?” twilight points to one side of the stallion’s scarred flank and the princess along with some of the guard look at what she is pointing to. 

With a gentle but sly smile the solar sister nods “He must have realized something in Everfree and is much more of a citizen then he wants to think. There is no denying that now.” Just as Celestia finishes medical ponies arrive and jump in and start to load the mangled stallion onto a stretcher to get him to the hospital to be mended. Among them was nurse Read Heart and she was indeed shocked and a little peeved to see the blood stained sandy coat of this stallion. 

“not again”

> Chapter 5 Meetings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Staring at my computer I was going through the motions of it all again. Checking my web sites like Deviant Art, Face book, EQD, FA, tumbler, and other web comics. Leaning back in my chair, I glanced over at the second monitor and looked over the other open windows.   Weather?  Not much for the next day. Skype? Well, some folks are on, but let’s face it. Who would I feel okay to bother out of the blue? Shaking my head I just sigh, combing my fingers through my short red hair. 

“Hold up!” 

Looking around I suddenly feel as if I had done this all before. Slowly sitting back up in my chair I look through my computer room’s door. Nothing but the sound of people, I don’t remember inviting anyone, who is in my house? Pulling myself to my feet I walk out into my dining room to see my friends walking into the room looking around. Each of them looked, distraught. Like how after looking all over for something they start all over again at the first place that would be checked just to be sure nothing had changed or missed. With a bit of a chuckle I step forward out of the hallway to greet them. “Hay guys! what’s up? Did Tom forget his glasses? You have got too keep a hand on them sometimes I swear man. ” 

The four friends spread out around the dining table without so much as a word to me. Ok did I break something again? “ummm, hello?” looking from the tall gangly blond to the short girl with black hair, I reached out waving my hand in front of her face. “Clair please stop this. The joke is old now.” The woman’s long black hair shimmered as she turned away putting a hand to her mouth as if to hold back her tears.

“He is still not back, I don’t think he is ever going to come back at this point.” Tom points out as Clair turns to rap her arms around him, pressing her face into his chest. Looking around the room and past me Tom just sighs. “looks like the same as always, nothing moved.”

“But he has to! How could he just up and leave like that?!” a tinge of anger could be heard in Clair’s voice just behind all the sadness as she presses her face back into tom’s chest. I step back, my smile faded as fear started creeping into my face as I look over to the second girl. She was kind of round but about the same height as the first girl with short jet black hair. Reaching out to her I hesitate as she spins around to look at the two holding one another.

“We need to keep looking just in case he pops back up.” Rachel shrugs a bit looking off toward the third story loft. “Maybe he will change his mind or just come back like nothing happened.” She shrugged again as she looked to the final friend of the group. Yet another woman who was just slightly taller than the first girl but nowhere near as tall as Tom who was still holding Clair. She walked right past me and down the hall. It took me a moment before I turned around to follow her to see where she was headed. 

“Sam,” I whispered just enough for her to hear as she stopped and looked into my bedroom. “Please.” I begged “Say you can hear me. This is starting to hurt too much.” Holding my belly with one arm as if my innards where spilling out I reached to her shoulder with my free right hand.  As my hand came to rest on her shoulder it simply phased through like a ghost. Eyes going as wide as dinner plates I watched her as I took a frightened step back. “I’m not here.” I mumbled to myself as I started to shake with a gripping sadness and cold fear. But just before Sam turned around there was a sudden blue flash that enveloped everything in the house. 

Blinking to clear the blindness from my eyes I realized I was back in the dining room and all my friends where around the table playing Magic the Gathering. I could feel something was off but I had no clue as to what. Instead I was filled with overwhelming joy. “Oh I see! So no one is going to ask me to join?” I huffed in mock anger and all four of them spun to look at me and laugh. 

“You know we love to kick your ass man.” Tom boasted as Clair gently pushed him.

“Oh shut up! You know you whine when you get thrashed.” Clair beamed. With a grin I sat down at my place at the table and drew my cards. Looking to Sam next to me to see what she played I spotted something odd. She had three spells sitting and stacked on the table as if she thought they were mana.  With a slight wince I hatched a small plan and looked to my hand. I set down a mana, tapped it and set out a strong monster that should have taken over ten times that amount to summon. I wonder if this is what I think it is. Knocking on the table to signal my turn was done I look to Rachel and nod.

Taking a card and looking at what I just done the woman blinks in faux surprise and sighs “Man how am I going to beat that?! Oh I know! Full house! Read’m and weep boys!” she slams down her entire hand and grins like she had won a championship. Blinking in surprise I look back to Sam who is just staring at me astonished by the win, not a single word out of her mouth. I know she is much more talkative then that, so much more. What is going on? Looking back stunned at the strange turn of events Rachel just grinned at me. “I win and you know what that means right?” I slowly shake my head wondering what kind of game did they think it was? This is Magic the Gathering, not some poker game.

Rachel lightly punches my shoulder as she shouts “you have to tell me your secrets now!” looking back to the other three they were all leaning in as if I hand the secret to the world. “Ok, now tell us how guns are made.” with a quick turn back to Rachel I glared and started to get mad as a light bulb clicked in my mind. 

“What is my name Rachel?” looking at her she blinked and leaned back in her chair.

“Hey now, you tell me things, not you asking me-“ 

I cut her off slamming my hand onto the table as I got up. “WHAT IS MY DAMMED NAME?!” shooting a glare to Sam I bare my teeth “Why have you not said a word? You talk more then all of them combined!” looking back to Tom and Clair I hiss threw my teeth. “What the hell kind of game is this?! It sure as hell ain’t Magic!” with that something pulled at my heart like a thin wire, almost like with the portal. With a hitch in my breath I fell to my knees and backwards as the wire seemed to pull at my heart, making it feel like lead in my chest. As I fell back towards the hard wood floor I spotted something faint out of the corner of my eye up in the loft as everything suddenly flashed out of existence and I was falling threw a black starry night.  





















Face down in a white pillow my eyes shot open only to reveal the pillow in front of me. Wiggling in the bed a bit to feel the soft warm embrace so similar to my bed back home I glare into the fabric and mumble “I have been fed this lie before. I’m in a hospital again! Bloody hell!” lifting my head slowly I spot that I was indeed in another yet another hospital. Though looking out the window I could see night had fallen and the moon was out. Rolling over and sitting up so that I could I take in the room. I spot a mare standing in the door way just before the room lit up as the lights flashed on. My eyes twitching from the sudden shift in light. I mumble “Ouch~”

“Now tell me Mr Blank, just how many times am I going to have to pull you back from death? And what was that chanting I heard not a moment ago? Do you know another language?” she tapped her hoof to her chin as she tried to pronounce something. “{Rach heel?} What does that mean?” it was odd but I could actually tell she was pronouncing a human word, a human English word just by repeating what she heard? Rubbing my head with one hoof I shake my head. 

“One: I have no clue what you are talking about, that sounds like gibberish to Me.” unholy lies!!! Also she pronounced that name wrong. “Two: well I don’t know how many times this will happen to me, though, I kinda would have preferred that it would have been my last thing I did. Third and final,” I looked at the mare with a beaten-by-a-long-day look. “Can I just leave and just go home? That is if I’m clear to leave by ya word miss heart.” I glance at my front leg and spot a bandage where the blood or IV needle would have been. Hope blood type is a known thing here, or does it matter here? I wondered to myself. 

The mare stared at me for a moment and it was starting to get odd. The look in her eyes told me she was thinking something over. It almost looked like it was a cross of concern and some wonder. Before I could analyze more she looked away and shrugged. “You had lots of deep cuts, punctures wounds, possibly a cracked vertebra, and major blood loss. You have a few new stitches and more blood in you now so you are clear to go. Just take it easy for a day or two. If you feel sick or lightheaded just sit down for a little and eat something. Your back will recover in a few days, a week perhaps.” Stepping over to my bed side she helps me out of the bed and to my hooves. “Now be careful tonight. You just need sleep to get your blood back to normal but until then you may be a bit light headed. Oh and so you know, the princesses where here and Miss Sparkle, but you did not wake in time. So they left just as the sun set. You sure have some strange set of friends.” 

“I have no friends here in this world.” I deadpanned “The unicorn has not gotten that threw her head yet and I think cake flank just wants to pick my brain for information. And she is not getting it. As for Princess Luna? Hell If I know why she was around.” I muttered that last bit focusing on my hooves not slipping out from under me as I slid off the bed with her help.

With a furrowed brow and a harsh glare the nurse shakes her head “It is not a good idea to speak of the princesses in that tone Mr. Blank. The princess did try to take that thing away from your side but it seemed to be stitched to you somehow. Lifted your entire body just trying to remove it.” she points to the KSG still on my side and sighs as she puts a hoof to her cheek. “Seeing as we could not remove it at all and twilight insisted we not try any more, something about more harm than good. We left it alone and worked around it. Was not easy.” looking to my right side I could see my shot gun in its place and bandages weaving in and out from under it. 

“Ya that would be my odd keep sake.” With a flicker of magic the gun floated right in front of my face and I ran a hoof over it. “Sadly I think its run its course at this point.” There was a hint of sadness in my voice that I hoped red heart would not hear but that was wishful thinking. In a flash of speed it was right back on my side again and with a gentle crimson glow it affixed itself back to my flank in its holstered position. With a nod I thanked the nurse as she helps me into a wheel chair. After placing a hoof on my shoulder, withers? She smiles gently and nods as if to hint that she knew that I was hiding something and she knew it, but thankfully would not press that matter. With that the nurse pushes me out of the Ponyville hospital. “I feel like I should say something along the lines of. “See ya latter Miss Heart, but I feel that will sound wrong.” 

With a chuckle she nods “well if that’s how it is going to be with you, I will keep Dr. Horse ready for you and I will be sure to look after you. And I think you will make friends whether you want to or not.” As I slip out of the chair and stretch a bit I wave a little as she pushes the wheel chair back into the building.  As she walks back I could swear I could see her looking back at me with a strange smile across her muzzle, at that distance though, I could not identify it. With a sigh and shrug I start my way back to the library. 

“So help me if I start to know them as my friends before too long. I will do what I can to keep from making friends in a place I don’t belong in. I’m going to get back home somehow. Don’t think I’m going to be good for this world anyhow.” Escaping the lights that shone from the medical building I started to smile as I admired the night. Walking through the quiet town was surreal to me, calming even. The bandages covering my hind end, neck, and legs where making my movements slow and stiff, but it could not dampen the night’s effect on my being. Looking up into the cold air and slowly breathing out to see my breath something moved overhead. 

Tilting my head as I looked up into the dark night sky I could not see what it was flying, but rather I saw the void it made as it blocked out the stars behind it as it flew below them. As I watched what looked like a large bird fly off silently into the night it started me to wondering about the dream and the odd turn it had taken. Like something had pulled it away from the story that my mind was creating and tried to make up a new better one, and failed hard. Letting my mind wonder a bit I just barely realized I was passing the carousel boutique.

My ears twitching pulled me from my contemplating state of mind as I heard something splinter slowly. Like wood being stressed as something big slowly pressed on it. I found myself tilting my head and stretching my neck out to my right as if too look around the round building. Walking as quietly as I could as I made my way around giving a wide berth so as to stay far away from the building itself. Spotting the back door of the shop I also saw a faint light and a figure clad in black. It was odd to me that this figure needed a flashlight, I could see everything just fine by the light of the moon over head. “Is there something ya need from Rarity buddy? I don’t know the emergency but I’m sure if it’s about a dress she may oblige to help. Just ring the front bell.” I asked as I took a step closer. 

The beam of light pans over right into my face blinding me for a moment. As I winced and put up a hoof to block some of the light I could hear the stallion stutter as he responded. “W-what! Umm, N-no! It’s nothing.” With that the stallion backed away before completely turning around and bolting. I could see the flashlight go out just before he continued galloping away and around a far off building.  Shaking my head I started to turn away myself before a light was cast down from an upper window of the boutique stopped me.

I saw two pale hooves push up the sash of the window as a mare stuck her head outside to see what was going on. “What is going on out there? Cant a mare get some sleep at this ungodly hour?” Rarity’s voice was just as proper and smooth as normal, Have to admit that it sounds much better in person, pony I mean, then through a T.V. 

I could not help but grin and I bow a bit to the purple manned mare. “I do apologize for the disturbance miss. There was but a slight misunderstanding as to your hours of business. Said problem has been settled and resolved. You may go back to your dreams now miss Rarity. But when you wake I must ask that you strengthen the security and doors of your establishment.” Not going to lie but this was kinda fun. 

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes ever so slightly “Is that so, well, I must see to it I know who helped out in this matter. Do be a dear and stay right there for me. I would like a word with you.” she ducked back inside to ready herself. 

I simply grinned and nodded “As you wish miss” with a twitch of my tail I turned and started to trot off into the night. “Maybe later Rarity.” I whispered to myself as I trotted down the path to Twilights home. After putting some distance between me and the boutique I looked over my shoulder to see Rarity open the door that I was just standing before and I grinned even more. Looking around she eventually spotted me in the dark distance but not before I rounded the corner of a building and was gone into the night. I did kinda like to mess with others in this kind of subtle way. I would maybe like to meet her at some point, just not in the dead of night after I scared away some burglar. 

Just as I had passed a familiar looking joke shop in the shape of a jester’s hat I felt light headed from the trot and just stopped to sit down. One hoof ran through my main as I looked around the still town then looked up into the sky with a happy sigh. I really did love the night, so calm and no one around to kill it with talking. “Hurk!” the hell was that? letting my head fall back down I looked around to see a light blue pegasus mare holding one hoof to her mouth and looking like she was about the throw up. 

“umm can I help you miss?” I said slightly softer than a normal talking tone as I got to my currently shaky hooves. Sadly this aggravated my low blood level and I promptly sat right back down holding my head in one hoof. 

Eyes wide the pony shook her head violently and stepped back right before launching herself into the air and flying away. As the winged horse ducked behind a building I could just barely make out the sound of her empting the contents of her stomach. “Well, that happened.” Finding myself starting off into the distance I simply got up, having recovered from my dizzy spell, and continued on. It would not take me long to finally make it too the golden oaks library and my place below its canopy and balcony.  This was nowhere near home for me but at the moment it was all I had.  More tired than anything it was all too easy to simply flop onto the fantastically soft cool grass and drift off to sleep.  Had I known any better I would say I was asleep before my eyes had closed.

Sleep would be ever elusive as the nightmares racked my mind yet again that night. And just like before the nightmares would take a sudden turn into something I could not believe was fully my minds doing. I could see this becoming a problem for me and I was not happy about this.    

Waking up with a jolt as I was ejected from yet another false dream ending was more of a relief at this point then a pain. Gods, three nightmares in a row and I’m already fearing sleep. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes as those words echoed in my head I sighed. Slowly stretching my neck and four legs I found I had woken up just after sunrise. I wonder if Twilight or Spike was making anything right now? Man I need to get away from them more and not be so dependent on them. Just then a pain shot threw my right side as I had stretched my back leg. Hissing at the pain I moved to rub the afflicted flank with one hoof to find something peeking out from under the mass of bandages on my butt. 

Not wanting to peel back the gauze and tape I instead craned my neck more to get a different angle only to find out that it looked like a picture of a box corner, the rest still covered by bandages. Taking a slight gasp I flip myself over to my left side and flinched as my bandaged side pressed to the ground. It was worth the pain to reveal my unmarred, non-bandaged flank and the picture that lay upon it. Poking it with a hoof so to make sure it was real I slowly grin to find the picture of a simple small box with two shotgun shells sitting next to it. “Pff” I rub my face again as I pulled myself up and onto my hooves. “Looks like I am, in fact, a citizen of equestria. Gods have mercy if this stays when I get home.” Something started to pull at my mind as I realized this and I could almost make out something from it. Seeing as I was hungry this would have to hold off for a moment until I got food.

I trotted over to the front door and stopped just before reaching the handle. It was fixed from when I had stormed off and blown a hole into it with my firearm. Only realizing that just now as my ears laid back. Glancing back to the gun on my side I shrugged and pushed the door open. “Not like it will happen again anyhow.” I grumble to myself as I wander into Twilight’s and Spike’s home. Gently closing the door, as if to make up for slamming it before, my ears twitch and I look around the main lobby. Ears swiveling I could make out another voice coming from the kitchen/dining room. Being as quiet as I could be with hooves I make my way to the door way.

“-so I opened the window to find this strange stallion just sanding at my back door! It was simply creepy considering it was so late.” Rarity tossed her long purple main to one side and took another sip from the tea cup in her magical grasp. “So I asked him what was going on at that ungodly hour. He was so polite I almost thought I was still asleep darling.”  

Twilight chuckled a little as she bit into a slice of toast covered in jam. “So? What happened?” she nudged the fashionista on. 

“Well, he bowed and told me how there was a small problem about somepony getting my business hours mixed up and then recommended I make my shop more secure. I saw no pony but him so naturally I got suspicious. So I asked the stallion to stay put so that I may come down and have a chat with him. But when I opened the door he was gone!” the white mare rested her head on one hoof and sighed. 

This was about the time I realized the two were facing away from me and the kitchen. I could grab something and not be seen. “I looked around and could barely make out that stallion off in the dark just before he was out of sight.” Rarity continued as I found the plate of toast and started spreading some jam I found nearby onto it. “It was a shame too,” she continued “He looked strange and mysterious, covered in bandages and carrying something on his side. Oh I Thought I was dreaming for sure until this morning.” As silently as I possible I bit into the jam covered toast. Making the corners of my mouth lift in an oh so subtle smile.

Tilting her head the purple unicorn looks at her friend from over her toast and spots me out of the corner of her eye. A small grin slipped over her lips as the connections began to click as she saw my bandages. “What do you mean a dream until this morning?” the librarian prodded again as she looked back to Rarity before said seamstress could spot the unicorns eyes looking else ware. 

With a gentle sigh the fashion mare shrugs a bit. “For starters he was quite handsome as far as I could see in the dark, tall but not too tall. He was on the slim side but not for it to be unhealthy.  His main could have used some work of course. And those bandages, why was he so covered by them? ” As Rarity mused my ears simply twitched as I listened in. “Then this morning I saw the threshold of my back door had been deeply scratched up my something. I don’t think that stallion was trying to get in but I suspect from what I heard before I got to the window that he had scared of the ruffian who was.” The unicorn’s main bounced as she shivered realizing this fact. 

I had finished one slice of toast and had started on another, the entire time I was not facing the two mares but looking out the window just over the sink. That little tug in my mind from before suddenly made scene. Rarity’s story had brought to light something that had also happened before in the forest. Could not remember most of what happened then but one fact was suddenly plain as day. I wonder if I am meant to protect them? I wondered. On top of that I could make out another little detail that would make me see I was more a pony then I thought. As if it was my new mark telling me what was meant for me.

Twilight was all but giggling at this point just as rarity raised an eyebrow to her sudden elation. “The worst part of this is I did not get the stallion’s name. Just my luck some pony like that shows up and is gone without a trace, not even a name” 

“Ballistic Volley.” I nonchalantly spoke, still not looking at the mares as I could spot a familiar light blue pegasus glide by outside. Well she looks better than the last time I saw her, not all barffy at least. 

“EPP!” Rarity squeaked as she all but jumped into the air. The lavender mare just spun in surprise to look at me in shock. “Who are-?” the dress maker froze as she turned to see the stallion she was just talking about standing just behind her.

Twilight started to smile as she caught a glimpse of my cutie mark. “So that’s the name you have decided to use? Well its better then blank space.” looking back to her toast she takes another bite and follows it up with a sip of her tea. “Now would you care to explain what happened out in the Everfree Forest the other day? Celestia wants me to give her a report.” A bit of parchment and a quill appeared in front of her, ready to take notes. 

Quickly munching through another bit of jammed toast I gently glare at the librarian. “What! That was you who saved lotus?” Just before I could open my mouth to express my retaliation of telling anything to sun butt, I was interrupted by Rarity’s shocked response. Tilting my head to her as she covers her mouth surprised at what she just blurted out. “Sorry dear. But you mean to tell me you are the brave mystery pony who jumped out of nowhere to fight back five timber wolves just to save dear Lotus Blossom? How in Equestria could you have done that? Why you barely look injured.” 

Looking over my bandages and new stitches my head shakes back and forth. “Deep lacerations, massive blood loss, cracked spine,” I paused looking deep into Rarity’s eyes “And a near death experience that twilight pulled me back from? Forgive me miss Rarity but I don’t think I got out unharmed” the mares ears lay back as rarity rubbed the back of her neck. Twilight tilted her head a moment latter in confusion. 

“I did not call you back. I was back here and was worried but I had no clue what happened to you or where you were for that matter until Lotus ran back saying some crazy stallion helped her get away.” Looking to her tea the mare shrugs. “I have no idea what I could have done to even help.”

Biting into another slice of plain toast this time I nodded. “Well someone called me to come back “home” but I guess that does not matter now.” Trudging over to the table the white mare used her magic to fill me up a cup of tea to which I nodded thanking her for the drink as I sat down. “Well I guess I can explain myself and after that let rarity know why she needs to get thicker doors.” 

“Yes well,” Rarity cleared her thought. “Knowing why you were around my home so late at night would be nice, and a description of the pony to keep an eye out for would be most helpful.”

“Well after I explain what happened in Everfree I will explain why that may not happen.” After picking up the cup gently in my hooves I Take a long sip from the cup and I gently smile as the warm liquid flows down my throat. “Wow that’s good. Ok so Twi, where do I start?” I take another sip and close my eyes to enjoy the drinks flavor. 

“Well,” the book horse taps the quill on the rim of an ink pot that had materialized out of the ether as she thinks about what she last remembers. “Oh, you can start off with how you got past and away from the guard that was sitting right next to you.” Opening one eye to stare down twilight from behind my cup I sigh. 

“No, that sounds like Celestials’ question. I can start just after that for you. But I’m not giving away something that may save my hide one day from that solar flank.” I could see a tinge of anger in her eyes as I spoke that way about her mentor. “Sorry Twi.” Another sip of the tea and I set it down with a gentle clack of the ceramic. “Well from what I know of Everfree you have to be smart and work with what you have at that moment. That or be quick about gathering resources. Seeing as no one wanted to jump, well, I did. Not smart in hindsight but I now know that the Everfree is much more unforgiving then I had known.” 

“What do you mean by that?” rarity spoke up dropping a sugar cube into a fresh cup of tea.  

“The forest I thought I knew, was kinda, nicer. Any pony that would go in just got scared out of their shoes or disappeared. Nothing too gory, and those who were scared just got out by running. Thought I could handle it easily with my gun. So off I ran to try and find Miss Lotus. Was not hard ether seeing as there is only one path in and out of the forest from the Ponyville side at least. So I just ran the trail until I ran into her.” I took another sip and drained the cup of its warm essence. 

Quill twitching about over the parchment as she looks up to me from behind the scroll. “So what you knew of the forest is much different from the real one? Hmm, so then what happened? We know you charged in and shot a few scaring Lotus right out of her hide.”

“The poor dear said there was a loud bang from that thing you carry and one of the wolves just fell apart. How is that possible? Was it a magic spell perhaps?” Rarity interjects between sips.

Floating the KSG from my side it hovers just in front of my face enveloped in my crimson aura as I inspect the weapon, poking it with a hoof here and there. “This is what is called a gun, shotgun to be precise. It can hurl projectiles at unbelievable speeds and cause devastating damage. So yes one shot was all I needed to dispatch the timber wolves, but,” letting my head drop a bit my hoof gently comes to rest on the top of the floating firearm. “The wolves can regenerate even after a shot from this. After clearing a path for Lotus to escape I found it much harder to get away without the element of surprise no longer helping. With five of them I found myself using far more shells then I thought. An opening was presented to me and I ran, and after a time I thought I had made it out so I made the mistake of dropping my guard.” The mares shivered with ideas of what was going to happen in the story. 

“Well?” twilight and rarity exclaimed in perfect harmony. 

I looked up and regained my composure as I used my hoof to flick off some twigs crammed deep in the crevices of the gun. “The Timberwolves are much smarter then I want to believe. Using devastating teamwork all of them jumped me at the same time and launched me into a tree some thirteen feet away.” A shiver ran down my spine as that number left my lips and I remembered that snapping sound my back made. “My last round missed its mark and I was left with nothing. I can’t seem to use magic other than to hold this thing, not too strong ether so I was defenseless. One pony and five Timberwolves?” looking past my gun at the two I mumbled. “What do you think happened? I was played with. Slow bites and left to bleed out to within an inch of my life.” 

“Well you are still alive dear so you must have done something.” Rarity chimes in after a short silence. “Surely you did something to win the day and make it back?” at this point Twilight had sopped writing notes and was listening intently to my little flash back. 

“That’s just it. I remember them fighting over who would get to, well kill me I guess, that or revenge. But I blacked out, no clue what I-“ I posed a moment “did? Hold up.” Something caught my eye inside my gun as I was inspecting it and I held it up vertically to see inside the feed and eject opening on the bottom of the gun. A crimson glow grasps the pump and slams it back ejecting the last shell. My left hoof shot up and caught the shell before it could fall to the floor. My pupils shrank and my eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. My magic flickers and drops the gun on the table as I examined the round.

The girls shriek and jump a bit as the heavy gun falls and clatters on the table in front of them. “Volley! Watch what you are doing! That scared us!” Twilight shouts as her friend nods, Rarity slowly letting go of the librarian’s leg closest to her. Soon she took note of my eyes darting back and forth from my hoof and the gun. “Volley? Did you remember something? What is wrong?” 

“Fifteen shells.”

“I’m sorry dear? Come again?” Rarity leans forward with a hoof to one ear. 

Slowly looking up to the mares’ then back to my hoof “When I came to this world, your world. My gun was full. It has a fifteen shell capacity fully loaded.  Only slugs and buck shot where inside. This is a sixteenth shell.” 

“You could have miscounted. Understandable considering the circumstances” The book pony points out.

“Possible but not likely this time.” I turn my hoof to show a yellow shell covered in blood and some marred words on the side. “This is a round called dragon’s breath, a shell that fires magnesium projectiles. I. DID. NOT. HAVE. THIS.” I dropped the shell on the table and some of the dried blood flakes off. “And I think that’s my blood seeing as timber wolves seem to have sap or some ooze like gunk.” 

“Ok” twilight grimaces at the bloody shell and taps her chin. “So you have a shell in your gun you did not have before. Are you positive?” 

“Absolutely.”

“Well then, unless you remember anything after you blacked out then I guess this will stay unsolved.” just then the shell pops and vanishes in a cloud of red mist. In that moment it was clear to me. Like someone turning on the lights in a dark room to show an art gallery.

“After my near death something called and pulled me back to the living.” I slowly looked down to my bandaged flank. Reaching down I started to pick at the bandage and peel back the gauze. “I awoke to see one of the wolves clamping down on my neck with their mouth to choke Me.” the two mares gasped as I peeled half the bandage away from my side. Blood soaking the inside and gleaming as the teeth marks continued to heal beneath. 

“Volley! Cut that out! What are you doing to yourself? Do you want an infection?” Twilight calls out yet again as Rarity puts a hoof to her mouth in disgust.

With a quick flick I rip off the rest of the bandage and wince in pain as my flank lets me know how bad an idea that was. “There was a flash as I pulled up my gun and loaded something inside. I think I know where that shell came from.” I could now see my right sides cutie mark that the bandages had been covering. Same as the other side but the blast scar from the transformation had mired the mark near it. Shells gone completely but the box now looked like someone had torn it open. Placing one hoof to the tender flesh the mare’s just watched in sickening confusion. Moving to grab anything I pulled my hoof away quickly to reveal nothing more them my hoof. 

“Well that was surprising.” Rarity deadpanned “sorry was something supposed to happen just now?” she leans back into her chair as I try again and again, each time nothing happens. 

“Ok that’s enough. Quit poking your wounds and cover them back up. You don’t want to get infected do you?” twilight was starting to sound like a mom to me if she kept it up. 

“Where else would that have come from? My shells are not of this world and you saw that last one disappear just now. The other ones are still around somewhere, something is not right and this is the only idea I have, ok? So if you have any other plans then let me know. I remember I was laying there and I just. Look I’m not sure ok?” I looked forward to the gun and whined in defeat. Absentmindedly I reached to my right again and there was a gentle pop as I tossed a round onto the table was a clunk. Everyone in the room froze and stared at the red plastic and brass cylinder. “So I can’t think about it then?” I tried again but this time there was no shell produced. “Guess not.” 

Twilight just looked back and forth with a light shrug. “Well it looks like a summoning spell to me. But if that is not of this world as you say, then where are you summoning it from?” 

“Pff heck if I know,” during this time I had not stopped trying to pull more shells. “But if it gives me back to use of my KSG then I’m all for it!” the thirteenth attempt had rendered yet another 12 gauge slug. “See? I think I kinda get how it works.” Another failed attempt. “Ok I will need to work on this.” Reaching out and grabbing back my gun from where it had fallen I nab one shell and slide it into the first feed tube of the gun. It felt as if something deep in my mind was slowly nudging me on what to do. Was it my new cutie mark? Or something else? 

Reaching for the second shell I find it missing. “Hmm?” looking back to the table I spot Rarity holding the round in her magic examining it. “RARITY! NO! DROP THAT!!!” looking up just a bit from the shell the mare eeps as I use my magic to swing my gun like a bat to swat away the round out of her grasp. 

The lavender pony pops up after she had ducked from behind a chair to see the round rolling on the floor across the kitchen “Good heavens?! Was that really necessary? I was just looking at it, that’s all!” slipping off my chair I walk over to the round and pick it up. Moments later it is slipped into the shotgun safe from others. 

“Those little things are dangerous Rarity.” Twilight sighs and gets back onto her chair. “Just one can do massive harm all by itself.” I turn to walk back in such a way that shows off my defaced flank to the upstanding lady just before the firearm finds its way to me and sticks to my flank, covering said scar.

“Don’t mix gunpowder and magic. It explodes if you do. Just, just pick them up with your hoof, but not by magic.” I warn as I take my seat back at the table. 

“Well,” the mare prims her main to cover up her scared look. “Back to the story I must admit something.” She looks over to the book horse “What is magnesium that our friend here mentioned?” 

“I don’t have any friends in this world, understand?” 

Looking back at me twilight lays her ears back. “Still don’t want to make friends hmm? Well Rarity, magnesium is a metal that can catch fire. When it burns it is so hot not even water can extinguish the fire. In fact it can make it worse” the mare’s ears pop back up in a slight surprise “so burning a timber wolf will kill it? Why did I not think of that before?” 

“Hard to think when you are running for your life.” I respond.

“Yes, well, it is good to know that we now know how to push back those brutes.” the white mare nods. “Maybe now you can explain why you were at my home in the dead of night?” setting her tea cup down for the last time she looks towards me quite intent on my response. Miss Sparkle followed her lead but with a bit more of a blank look. 

“Simple,” using my hooves I slowly pour myself yet another cup of tea. “I was on my way back from the hospital last night when I was released and I found myself walking by your home.” Setting the teapot down and taking a sip from the fresh cup I hummed happily. “There was a stallion, clad in black, trying to force his way inside your establishment threw the back door and I scared him off.” Before I could give it more thought I reached back and pulled another shell out of my side “Ha!” loading it into my gun quickly I take another sip of tea. “Hence why I recommended beefing up the doors and locks.”

Rising one eye brow the fashion designer sighs. “So, a burglar thinks he can steal from me? Well I must say I’m not pleased by this. But it is not the first time. Very well.” the mare gets up and looks right at me with those sapphire eyes and smiles gently like she has a plan. “First I must thank you for what you have done. Will you come with me so that I may pay back this debt?” 

Eyeing the pony and taking a long sip from my tea I shake my head just a bit. “I have done nothing to garner your generosity for which you are so known. So no.” To keep from getting lulled into something by her looks I turn my head to twilight as if to start an important conversation, only to see her shooting me a mad look. “What?” and did I just look away to not fall for the looks of a pony? I’m human, I’m human, I’m human.

“Done nothing!” Rarity steps back in shock. “Sir, you single hoofedly saved the life of my friend Lotus Blossom.” Her hoof pokes at my side as if to point this out, to which I wince in pain. “So I wish to thank you in my own way. Are you going to be so rude as to decline a gift from a lady? Or will you accept?” I did not need to look to know she was batting her eyelashes at me in an attempt to lure me in. I’m human, I’m human, I’m human.

Still looking to twilight I silently try to get her on my side. I should not be surprised to know it would not work at all. She was glaring at me instead and gesturing me to accept the gift. Scrunching up my face I turn just my eyes to look at the element of generosity. “It was nothing ok? I’m not looking for praise or gifts so just put that out of your mind now, ok?” there was a slight glow from Twilights horn as she conjured a spell to slap me upside the head. As the force was to hit me it simply washed over my head and dispersed into the air. Rubbing my head in confusion as it just made my head tingle the mare blinks and grumbles. The next time she just hits me with the spine of a big book instead. “OUCH! Ugg fine, I get it!” I role my eyes and my hoof is now rubbing the bump on my skull.  “Ok Miss Rarity, I will accept your gift.” Lowering my head in defeat all I could do was grumble. Can’t be friends with the main six, come hell or high water. Not as long as I know their fates, even if the elements try to force it, well except pinkie. That is a battle I’m NOT going to fight.

“Excellent!” her pale manicured hooves clap together as she reaches for my foreleg to pull me away. Pulling said leg away I shake my head a bit as I get off the seat on my own terms instead of being pulled into a fall off the chair to the floor. Rarity puffed up in a bit of anger that I shook off the small show of her affection. My ears swivel to pick up a sigh from twilight as I follow miss Rarity out the door and to her shop. Looking over my shoulders I could see her shaking her head and looking over to a sleepy spike, who just woke up. The librarian was looking worried, like she was about to fail a test. Will have to ask about that latter.

“Come along Mr. Volley, it is rude to keep a mare waiting you know” she was standing just outside the door and making a pouting face. “Most would jump at the chance dear.” 

“Well I’m not most.” looking forward I start out the door pulling it shut behind me. Truth be told I was worried about Sparkle, but hiding that fact will have to stay a priority. Right now it’s best to just get this thing with rarity over with then back to the library to try and sort out when the session two opener would start. Discord is going to be a pain to avoid if at all possible. 

The walk to Rarity’s boutique was mostly silent, but that’s not to say it was boring. As we walked through town with just about every other pony looking at me funny the mare I was following followed suit. Looking back at me almost threw me in a way, after a moment she smiles and speaks up. “So tell me, where are you from? Surly you can’t be just a drifter that happened to be in the right place at the right time.“

I wonder if it would have been easier to just say yes I was. That I happened to be in the right place at the right time. No, then things would go south when she talked to twilight more and found out how I’m camping outside the library and such. “Well I’m from out of town, heck it would be safe to say that I’m not from this land. Getting pulled here was not my doing as well, forced here is more like it.“

“Is that so?” the seamstress ponders a moment before her next question is formed. “How about miss Sparkle? You and her seem to know one another, care to explain how some pony from so far away as you put it, knows her?” 

Aww man, how can I put this so I don’t have to explain I watch a show about them. Time to spin the truth. “well remember how I said I was forced here?” the marshmallow nods “Well in a simple way to put it. I’m part of an assignment from Celestia. If you want to know more about that, ask her or twilight yourself. I’m not elaborating on that anymore.” Out of the corner of my mind I mutter to myself. Wonder if I can pull a slug right now. Trying not to think about it too much I reach back and surprisingly pull a slug shell from my flank. Cool! It worked right! Loading it into my gun I continue on. “Bit of a burden if you ask me.”

Blinking away the confusion the unicorn trots up alongside me and poked my gun with one hoof “There is more to this and you that is not being told my dear Volley.”

Lifting my head up a bit I nod “There is, and always will be, more to it than that. Only time will tell how much I will tell you six and the princesses.” 

“Six? My friends?” the seamstress blinks. “How do you know about the six of us? Have you seen the others already?” 

Shaking my head I look back to the mare “Not yet but I have met-“ stopping suddenly I slowly look to my left, like somepony was pulling my head. All I was met with was a blinding pink mare with the biggest smile and a silly looking pink cart with balloons and a big red button on its front just behind the falling tongue of the wagon. “Pinky! It’s about time!” With a grin I face the baker and lower my torso down like a puppy ready to play and letting my short tail flick back and forth. “Ok what have ya got for me!?” 

Rarity watched on, shocked yet again at my sudden change of face. She must have assumed this was just Pinky’s doing as she slowly stepped back. “Well your new in town so I wanna give you the “welcome to Ponyville” treatment!” the hyper mare sing sang. “You’re my newest friend so I want you to smile and feel welcome!” 

I could feel my eyes widen as I looked past the pink mare to her cart and giggled. “Is that what I think it is? Are you going to use it?!” 

With an over enthusiastic nod pinkie boops the button and the cart pops open revealing waving banner flags, an oven, and horns alongside it all.  Music starts to play as the party pony bounces around with a big bass drum and top hats. Happily grinning along with this all I watch Rarity try to weather it all but she winces at the drum beats. Knowing full well what is about to happen I poke at the mare next to me as the pink one keeps bouncing around and singing. Pointing to a spot off to the side she trots over, and then looks back at me as if to ask, why. In that time my KSG lifts free from my side and gently floats next to said fashionista, muzzle pointing down for safety obviously. Now sitting back on my haunches, I grin slyly at her as the song finishes and pinky pie slides in stopping between me and the cart smiling wide. Suddenly the oven on the cart bursts open, confetti blasts forth in a gust of streamers and covers me and the baker’s coat but tangles in my short red main and tail. A moment later the cannons alongside the oven bulge up and fire cake batter into the sky. The batters trajectory indicated it would in fact fall right on me and pinky. Now completely coated in unbaked cake batter I wipe away the batter and laugh along with the pink mare next to me. “Put the confetti in the oven and the cake in the cannons? You need to watch out for that mix up there pinky.” Tapping my hoof to my chin I grin as I lick some of the batter from my muzzle “or not, ether way.” 

“Oopsiy!” the hyper horse giggles. “Well it’s still good” she steps back out of all of the batter leaving a hollow shell of it behind, eating it all in one bite to clean up the mess. “yumm!” looking to my hoof I simply licked away some of the batter and nod. Oh it was fantastic, even if it was not cooked. Gods above I will need to try one of her confections sometime in the near future, cooked of course. 

“How did you…?” Rarity pointed to me then the malfunctioned cart and then back to me. 

“Spoilers dear miss, spoilers~” shaking free most of the batter and licking what was left that I could reach I look back to pinky. “That was the best welcome I have ever had or known! Thank you, truly! ” With a gentle bow I take a step back. “Well, with that I must go for now as this fine mare here,“ I motion over the boutique owner in question “seems to have a gift for me, I have no clue what it is and it is eating away at me with each minute that passes, so I must find out soon. Until then, see you around?” 

The energetic pink mare saddens a bit but nods. “Awww but I finally found you. But if it is a gift from Rarity then it must be good. So I guess I can catch you latter. Ok, next time!” suddenly snapping back to her normal domineer the party mare bounces off as if nothing had happened. 

“Oh! And next time, try to fix that mix up with the batter and cannons,” I posed for a moment and shook my head with a bit of a chuckle. “Or not, It may work out better if you forget.” With a wave the bouncing ball of pink waves and hops out of sight, her party cart in tow. With that finally dealt with and out of the way I turned and nodded to the unicorn next to me. “Onward then?” With a gentle nod we were off again, but said mare could not take her eyes off me. In fact she seemed to be strait up glaring at me? Why?

“For your sake I do hope that was not a show!” she scolds.

Looking at rarity from the corner of my eye I simply shrug a bit “Vague, going to need more than that to respond. Please define.”

Her cheeks puff up a bit in irritation. “Don’t take me for a fool sir. Pretending to look so happy and cheery around pinky, putting on a show that almost had me fooled, then the moment she is gone the smile is replaced with that blank look and your energy drops back to normal. How could you? Why miss lead her like that? And what of this ‘I have no friends in this place’ comment then make friends with pinky!” 

Well I did this to myself; I did not hide the transition. “It was the best way out of an otherwise troubling situation.” Reaching back to my flank yet again I was able to pull another shell from my side “buck.”

Stopping and grimacing at me the mare stomps her front hoof to the ground kicking up a small cloud of dust “excuse me?!”

Looking back my ears pin back a bit “ok I can explain why I appear to be a jerk but to do that I CAN NOT have any one hear this ok? Look, can we just get to your shop so we can discuss this in privet?” 

Glaring at me she nods “fine, it’s just across the next opening in the town.”

“I know” I grit my teeth a bit and turn around to continue walking. Only some hundred feet was all that it was to her shop. I was inside before I knew it and was yet again having daggers shot at me by the owner of the boutique. 

“Ok so the fact is I know you, I know Pinky, I know about this land, the elements, what is to come of it all for some time, you’re other friends and more. But I can’t say how or what I know lest I ruin the outcome of it all in the flow of time. And because of that I can’t be friends with any of you except of course for Pinky. Not being her friend will not be good for me or her, more me then her.” Sitting down on my flank I look back to rarity with a slight sense of pride in some unknown task. “I must stay away from key ponies and events. In doing so I cannot help you or some others. Thus I cannot befriend others. Lest I falter in this I may cause un-known problems and thus harm this land and its inhabitants.” I gave her some time to take this in so she could respond. 

“You know the future?” she looks into my eyes and takes a step forward.

“To an extent, yes” I relax my face to its default. As a human I was told this looked like a slightly grumpy blank expression. 

“This stops you from being friends with any one?” another step forward, she is now about three feet from my muzzle.

“Like I have told twilight, what friend can I be to others when I disappear at hard times with no warning or intent to help said ponies threw it, even when I know precisely how.” 

“But you saved some pony.” Another step forward and she turns her head a bit to stare at me with one eye into my own.

“I can work between the lines and behind the scenes. But I’m not sure how far I can push that.” despite trying not to move and hold my ground I find myself leaning back just a tad. 

“If you can, will you help when you can? Like with Miss Lotus?” her look was stern, not angry but just, unfazed. 

My eyes shrank a bit as I held back a grin. “I think that speaks for itself hmm?” I leaned forward a bit and to my own surprise, made Rarity leaned back away from me. “To my last shell and breath as it seems. Still not quite sure why ether, but I’m not complaining ether per say. But I cannot help you or your friends in some key times.” 

“Well then, you can still make friends yet. And whether you realize it or not, you already have some.” with a quick nod she prances off to her desk and grabs some things with her magic. “Now if you will kindly stand there, we can get started.” Pointing to a round podium she affixes her red rimmed glasses for the oncoming work. 

Getting my butt off the floor I trot over and step onto the platform. “Making friends already? Well looks like I’m not doing a good job and need to keep others farther away from me if you are right. Just can’t have ties like that when I’m still planning to leave at some point. And what are you doing? I thought you were mad at me for what I did? Which by the way was no act, I intend to be friends with Pinky, JUST Pinky.” she began to trot around me looking at my body and frame. Moments later she was measuring me all over, taking notes as she did. 

“Fitting you for my gift silly, I have an outfit that I think may work for you. I was mad, well, still am. I don’t know about you and I don’t think what you told me is true-” 

“About that, try not to tell others got it? Let’s keep this on a low key.” I interrupted witch garnered a glare from the dress maker. 

“Fine.” flipping her main out of the way she continued with a few more notes. “As I was saying, despite if what you say is true or not, You did save one of my friends and look to do the same given the chance. So I’m not too mad. But your outlook needs to change a bit darling.” Putting away the tape she nods and trots off into the back only to return with some clothes on her back. Lifting them and a needle with thread she makes the necessary adjustments. “Done! That was much simpler then I had planned. Guess you got lucky as this outfit was almost your size to begin with. Now try this on for me Mr. Volley so we can see how this fits you.” With a small sigh I grabbed the cloths and fumbled at putting them on. After some struggling and one awkward moment I was finally adorned in my new outfit. Turning around on the pedestal to look at myself in the mirrors to see this new look. Even with all the bandages binding up underneath it did not look half bad.

It was a dark gray in color and the sharp points of the collar matched my eyes, both unmovable as Rarity would put it. A small pocket centered on my chest was in the perfect place to quickly grab anything it held. Epilates gave an air of authority but where not decorated as to not stand out or distract, their sole decoration being the black button fastening down the epilate to my sleeve. The sleeves themselves where loose and rolled to a cuff midway down my foreleg. They allowed me to move freely but did not constrict me, but they were not so loose as to catch on anything I would run past. There was a utility belt with a large pocket I would say was about 8 by 6 inches connected to it. My pant legs where cut similar to the sleeves and rolled into a cuff that covered some of the boots I was given. Said boots where all black, hell dark as the night itself even. Looking kinda like combat boots, helping to provide extra protection from any debris. Three dark straps secured them to my legs and also matched the epilates on my shoulders, but one of the straps to the boots was hidden behind the cuff of the pants leg. The hole dark gray outfit and black boots were a stark contrast to my fire red main.

The whole thing made it look like I was some bad ass hero who would save all who I looked after. At this thought I could not help but stifle a chuckle as I observed my gift. “Wow Rarity, this is.” I turned a few more times looking in each of the mirrors surrounding me so see all the angles. “This looks amazing.” Saying I was holding back a smile would be an outright lie. 

“Well thank you darling. I must say, I could not find anypony to sell this to. Nopony looked good in it as well as you do now. I almost lost hope on it until I saw you that is.” Using her magic she pulled and tugged at key points to make sure there was the proper amount of fabric and used a small bit of thread to fix one or two problems. Stepping back and looking me over she smiles. “All finished darling! I hope you enjoy my gift.” 

It was perfect, even though I was used to walking around naked, after getting changed that is, it was nice to be covered again none the less. Guess that was the human still in me. Best of all it was covering up my gashed side. It was not bothering me much but the looks others gave where starting to get annoying.  Hopefully this would help me blend in a bit with others. That is until I realized most pones don’t cover up this much all the time. I would guess cloths would help better than a large scare on my flank. “It’s awesome Rarity, I’m more than happy to accept this from you now that I see it.” looking over my shoulder I gently smile a bit. “Element of generosity is no lie.” Getting a small blush out of her I look back to my image and something catches my mind as I mess with the pocket on my chest. “Say, mind if I ask where Sweetie Belle is? Or the other CMC? I’m just a little surprised at how quiet it is around here compared to what I know of your shop. 

“Hmm?” looking around the mare shrugs. “I don’t know who you get your information from but it is like this from time to time. More often then I like some times.” The mare looks off a bit dejected as this was a reflection of how her business was doing. “But my sister is off on a class trip to the Canterlot gardens. Oh how I wish I could have gone. I hear they are fantastically gorgeous. Oh! And the garden parties are to die for. Umm, Volley? Are you all right?” she walks over and waves a hoof in front of my frozen face. Still looking calm like before I struggled to keep that look. 

“Canterlot gardens? Filled with statuses?” my eyes slowly look to the unicorn who at this point just looked confused as she nods in confirmation. “Oh, ok, well, it’s time for the season opener already then? Bloody hell.” 

> Chapter 6 Season 2 Starts 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  “Sorry I don’t quite understand” the white mare leans her head back. “Season Opener? Like when we clean up winter?” 

I had to shake my head a bit to rattle it free from the surprised lock it was held in. I look to the mare and chuckle weakly “He he, sigh, Naa it’s something else altogether.” I wave my hoof dismissively and hop off the podium. Stretching and bending to test the new outfit I had on and I found it appropriate to complement the maker “Man Rarity I need to hoof it to you, this outfit is nice! It feels so, normal.” Guess I still was a human at heart if I felt normal being covered up like this. I muttered inside my head. “May just keep this one on all the time.” Not like cartoons ever changed their outfits anyhow.

“Why thank you dear!” she takes a small bow and smiles just enough to show her pleasure but not so much to be unlady like. “I make much more than just that so if you ever want to change anything just say the word. But remember,” she turns to walk to a desk to put away her glasses and measuring tape. “This was a gift, other garments will cost you Mr. Volley. I do need to make a living after all.”

“But of course fair maiden, I fully understand.” With a slight nod I just had a small idea. Maybe I can work behind the curtains of this show I’m stuck in. Thinking about how the opener worked I suddenly realized a few loopholes as it were. Like how did some of the main six just show up at AJ’s farm? Tapping my chin with one hoof I glance outside one of the windows and nod. “Speaking of garments, do you have rain gear Rarity?” I trot over to the window to get a better look outside and I spot a pink cloud, perhaps the first one?

“Well yes I do. I have wares for all the seasons darling. What kind of fashion boutique would this be without a little of everything?” pointing over to a small section of the store to show the rain and winter outfits of the seasons fashion.

“Put on the good ones.” Turning around to look at the mare I smile at her and made my way for the door with a bit of a rush. “I think Apple Jack would love to see your best rain gear down at the farm. You know she likes the practical things.” 

Blinking in surprise she stares at me “Excuse me? Now why would I do that? There is not a cloud in the sky until tomorrow and I know AJ would not go for that style. Whether she knows what is good for her or not.” She flicks her tail as she looks back to the rain gear on the racks. 

“Just, just trust me on this? You hardly know me and I understand that, well, that and you probably don’t like me much right now for that stunt I pulled with Pinkie. But go to Sweet Apple Acers with the rain gear and on my word I am sure it will be put to use. You will see.” I bow so much that my nose almost touches the floor in an effort to try and sway the mare to head my words.

Leaning her head back a bit Rarity looks around as the strange moment grabs hold until she breaks it by trotting over and putting a hoof to my withers “Oh that’s not needed Mr Volley, please get up. I will go if this means so much to you. Despite how you act to my friends.” After I lift myself up she shakes her head with a sigh. “This is your one chance. Mess this up and I will not only lose trust in you but I will charge you more for cloths, Got that?” I nod with a chuckle and quickly turn to open the front door, that and hide the shocked look I had on my face for fear of how much the one I had on would cost to replace.

Who knew Rarity would be that shrewd? Well I am a stranger asking favors and she is running a business so, yeah. I wonder. But she is generosity, perhaps it’s a bluff?  I see one pink cloud speeding towards a normal one that looks like Dash is sleeping on. The rainbow colored tail did give it away. “Got to move faster.” I mumble to myself. “See ya Rarity! Do the thing please. You will not regret it!” for my sake I hope she does not ether. I dash out the door heading towards golden oaks library. “For Equestria dear.” I chimed out in a sing song tone.

Rarity stood in the open doorway and looked to the sky only to see a few clouds and one pink one dashing away at a strangely fast pace with Rainbow giving chaise. “Hmm, perhaps I should pay AJ a visit after all.” Shutting the door Rarity starts to get ready to visit her farming friend.

Galloping towards the old oak I glance to the unicorn citadel that’s Canterlot. Lifting one brow I could swear I could see something moving around in the sky up there. But it was so small it could have been any number of things, or just me going mad. Could be the first sign of me being sleep deprived from the nightmares, but for the moment I think I’m ok. Maybe?  Even with my bandages binding up under my new threads I skidded around a corner easily to spot the oak that was growing in the small town. Slowing down to a trot I tried to catch my breath and was happy to realize how simple it was. Perks of being equine I guess. Stopping just short of the door I take a slow breath as I shake my cloths and adjust the bandages underneath so as to fit a little better. Without thinking I reached back and drew another shell from my side. “Slug.” with that I slip the round into the shotgun’s feed tube and the gun hovers back to its place on my butt. Pushing the door open I yell softly to garner some attention “Hay Twilight! You still here? I have something to ask of you!” 

Without looking at me Spike chimes in as he shelves some books from a small cart “Try the back, she was doing a paper on old spells last I saw her. Knowing her she is still there.” Catching me by surprise I glanced over to the drake and nodded bit.  He gives me a thumbs up to  acknowledge me as he keeps shelving the books from the small pile on the cart. Trotting to the back I was trying my hardest to keep a straight face and a level tone in my voice just to keep others from picking up on my distress and worry that was slowly but steadily building. 

Oh gods above why Discord? Pushing open the door with my muzzle I spotted Twilight behind some books with a quill magically scratching away on a scroll next to her. “Umm Twilight?” how could I trick her like Rarity? Could I? Did I even trick Rarity for that matter?

Glancing up she references a book floating just over a much bigger book that was laying open on the floor in front of her.  “Yes?”

Thinking as fast as I could I try to play to the magic using scholar in her “What happens if you use a spell and it goes bad?” 

“Backfire, Rebound, Miscast, or a failure is the common term. Anything from a flash of bright light to an explosion can happen, some times more even.” Her ear twitches as she nods and scribbles more down onto the parchment. I was surprised she was talking, in that one episode she would not even look up or say more than a grunt.

Walking over but still staying back to give her space I nod “Ok I know that much, but are there ways to fix it or stop it? Like a reset button or something?” sitting down on my haunches I just hope I can push this in the right direction. 

“One could set up an ether flux regulator to restrain the flow and lessen the effects. Barriers could contain the backfire or the spell itself.” Another note is scribbled down and the book floats away as another takes its place. With a slight pause the unicorn looks past the book eyeing me “Why do you ask?” her ears perk up and she suddenly looks quite exited “Are you going to try and cast something? Do you need help?! Oh! Let me get another roll of parchment and I can give you some notes to study first.” 

Waving my hooves back and forth I shake my head “No, no, I’m not doing anything just yet. Was just wondering what could be done if a spell is cast and the effect was not what you wanted. How could you put things back? Like if you changed something from red to blue but wanted green.” man she did not even realize my new outfit, I should not be surprised too much, or care much for that matter. She is in her study mode after all. Even at this thought my ears lower showing my thoughts.

“Failsafe spell comes to mind. It can break spells and reverse the effects of lots of wayward magic depending on how much magic was used on the first spell and how much is powering the failsafe spell, Why?” Tilting her head as she sets down a book that she was holding in her magic and the librarian looks past me as her horn lights up. A thick brown book slides off the shelves in her magic hold and drifts to her and she holds it up to see. “Here we are: Ether Effects and How to Control them.” 

“Cool! Well I think there are some strange things going on at AJ’s and I have no skill to cast such a spell. Do you think you could take Spike over and help her out?” faking a smile a bit I point in the direction I could only guess was towards Apple Jacks farm. 

Narrowing her eyes at me and stepping out from behind her books. The mare walks towards me looking me up and down. “That’s a nice outfit Rarity gave you.  When did you have time to stop by the farm?” ears pinned back the unicorn was on to me. And it’s about time she saw my attire! And why do I care?

“Well you sure can spot flaws in details. I will be sure to be much more carful next time.” Turning toward the door and spot Spike threw its threshold. “Fine! Season opener Twilight. This is what I was talking about. Just go to the farm ok? And bring that spell book with you, Spike as well.” 

With a gasp Sparkle dashes in front of me blocking the door “This is the information you were talking about? What’s going to happen? Should I wright to warn the princesses? What should I do? What should I bring?” 

Turning my head away from her I grit my teeth “That’s all I can say. Don’t ask any more of me. I’m not sure I can escape this ether to stay out of it. But don’t tell the princess, solar will send a letter for ya anyhow. Until then, please go to the farm.” The purple unicorn steps back and gasps. Putting a hoof to my big mouth I realized what I may have done and pointed to the door. “Just get going!” 

Nodding as her face shifts to that of a sterner look she turns for the door with the book in her magical grasp. Grabbing  Spike as she headed out to her friend’s farm and to AJ’s aid.  It was not long before I heard the front door close. Standing back up I slowly walk into the front room and look around at the books. “Gods above I hope I did not mess things up. Maybe this is how it all works?” I ponder to myself as I look around the room itself. Could I truly work behind the scenes in the show or was I actually the force at work in the show? Was I just playing a part that was never seen to begin with but always there? Oh this line of thinking is problematic to my mental state, sleep deprivation not helping. Rubbing my eyes something catches my ears and makes them perk up. It was a faint chuckling that seemed to radiate from the books around me. Almost like I was mistaken to hear it but after I rubbed my ears and walked over to one wall, I realized it was in fact the books.  One in particular actually, an old tome on a high shelf labeled: The Elements of Harmony, A Reference Guide. Staring at it I sat down and started to get annoyed as my head bobbed as I fell asleep for just a second before I popped back to reality. “Considering the events about to unfold I have a dang good idea what is going on. You are not going to catch me by surprise Discord!”  I was surprised he came right to me first. Wonder why, out of all of equestria, why would he do that? 

“Oohhhh~ the distraction knows who I am! Now that takes so much fun out of this guessing game.” the book slides off the shelf and flies around the room. “Now how in this land do you know who I am? I was under the impression I had been forgotten by all but two. Such a bore when all the others just up and die.”

“That is none of your concern and the name is Ballistic Volley. I have no intent of stopping you so why in the wide world are you even here?” A sly grin slips onto my muzzle as I watch the book stop and flutter over to me. “That’s another’s job to do anyhow. So I don’t fear you or your pranks as you call them.” I shrug as the book spins and Discord appears reading it with one hand and a pipe in the other claw. “You will be back to stone by the end of the day or so.” 

Looking up from the tome the draconequus lifts one brow “Oh? You think so hmm? Well I will have you know that the elements are the only things that can send me back.” Snapping the book shut he leans forward and boops my muzzle with a faint knowing grin. “Tia and Lulu are the only one strong enough to use the elements. And after the nightmare fiasco the elements have gone silent. So they can’t do a thing to me. No one can anymore!” leaning back and taking a step back he cracks his knuckles as an evil grin manifests itself on his mismatched body. “Now what was that about not fearing me? I will have you know they all called me king during my time.”

Not moving but trying hard to keep a straight face I nod a bit “True, but if you know of the nightmare incident then you also know how it was mended.” Now I was grinning and leaning forward to whisper “There are new bearers of the elements of harmony, six to manage the power of each. Rarity has generosity and the fashion wise eye. Rainbow dash is more loyal then I know any other and an attitude to fear. Apple Jack has one hell of a buck and her strength is honesty.” Talking normally now I sit more upright as if I was proud of something. “Flutter Shy is so kind, well, hell I don’t think anyone could match it and you will see that first hand in time. But I can see you getting along more with the laughter bearer Pinkie Pie, but that never happens. That could be a blessing now that I think about it” I tap my chin and look to the books at this wondering if there was a point to that, but shrugged it off. Quickly looking back to the mismatched menagerie in front of me I sigh a bit. “All of this is pulled together by the sixth. Magic is Twilight Sparkle’s thing. And in time” I look Discord right in the eye “she may surpass your power even.” 

Nodding the whole time Discord just smiles and giggles at me as he slowly spun on his Y axes. It was then I realized the note pad hovering next to him jotting down notes. Pointing to the pad I realize what I had just done. “Oh you are such a good help my little distraction. Perhaps I will see to you last as payment for the information update, or not.” Putting a hoof to my big mouth I shake my head a bit. Baring his teeth the king of chaos grows in size to more than twice his normal stature. “You say you do not fear me, hmm? Your face is painting a much different picture. You will call me king just like the others soon will again.” the note pad vanishes as he snaps his claw. 

Pulling myself back into line I shake the horrid thoughts from my dumb skull. “You will still be sent back to your stone incarceration in time. I have no control of that and nether do you.” I just hope I did not derail the course of events that I knew. Then again I still did not know if I could even do that. Man, messing with unknowns is a pain. My face fell back to its blank default as I remembered one key fact about Discord. He is just a prankster, that’s all, madness is what he does and seeing as I know the outcome along with other things. I should not be scared of him. He does not cause any real harm anyhow. 

Narrowing one eye Discord leans forward with a magnifying glass and pokes at me with a cane. “Oh what is this? You don’t actually fear me do you? Oh I think I may have broken him. Well that didn’t take long.” 

Swatting away the cane I made my way to the door of the library. “My mind is not broken. I just remembered that you are just a prankster. Unlike a changeling or hydra, no real physical harm will be dealt and you are not much to worry about for the time being, just a distraction to me. Not sure why I was scared of you to start with. So just mess with the others and try and stay out of that stone. Heck I would bet bits on you going back, say, three hundred bits on you being stone by the power of their friendship by the end of all this? Even after you try to break them.” The door was now running away from me around the room I just slowly look back to Discord and grin only to see him actually looking a little mad. 

“You actually think you have nothing to fret over? That your cherished pony friends will save you?” the draconequus lands on the ground and walks over to stand in front of me, looming over me at his normal size now.

“Not my friends but yes.”

Tilting his head the god looks at me puzzled “Oh? But don’t you share a special bond with them? ” he blinks his eyes as shimmers of light emanate from them as he tries to look cute.

Nodding back I follow up. “I have no friends in this world but I know them and your fate just the same.” 

With a slight grin and a snap of his fingers I found myself in a cage of black iron and a large padlock dangling from the latch. “Is that so? Well then how do you expect the power of friendship to help if you have no friends to speak of hmm?” reaching threw the bars his paw grabs my muzzle and turns my head to one side with a harsh jerk to look me dead in one eye. 

“I don’t matter, it’s that simple. If I disappear the flow of time still moves unchanged. Events will still transpire.” I push into his lions paw to close the gap between my face and his just behind the bars. Doing my best to bare my teeth from under his grasp I glare back at him. “I got your number so you can’t do a thing to me mentally. So get over it Discord, you can’t get a laugh out of me, I will grin and bear it knowing I will not be hurt and that it will end soon. So go ahead and struggle ya big noodle! ” 

At this it looks like all Discords confusion melts and his normal clever grin slithers back onto his muzzle. His eyes suddenly radiate blue, yellow and a pail green as he starts to hypnotize? Discord me? Gray me? Hell, I never knew the term. But whatever it was he was trying to do, it did not happen. Letting go of me and looking at his own eyes in a mirror the chaos incarnate scrutinized his power. ”What? Did I use the wrong pattern again?” I simply looked at my own legs to find I was no shade of gray, or even discolored for that matter. Spinning around Discord thrusted his clawed hand forward and pressed one talon to my head to try the more direct approach. Again nothing happened after a moment and I could not help but chuckle. 

“Performance issues after all that time in stone? Want to use a pocket watch to warm up?”

“I’m not sure. This has never happened. Give me a moment to fix this” pulling a blanket around him he checks the thermometer in his mouth as a cup of hot tea appears next to him.

“Pff, not like I’m going anywhere. Maybe it’s the fact that my mind is not pony? ” I tap on the bars with one hoof to make the bars ring. 
Looking back suddenly his ears flatten to his head. “Hmm? But you look like one, you are one, well, no matter.” With a snap of his fingers the cage turns pink. 

“Different, but I’m not dissing the color” I tap the now pink bars. Pink metal? Odd.

“Oh, this is strange.” Another snap of his paw and there was now a dancing pot of petunias next to me in the cage. 


“Not again”


“Can I not have cell mates?” stepping away from the potted plant I poke at it with the barrel of my gun to keep it at bay. 

Spotting the gun I was now using to prod the plant out of the cadge threw the gap in the bars, Discord narrows his eyes and points at it. “And what? Is that!?” 

“hmm?” looking to my gun I shrug as I levitate it back to my flank. “It’s mine and not yours. Leave it at that.” I was not about to let my KSG be taken away again. 

With a slight glare and a snap of fingers there is a flash around my gun but nothing happens. “so that’s why.” walking around the cage Discord snaps his fingers over and other only to have more and more crazy things happen around me. “It appears I cannot affect that thing, or you.” With a shrug he spins around as his ears pop back up. “That mystery is for next time. I hear an angel calling my name!” In a flash of light the god was gone and I was left in the cage surrounded by dancing plants, a rug, some cake, and one sour looking brink. Don’t ask how I know. 

“I would surely not call sun butt an angel but to each there own I guess?” pulling my gun back into my view I poke and prod at it. It was completely unharmed and all its rounds where unaffected, as far as I could see that is. Pulling another round from my side shows that my little trick is still working like always. Another round for my gun. “I’m not affected by magic or is it just the gun and me by proxy? Cake butt could lift it, why not Discord’s magic? Meh, I should test this sometime.” With a click of that safety and the trigger there was a loud bang that rang the bars of the  cage. With a spent shell falling to the ground its partner in the short fall was the large lock that was previously hanging from the now missing door latch. Pushing open the door of the pink iron cage I simply walked out and made my way to walk through the now scared stiff door huddling to one side of the library. Right as I opened the now normal door all that was done by Discord suddenly turned to clam chowder. Looking back and forth I roll my head a bit and grumble. Bloody Discord. A moment later and I was leaving a note to Spike asking him to mop up the mess and I would pay him back in full for his efforts. After slamming the door shut I was back outside and things had, changed. 

But unlike the show it was the same town I knew but more, gray, and demolished. Slowly watching my steps as I walk into the chaos that seemed to be a scene from the move: Saving Private Ryan. This ponyville looked more like a war zone! Disbelief on my face I could not help but try to make heads or tails of this. “This is not right. Where are the checkered floors and chocolate milk rain clouds?” running in over drive my head snaps to a quick conclusion. I gave Discord info he was not supposed to know? Is this the recoil of my Freudian slip? No that’s not right ether. I shake my head a bit and tap my skull with one hoof. “In the show he knew who the main six where, I did nothing out of place. Right?” Something catches my ear as I pondered. Well it was more of a scream then anything. Looking towards its source I spotted a pony sprinting away from a timber wolf following close behind him. Was this Discord’s doing or did the chaos push the wolf from the forest? This was not the time to wonder how it happened but to rectify it. Pulling another slug shell from my side threw the fabric was a comforting reminder about what I could do for this world while I was here. 

*Thoomp-Clink* that round topped off the second feed tube, my gun was full again! It was at that moment I realized I had quickly made a habit of pulling shells and loading them into my KSG. Wonder how often I could do this?

*Chick-chlak* Shell in the chamber and action locked. 

*click, click* Sights pop up from there folded position. 

Standing up on my hind legs I’m able to hold my gun in my hooves and pull it close into my shoulder as my hooves simply hold it much steadier, well, more than my magic seemed to be able to do by floating it. Sighting the passing target in my sighs I felt oddly stable and sure footed even though I was a quadruped standing on two legs. It was faint but I could also make out a crimson glow around my sight and the sights of the gun as I aimed for a head shot to finish the wolf in one shot. Hooves not able to pull the trigger I squeezed it with my magic instead like I had always done before.

*fisht-BAM!* crimson mana gushed backwards in a jet from my gun to counteract the massive recoil along with a slight pull that I did not intend. The slug round was sent down range and for a moment I remembered that I did not lead the shot. But not a moment later the timber wolfs head was gone and the body fell limply on the ground kicking up some dust as it did. The pony being chased stumbled and fell as well, probably from the sound of my shotgun. Said pony turned quickly to look behind them, fear on his face expecting the wolf to be on them and his fate set. Instead of this he found the downed corpse of the wolf lying just behind him. With a sigh of relief the pony looked over to me by happenstance of looking around to see who did this. And a slight look of confusion and wonder filled there features. 

I lift my cheek from the gun and tilt my head as to show my wonder to what the problem is. Was it me? It must be, I’m just going to look odd as long as I use this gun. The red glow quickly disappeared and with my gun back in the hold of my magic I let myself back down onto all four hooves and that feeling of steadiness faded. Strange, standing on two legs with my gun I was steady but on four hooves I’m not as steady? Too many things about myself annoyed me, and what was that red glow and slight pull?

“HELP! ANYONE, PLEASE!!” 

Looking to the left I spot the same scenario, a timber wolf running down a stallion. Taking off in a sprint to close the gap and save another I was off. I could only guess that adrenaline was helping out as I was able to catch up to the wolf fairly fast. Running just behind the wolf I pull my shotgun next to me with my magic, changed the selector switch for buck and racked the pump for a new round. I was much closer and so the wolf heard the pump and turned his head to see what was so close. But it was too late for him as a small cloud of smoke and buck shot pulverized its head just above the neck. And like a broken record the stallion tripped and looked back to give me that same look, but with slightly more relief. The wolf again fell to the ground and lay still just like the other. Slowing down as I trot pass, something pops into my head. Why are they not falling apart like before in the forest? Looking back to the first wolf it strikes me how the downed wolf is not pulling itself back together ether. 

Before that I hear screams again, this time it was Cheerilee and some little fillies and colts from the school struggling to keep away from a small pack of wolves. Digging my hooves into the ground I was dashing towards them in a literal blast of speed. It was short lived and I made to intersect them as the wolves gained on them. With a sliding stop I put myself right between the wolves and there possible pray. In that moment I had fired off four rounds in rapid succession. One round was wide but the following buckshot made up for it as it caught two wolves with one shot. Again all where head shots, I could not explain it but something in my being was telling me to hit their heads and nowhere else. The wooden bodies fall limp to the ground and sliding to a stop at my hooves like stiff rag dolls. Turning my head to the side I brace for the twigs and magic laden sap to pepper my face, but nothing happened. Looking back all I see are the twisted corpses of the wolves at my feet. Leaning inward towards the lifeless sticks and leaves I rub my chin in thought. With my gun floating in a ready position over my head I pump the action mindlessly and a shell ejects hitting me on the head and bouncing off my muzzle. I flinch a bit to the hot brass and watch the round fall toward the body of one wolf and faze through? it as it tumbles. Hmm? Did that just? Reaching out to touch the headless pile of sticks my hoof is suddenly smacked away by another reaching out from the foliage. 

Shear surprise makes me rear back and backpedaled away, subsequently falling backwards onto my back. As I roll to right myself and get up I looked back to see the image of the downed timber wolves fade away to show Cheerilee and the other little ones huddled behind her. She had the look of rage pushing past a deeper fear. “Don’t you dare hurt them! What did we do to you?! What are you trying to do to us?” the children huddle tighter as I slowly got up shaking my head.

“No, I was shooting at the timber wolves to save you, them,” I pointed to the school mare then to the little ones hiding behind her in fear. “and those folks!” I turn to the others I had helped just before only to see the timber wolves had vanished. And in there stead, terrified ponies still locked on to me. Eyes filled with fear for their lives as I pointed to them sitting on the ground. Pulling back my hoof I shake my head more and my ears lay back. “No, no,” looking around in a slightly panicked fashion I realized the war torn town was dripping away to reveal the world Discord had crafted, the world of floating? trees and an upside-down windmill. I turn to face the filly’s and foals but step back quickly looking back to the young ones. “I was trying to save you, the wolves-”

“What wolves?!”  Cheerilee interrupted me. “I saw you casting that loud spell at those other ponies and scaring them to death. So I tried to save them from you. But you ran and stopped right in front of us and cast that spell to scare us with that loud boom from that club. Are you with that strange monster that’s causing this?” with that she gathered up the others and herded them away without another word.  Falling back onto my rump, dazed and confused I look back to the others who turned and run from me following Cheerilees lead. It was then that I would make out Discords chuckling in my head again. 

“It would have been much more of a riot if they only knew what that loud spell actually did hmm?” I just stared forward as the spirit appeared clapping his paws together. “Scared them pretty good didn’t you? So who is ruler of this land? The one who can make you scare others without knowing it? Or the one that blew a hole in your side?” pointing to my side I slowly follow his finger so stare at my side and my gun that was now lying on the ground next to it. 

It clicked what happened, he had me thinking the wolves where a threat so I would shoot. But I was actually shooting over the smaller ponies inside the illusions. I could have been killing if I was going for body shots. Slowly looking toward the god I now realized why I was scared that first moment he appeared and why I did not want to face him before. He would not hurt others simply because he could get more of a kick out of making others do that for him if need be. Loki incarnate? 

With a glimmer of my magic my gun was slowly moving back to its place on my side, shaking just a bit before it was again affix to my flank by the normal magical bind. Looking up to Discord my ears lay back as I open my mouth. He leans over with that sinister grin in anticipation of what I was about to say. “I have no lord to listen to as I do not hail from this land. The bind may be only in my mind but this is not my home or my dimension for that matter.” Pulling myself up I slowly walk past the Draconequus toward the outskirts of town. “Knowledge of events to come is all that I have and yours have not changed as far as I know, you will be stone again.” tapping my hoof to my chin I realize something as Discord disappears and materializes right in front of me on a hill, sitting atop his thrown. “But I have no clue what my fate holds.” 

With an apparent large grin on his face Discord narrows his eyes “Are you sure I will be trapped? Those mares just failed my little game. I won!” Looking up to him on his thrown I tilt my head and shake it.
“If that’s true then I have no time to be talking to a clone! And if you’re so sure about that then have at it! Do what you want! You will be stone and I will rub it in your frozen face that I was right.” I turn around from the cocky tyrant and trudge off as that sinister cackle rings threw the air and buffaloes dance by. 

“So you’re not going to stop me?” 

“Above my pay grade.” 

“Who is paying you? I will double it.” a suitcase overflowing with bits appears and floats over to me.

Shaking my head I keep walking away. I hear the spirit burst into laughter as I tugged off to try and put distance between me and him.  If the girls had failed at the maze then it was only a matter of time now before they would be back in town to deal with things and for twilight to mend things. I had to stay away from the library for now. Guess I will just stay out of town until then? And not shoot anything? Slowly trudging to a stop I sigh and hang my head. I hope Discord has had his fun with me. Pulling my gun in front of me I take note of how many shells are left after that small misguided assault. “Five slugs and two buck.” I mumble to myself as I reach for another shell hoping for a buck round. “Ouch! What the?” looking to my hoof reveals a slug round with just a slight smear of blood on it. Did I pull it wrong and aggravate my wound? With a shrug I wipe off the blood and slide it into the gun as I got up and trudged on. It was not soon before I would hear the distinct sound of bug wings buzzing, a big one. Following my ears I look around the corner of a building to see a blue pegasus floating by. The same barfing one I had meet the night I got out of the hospital. But it looked like Discord had found her before me. Her wings where flapping so fast they blurred, she was also floating in an uncontrolled manner. It sort of reminded me about that time Rainbow Dash got poison  joke and could not fly right, but this mare was moving much slower contrary to her zippy wings. “Umm excuse me, your wings sure are moving fast, like a bug actually. Maybe you would land and stay on the ground before someone mistakes you for a giant bug. That or you strain them from such a fast pace and get hurt.” 

Looking toward me with an almost angry look she hissed at me “don’t you dare call me a bug!” a moment later she looked to her wings and her eyes shrank. Putting a hoof over her mouth she suddenly descended to the ground and folded her wings to her side. With a bit of a sad chuckle I walked over to her to which she held up her hoof to stop me, which I did. “Stay right there! I know you are not from around here and you don’t belong. I don’t know what you want with this town but this is my home! You’re not going to take that away from me, not again.” 

Thinking for a moment I tilt my head and take a step forward narrowing my eyes. “And what per say do you think I am?” Ok, how does this random mare know I’m not from around here? Or I’m not normal for that matter? Was the gun a giveaway? As I took that step forward I could not help but catch a faint flash of magic around the mare, a magic shield, a ward, or something? Was someone else around? Looking around quickly I try to spot if a unicorn was around. Or I could just be going mad like Discord wants? 

“You look like a pony but you are not a pony, that much I can tell. I live here but I don’t recognize you from around town so I know you’re new. That and you make me sick just being around me!” she stamps her hoof and flares out her wings to make herself look bigger. Why do winged horses do this? Or does it work on others but seeing as I’m not pony it just looks a little odd? Or cute? Hell not again!!!!

Thinking back to when I first saw her as if to recall some clue to what was the trigger. “That’s why you got sick? But what did I do? I was just there.” I took another step forward only to watch her take one back. 

“Y-you just do.” she was looking around as if to look for a way out and as she did I heard something I could not believe. 
“She knows your secret.” a little voice, faint all be it, was wafting into my mind.

“Well she did just tell me.” I mutter back to the voice. I knew better then to encourage this kind of chatter but I wanted to see what the voice had to say. 

“Well, yes, but how did she know?” the voice sounds more solid now and it was that of a gentile mare. 

“I’m not sure right now, got any ideas how I could find out?” I move one hoof forward and the mare glares at me with a look of disgust.

“Cut that out!” she almost screams and bares her teeth at me. “I can drop you without a sweat! One more step and I will drop you!”  She lowers herself to the ground in preparation to jump. 

“Here is an idea.” As I heard this something dug into my skull like barbs, man it stung. “try to think about rushing her from the left” nodding a bit but not moving any more than just standing still I think about making a mad dash to her left. After a moment of nothing the voice chimes in and snickers. “Good now stop thinking about that. Let’s rap this up, now hate her, think of something you hate and let it fill your chest. Let it fill you.” Ok I knew this was going in a bad direction for this world if this voice is telling me this. But aside from my better judgment I do as it suggests. I recall back to my first day and bloody sun butt changing me into this form, and boy did that do it. Suddenly the mare across from me recoiled and wavered as she put a hoof to her muzzle. Moments later she shook her head and I saw another flash that was more vibrant. “See that? How is a pegasus using magic? And a reaction to your feelings?” the barbs sunk in more and it was starting to really throb now.  But the voice had a point, not my thoughts but my feelings? Well both would be different from a normal pony’s right? But why would the voice point out- oh. It all hit me like a flashback. There was a story about changelings that I loved back home that suddenly made sense. I calmed down and took a slow breath as I remembered the story and its details about the main characters. Clearing my mind of the solar hate to stop the reaction she is having to it was the first step. Taking a step back a sleepy slime slips onto my muzzle as the barbs suddenly jab and the voice shouts into my ear “what are you doing?! You know what monster this is right?! Now take care of it!” shaking my head a bit the blue mare tilts her head at my sudden change. 

“I’m sorry about doing that, my emotions must be causing havoc on you. I’m not here to make any one sick or displace them. If at all possible I would like to help if I can.” I take another step back to defuse the situation and start to turn around. 

“You want to protect this town right? Then deal with that imposter!” I can feel something twist and clench around my ear as the voice rings from outside my skull rather than from within. And with a quick swipe at my ear a tiny chaos noodle falls and floats just above the ground with my blood on his claws. And a blond wig to match his red lipstick. Gods, this is worse than I would have thought. too much lipstick. 

“Discord!” in a flash of crimson light my shot gun was pinning down at the embodiment of chaos with its barrel. “So help me hold my mind if you keep this up. We may just find out if I can hurt you.” Pressing the muzzle brake into his chest something catches my ear from behind me. Keeping Discord pinned I look over my haunches to see the blue pegasus that had surprisingly not flown off by now. 

“So does that mean you will leave?” her tail swayed back and forth as if she was told she had won a big pile of bits. 

Shaking my head a bit I shrug “Nope, still stuck here for a bit. But I know you are less foreign to this town then I am to this world. I’m not going to do anything to ya lest you start something first.” I feel my gun tug and shift in my magic so I look back to find Discord was giggling as he melted into the ground like water. Seeing this is so much more wiled in real life then the show. Pulling back my gun it pops back into place on my side, safety still off at the moment. 

With a suppressed look she tilts her head then glares at me. “You, you know what I am? How?!” stamping a hoof on the ground she moves closer to me and I remembered a little tidbit from all those stories I knew of her kind. Changelings don’t like others knowing what they are, to the extent of there are now three options; kill, erase memory, or trust the other not to tell. I was hoping it would be the latter so none of this was a problem but it seems I was wrong and it was the first option. “No matter, you know so now I have to deal with it.”

“Hay hold up!” I back away as she flares her wings and charges, her horn starting to glow threw her transformation. “Discord told me! It was the demi gods fault. So don’t you dare take this out on me!” I stamp my front hoof to show I would stand my ground but she did not waver and charged full steam ahead. “I’m warning you!” I lower myself just a bit as my shotgun pops free of my flank and hides behind my neck along my back. With a large beat of her wings the pegasus was lunched forward in a sudden burst of speed without stopping. As she bared her fangs I suddenly felt anger well up inside in the pit of my heart. “I said STAND DOWN!!!” in one fluid motion I stepped forward and swiped my gun around in an upward sweeping arc, catching her in her neck just below her chin with the butt of the gun. Following through I lifted her up and back redirecting her momentum to slam her onto the ground on her back, causing a flash? Hmm? Was that flash me or something else? I look around to try and spot anything but to no avail.  Still keeping the butt of the gun to her neck I turn to glare down at her as she gasps and coughs, trying to breathe after the wind was knocked out of her and the gun pressing on her larynx.  I suck at fighting back home and I was able to do this? Cool!

Eyes tearing up as she struggled to breath I let up on my gun and let it hover over my head pointed at the mare in case she was not done. After she rolled over onto her belly and got her breathing under control she glared up at me as she rubbed her neck. “So what now?” her voice was harsh but I could understand her. “Are you going to run me out of this town? Or just black mail me to do whatever you want?” 

Stepping back I shake my head and put my gun back to its resting place. “Pff! Hell no! I don’t care what you are as long as you don’t cause problems for the folks around here. You can hate my guts for all I care but I’m not going to rat you out or make you move. You were in this town first I’m guessing, but I’m not going to up and leave just yet because of you. As long as you don’t try to blab about me not belonging to this world I don’t care if you’re a changeling. So let’s just stay out of each other’s way if I make ya that sick.” Stepping back I turn around and start to walk away. Wonder if the others are back and have dealt with Discord yet. Before I get too far I stop and glance back. “Oh and your name is Electric Blue right?” I point to her two lightning bolt cutie mark. “Don’t try and wipe my memory, I don’t think it will work for Me.” she gasped as I continued walking away looking to the sky. Now where did that flash come from?



> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The changes to the light were starting to bother me. One moment I was walking toward the Golden Oak library then suddenly the sun goes out and of course I trip on a rock sliding across the floor with a cart in tow. Then it’s back to today only to find out I have been walking towards the center of town due to the fact that my eyes can’t adjust to the changing light so much so fast. Oh ya let’s not forget the tiny tidbit of the sleep deprivation I’m in and Discord pulling some prank around each corner. Given I was able to spot about 80 percent of them from a mile away. That is, once I knew he was more after me then the rest of the town. Although there were those few pranks that would catch me off guard because of how it was set up and man did he get a thrill out of that. I was starting to not trust just about anything but the ground under my hooves. Well, that is until I was walking on soap and slipped. “Moon and stars above I will be happy when I’m out of this mad house of a world. How long until Twilight and the others fix this anyhow?”

“Well if’n she was half the pony I am, then we all would be back at ma farm sip’n cider.” Apple Jack snipped as she walked out from behind a building. She was so gray I could barely make out any yellow on her being. For a moment I was going to keep walking and pay her no mind but then I realized this was not a prank and just a discorded AJ walking away from the first attempt at Discord. Guess I know what that flash of light was from before. “Guess it’s all up to me to keep’n the farm going in all this crazy hooey.” Rolling my eyes I knew there was nothing I could do at this point for her. She did pause for a moment before she turned around to look right at me. “Hay good look’n! I could use a strong stallion like you to help me on my farm. Care to lend a hoof?”  

Knowing her disposition for lying at the time was not good in hindsight and my blood instantly boiled at what I saw as a blatant insult. “I’ll be having none of that missy, you can just bite me ya liar! So just keep trotting and find some other fool!”  Lowering my head I just turned and walked away before she could say anything more. Another comment followed mine but I was just too salty to pay it any mind. A moment later and I found myself having to calm down and hating myself for what I had just done. It was not her fault that she insulted me after all; it was Discord after all who turned her gray. I’m going to need one hell of a good night’s sleep to fix this, that or a strong cider.  Sadly nether was anywhere in sight. As I continued my wonder I did spot something that would have made any pony or brony cry a little inside, or outside for that matter. Twilight was standing in the middle of a clearing just hanging her head in defeat. A single tear slipped from her eye, down her muzzle, then finally falling off to wet the ground. The pastel purple color of her coat had been washed away and she was left with a gray main and coat, I’m sure her spirit was in the same place too. It was a shame to see such a vibrantly bright tiara on her contrasting gray head, like a reminder of the vibrant personality of the bearer it was bestowed upon. 

So now I have a problem, should I reach out and help her? Give her a hug? Cheer her on to victory that I knew was just around the corner? Nothing I wanted to do seems right and I don’t think I would trot away from this. Unfortunately I did not have more time to think this over. She moved to wipe away another tear with one hoof causing her to look up right at me. “Volley? What are you-“ she stopped as the gears in her head suddenly clicked. “Volley! You can help!” Aww hell here we go. A weak smile made its way onto her face as she trotted over to me. “You know what’s going on right? Discord, and the other girls, all of it! You know how to fix this right? You know how to defeat Discord right?! Put everything back to normal!!” her pleading eyes where too much for me and all I could do was hang my head lower and look away. 

“I can’t” 

The book pony freezes and nods her head just a tad “Y- yes you can, you’re here to help me like you said you would as a friend. All you need to do is-“

“I’m not your friend twilight Sparkle.” I grit my teeth as she takes a step away from me, my words piercing threw her. “Your real friends just walked off to leave you, I’m not one of them. I have told you this before.” Looking up just enough to look into her eyes I keep talking. “You need to go home Twilight. There is nothing more you can do as you are now.” Steeling my heart I turn away and start to walk. 

“Is that it? It can’t be.” she whimpers back. “Give up and leave? How am I supposed to fix this? The princess entrusted this to me and my friends to stop Discord. And you’re telling me to just go home, to leave?! You told me you would help if I asked you, not turn your back on a friend.” the pony stamps her front hoof on the ground to make her point. “Is that it?”

Stopping for a moment I don’t even look back to mare “yes.” with a twitch of my tail I continued walking away, no clue where I was going but I thought it best to let her be. I knew what was going to happen in the end but as for how she saw me after this? No clue, then again why did I care? If she saw me as such then that would help me out right? Better for her to hate me and stop trying to be a friend.

“Fine!” she shouted back. “This is what I get for trying to be you’re friend, for helping you?” stamping her hooves in frustration the mare turns and walks off. Looking back I spot a pink cloud find its mark and start a little downpour on the defeated pony. Gods watch over me and help me through this because I know this is not going to be the last time this will happen. I thought to myself as I continued walking. She was discorded so I don’t think I can blame her anyhow. With a slight shrug I started to head back to what I could only guess was the middle of town. 

“Well at least I don’t have a heart of stone, you however may have one colder then Lunas night.” folding down the newspaper in his grasp and uncrossing his legs Discord sets the paper down on a patio table and walks over to me. Lifting one eyebrow I glare at the chaos noodle. “Oh don’t give me that! You lost the bet so I’m here to collect. And to rub it in your face.” rubbing his paw and claws together he manifests a pie with the letters I and T sticking out of it. 

“Double or nothing spaghetti, and if you win I will be your servant along with witch you get all that I know and I will tell all. Just give them one more try.” Growing an even more evil grin Discord lowers his head to look me right in the eye. “And as a little taste of what you can expect? I offer this insight insight?  “Incite” is to start something, like “Incite a riot”. The seeds of chaos you hath sown will come to bear fruit in time to be, and said fruit be that of the moon and sun then the magic leaves the tree.” 

Tilting his head the king of chaos suddenly smiles down on me. “I have no use of your knowledge when I can reweight history with the snap of my paw. But oh that is a tantalizing thing! And it is fun to watch you wriggle. Alright! You got me.” He stands tall offering his paw to me. I shake it with my hoof and the spirit grins. “I will want a glass of water as your first act as my minion.”

I chuckle a bit and shake my head “It’s not over just yet so don’t go count’in eggs.” With a flick of his claws he was holding what looked to be a small heavyset mare with a horned helmet and long golden locks of hair. After a moment I tilt my head to one side. “Funny how she is not actually signing hmm?” clutching the mare he shake her a bit and tosses her off into the distance. Was that necessary?

“Well fine then, I guess I can let them have another shot at me, not like it will happen after what I did to them. Get ready to do my bidding my little distraction.” A moment later and I was being controlled by magical threads and a smaller Discord clone was pulling on them with marionette handles. Thrashing to get free only got me tangled up in them and left me floating in midair all tied up like some cow in a rodeo. “Oh and what a fun distraction you will be!” Starting to clap and laugh at my current and soon to be predicament, he disappeared, piece by piece, with each clap a body part vanished, leaving me hanging and alone. 

“well, that was fun and a half. And why does this feel familiar somehow? I don’t remember getting tied up before so why is this not a new feeling to me?” I struggle a bit more but just swing like a pendulum instead. “Fabulous”

“I bet it was. But who am I to question your kinks?” A voice pushes through the chaos of the background and Discord’s distant laughter. My ears twitch and spin to find the direction but even my ears are tangled. How? Just, how?

“Oh haw, haw.” I twist to look around to see who it was now but those strings bound my head and I could not turn enough to see anyone. “Pick on the bound up guy, ya so funny.” Oh man I really am stuck in this junk!

“Can you blame me for being able to get back at you so soon?” Electric Blue walks out from behind me with an even bigger grin then Discord just had. 

“Hello Blue, what’s up? Why or how are you so close to me? If it’s about the chat I had with the mad hatter don’t worry, he will go back to where he came from and this will be over in a bit.” I try to tap my chin but the strings where making even that simple gesture impossible to do. “Ok maybe give or take 30 minutes or so.” A shrug was about all I could manage, sorta. “Say would you by chance help me out if you can stand being near me for a moment?” my gun twitches but is held fast to my flank and it’s pointed right at a hoof. which hoof I don’t know or can tell but ether way I was not able to use my gun. “As you can tell I’m a bit tangled up and not able to get out easily. If not, you can let me hang around too, not that much of a big deal.” I would like to get out but seeing as a big harmony bomb was about to go off I was not in too much of a rush. 

“Oh I can see that clear as day! And that’s how I want you right now. As for how I’m able to get near you? Just a bunch of magic filters for emotions.” As I hear this I stop trying to move my hind leg that was sticking out and slowly look to the mare. As I lock eyes with her she presses her nose to mine and smiles to show her sharp changing teeth. “Oh don’t worry I’m not going to drain you. Your emotions taste horrid, toxic, and rotten, but not without a strange sense of hidden power. But I think I will change your mind instead.” as she blinks her blue pupil-less eyes show threw as her horn charges up with magic for what I could only guess was a memory spell. 

I try to wriggle free, putting more effort into it but I just could not get a break. I blame Discord for all of this. “Ok going off of what has happen before with the Princesses, you may not want to do that.” I was not freaking out per say, but I was getting a little uneasy about how folks want to mess with my head. Then again I was still slowly starting to panic. And the bloody threads where not letting me move away at all. And on top of this I had a mare pressing her nose to mine and I was starting to blush. Ummmm… ok. That’s not normal. 

Lidding her eyes she gave me a sudden kiss on the lips. “Shame I have to do this, aside from making me sick just by your emotions alone. You’re a cute one.” Shortly after that there was a small flash and pop. The sudden bright light blinded me for a moment but all I could do was try to blink it away. Stepping back the mare smiles but she was rubbing her horn underneath her illusion.  “Well I guess there was a lot to get rid of, that hurt a bit. Well it is a good thing you won’t remember that kiss too.” Without moving I just stared off into the clouds like a silly filly still blinking. Nodding happily Electric Blue bit down on a string near my haunches and tugged to pull it free of the floating handles above. With a muffled thump I was dropped onto the ground, which was all I needed to shake me out of my little daze. Pulling myself back to my hooves the pegasus had hidden her changeling features by now and was looking me over. “I’m sorry to hear about your loss sir. And it’s a shame you have to leave town, but I hope it all work out for you.” Her smile looked real and honest as she spoke, stars above she was good at this.

Standing up and looking back down at her I touch a hoof to my lips “You kiss awfully well for having fangs. I would think that gets in the way but I guess not?” I break out into a laughing fit as I point at her “I still remember everything too! So no need to try and fool me with a BS story like that. I-” freezing in place I slowly lock eyes with the now stunned blushing mare and point at her slowly with one hoof, and then I follow it back as I point to myself followed by a shiver down my spine and a deep blush as well. “I’m human, Why did I enjoy that!?” backpedaling I shake my head with shrunken eyes. 

“w-what is going on? You don’t h-have a charm on you or a memory guard! W-why did that not work?! You should be w-walking out of this t-town without a clue why!” the mare was beet read and panicking as she tried to work out what she did wrong. 

Shaking my head slowly I become more stoic. Ever have something hit ya so hard your brain just shuts down to try and reboot? Ya that’s me. “I’m human, well I think, I don’t know right now. But my mind doesn’t work like a normal pony. I think Luna tried to pick my mind before and it rebounded on her I think, I don’t know.” Rubbing the back of my neck I look away “But if an alicorn can’t pick my head then no one can.” I slowly turn and start to walk off again “let’s just never speak of this again alright?” This will be a lie at some point I know it, or blackmail. 

“But, umm, hol-hold on!” Blue try’s to put words together before I was gone. “So you’re not g-going to tell?” seeing me shaking my head calmed her down a bit. “G-good! Don’t talk to me ever again!” with a fierce beat of her wings and a gust of wind she was off in the opposite direction from me albeit with her current condition it was more of a quick stumbling movement through the air. I on the other hoof was blindly walking forward, the spell did nothing but daze me a bit. But that small kiss had done more damage than a spell. I was human! Well my mind was, right? Ya, Maybe?

“Aww dam it! I’m kicking that cake loving flank so hard the sun will have a black spot!” franticly rubbing my head with my hooves I try to wrap my head around what happened then I suddenly had an epiphany. “That’s it!” I rub my eyes and chuckle a bit. “Discord and no sleep makes a pony go mad, that’s all. I just need to get some sleep! Aww man I was getting scared there for a moment! Thinking that blasted transformation spell got into my head.”  With that there was a humongous flash emanating from the center of town. “Hmm?” looking toward the flash I could see a tell-tale rainbow rise up and split too form a bubble of harmony. “Woo!” I shout and stand up on my hind hooves flailing my front legs in the air. “I messed up nothing! All is right!” I stop for a moment and grin. “Discord owes me six hundred bits!” 

The harmony moved fast and not a second later it was washing over me but something was odd. I had no clue what it was supposed to feel like but as the light washed over me it pulled at my being, not my body but something else? After it had passed I collapsed onto the ground and was out of breath. It was not a choking feeling but more of my body had just been starved of oxygen. Trying to get back up just caused my legs to give out the moment I put pressure on them, what little pressure I could manage at that. “What- *gasp* the heck?” I gulp down more air before I get back to normal and I stand back up. After stumbling to get my balance I rested a hoof on my chest as I take deep breaths. “Ok that’s not cool. Was that the elements trying to fix me or something?” moments pass and other ponies start to emerge from their now normal homes. Looking around the towns folk find the normal world as it was intended. Nothing floating, spinning, or another shade of color for that matter, it was all back to the comfortable reality. Well, aside from the fact that word may spread like a supercharged wild fire. I was garnering some of the most hateful looks I have seen sense that one time a man dressed up as the sewing life alchemist looking for his daughter at con. I can handle some hate but not on a scale like this, so with my ears lying flat on my head and my tail between my legs I made my way out of there and back toward the library. 

Hate was all I saw on the way back to Twilights home, more than I thought was warranted. Fillies and colts where herded back inside and doors where slammed as I trotted by. Looks of un-known fear and utter disgust peppered the faces of the ponies I saw for more than a fleeting glance before they were gone. It made it all the more clear that I was in for a long bumpy ride and it would not be getting better. That and the mare tasked to keep an eye on me was most likely just as mad as the rest of the town but for a much more valid point then the rest of the town in my opinion. Ok so I’m not going in the library, I’m going to just hide behind it until I could figure out what I was going to do. Tired, lack of sleep, now getting hungry, and walking back to a possible trashing from up to six mares that I may kinda look up too, Ya this was as good as a plan as any. Not accounting for whatever Discord had done to the time of day, I had lost track of it all together apparently as the sun was starting to set by the time I had gotten close to the library. I did not want to be spotted by any pony that would be around the building so I took the long way around to get behind the tree and in doing that I caught a glimpse of the guard hauling off the stone draconequus. Going prone I crawled toward the building through a small clearing between the large tree and the next closest building. I froze for a moment as I spotted the leader of the land Celestia chatting with the six mares responsible for Discords capture. After a moment she was off towards the capital flying right over my head. Thank the stars she did not look down. 

I finally made it to the back of the large oak tree as I barely pick up the voices of the other mares saying their goodbyes to each other and head back to their homes. The day was finally over and I got through the opener without getting knocked out! Finding my way to my little spot under the balcony I sat down and stared off into the distance for a moment before I let out a long sigh. “I need to find a place for myself.” There was no way back home that I knew of yet and it was looking like I would be here for a bit. So I guess my next step was to find a job and get a small house. I was starting to fall asleep as I was sitting up before something grabbed my attention. A small clawed hand was waving down at me from the balcony overhead. “Hay spike, need something?” 

“I saw your note you left me” he poked his head over the side to look at me with an unamused look as he dangled said note.

Looking off and rubbing the back of my neck I shrug “Ya I’m sorry to leave you with all that. I will pay ya back for that honestly. Sorry about Twilight too.” 

“I heard what you did. Not cool dude.” he pulls himself back and I can hear him walk back inside. “I’m cashing in, I need help cleaning up all the scrolls the princess sent to Twilight. She is getting ready for the ceremony tomorrow so get in here and help me clean them up.” 

Oh that’s right; there was a ceremony for the main six for all this. Figuring it was better not to comment I nodded to no pony and got up to make my way to the front door. Spike was there at the front door waiting for me and waved for me to come in. “hold on Spike, Twilight is angry with me-“

“I know” the dragon interrupted. 

Glaring at nothing I shake my head “look she does not want to see me so are you sure its fine for me to be going in there? I just don’t want to bother her.” I may not call her a friend but she was going to become something much more in time. It would be silly to be on her bad side when that day arrived. It’s always better to try and be in good graces with folks but I understood that was not always going to be the case.

Looking back at me as I stood just outside the doorway the baby dragon shoots me a confused look. “You’re not her friend and I’m cashing in on your debt. Why do you care how she feels?” That was a bit too blunt. 

“Ya, this coming from  her number one assistant? I’m a bit surprised you are not just as mad at me for what I said. What’s going on Spike, what are you planning?” out of bad habit I back away from the door sensing a trap wither it’s good or bad. 

His shoulders drop as he rolls his eyes and waves again for me to follow. “Just get in here and help me. You do owe me.” with a bit of a grunt I reluctantly walk into the library. Poking my head inside to look around before I entered to make sure Twilight was not around and it was odd I did not see her. She did not leave with the others did she? Stepping lightly I followed the dragon all the way up to the bedroom where I was surprised to see a very large pile of scrolls that filled a little less than half the room. I don’t remember Twilight sending so many letters by this point in the show but there it was. No wonder Spike needed my help. “There is more on the balcony too, can you grab them for me? I will start on this pile.” nodding I turn and trot out onto the balcony only to spot Twilight herself leaning on the railings looking out across the now moon lit town. Spike then poked my bandaged side through my cloths with a claw making me hiss at the shot of pain. 

Turning around to see what made the sound Twilight gasped a bit seeing me glare at spike. The clever little bugger set me up! I knew it! “Volley! I-” 

She stopped as I waved my hoof at her “My bad, your assistant tricked me to come up here. I will be out of your sight in a moment. Sorry about that.” 

All I could do was turn away before Spike grabbed my hind leg to stop me. “Hold on! Twilight put two and two together and realized what you did. She was too scared to talk to you or even go looking for you to apologize.”

I slowly look back to Spike only. “Scared of what? And why apologize?” I tug sharply on my hind hoof to free it from the dragon’s grasp.

“Because that’s what friends do when they make a mistake.” Twilight almost blurts out. I look over to her from Spike and tilt my head. Right before I open my mouth she continues talking. “I’m aware you don’t think of me as a friend but I will think of you as one and treat you as one. And you keep saying that you don’t need any friends and I just can’t believe that.” I turn to face the mare fully and again before I can talk she cuts me off. “I realized what you had said back when I failed to stop Discord the first time. You were not telling me to give up and leave town. You where directing me to go home to the library where I would see all the letters from the princess. I don’t know why you could not tell me directly but I’m sure you had a reason for it. So I want to apologize for what I had said. I was too scared you would be so mad at me that you would not want to see me.” the mare kicked her hoof on the floor and looked back up to me as she continued. “So I’m sorry for what I said when you were helping me. I know you’re alone in our world but something tells me you were not alone in yours. If that’s correct then why shut yourself away from everyone? Not just me and my friends but all of Equestria? And you know so much about us to begin with as well. So I want you to know I’m willing to be your friend even if you may not be around all the time to help as you said before.” 

Standing there listening to Twilight tell me this hit hard. As of now I was alone in this world and at the same time I was pushing others away because I thought I would be leaving soon. So what would the point of making friends be? That and I did not want to interfere with their time line. I had to get back to my own world but how far have I gotten in that endeavor? Going a week or up to a month without seeing my friends was not that big of a deal. I did it all the time back in collage but yet this is different. Was it because I was trapped here, unable to even communicate in any way to them that made it different? Was I just too stubborn to see that? I just shut my eyes and stood there as the silence grew in the room. “I’m beat. I need sleep.” Eyes still shut I walk forward to the railing past twilight and bumped into it. “As of now I hear you Twi but I can’t quite say anything, don’t think I can. Tomorrow I need to find a job and get out from under this balcony. Along with looking for a way to get back home.” eyes still closed I slide over the railing to the ground below. 

“Volley!” the mare and dragon run to the railing and are met with a loud bam sound. Looking down over the railing to see I was standing on the ground safe with a large blast mark in the ground under me with a quickly fading red glow. looking back up with my eyes still closed I yawned as I waved good night and curled up under the balcony, absent mindedly taking bites of the grass that was immediately next to my mouth. “Strange.” the two say in unison, look to one another, chuckle, and retire back into the bedroom. After swallowing the mouth full of grass I was soon taken by sleep’s sweet embrace. 










too much?











Nuzzling my pillow I smile at the soft embrace of- “…” my eyes pop open and I grit my teeth “For the love of gods this better be a hospital!” Throwing my covers off I look around only to see I was not in a place of healing but in my home back on Earth. This time I knew it was yet another dream. Narrowing my eyes I whisper to myself “So help me Princess Luna you best have a point to all this.” Punching my pillow I roll out of my bed as a pony and buck my bedroom door open. Letting my hooves fall heavy with each step I walk past the computer and bathroom into the living room. With a huff I look around to see nothing other than the furniture of my home on earth. Whipping my head around I look up to the loft and start up the starts gritting my teeth for what I thought to find. I was not all the way up the stairs but I posed at the point where I could look around the loft peaking over the top most step. Sure as the sun and moon there she was, sitting on one of the two couches I had up here. Slowly leaving the stares behind I stand behind the coffee table that was in front of her. “Hello Princess. Dare I guess why you are here yet again?”

“Odd.” The princess of the moon and dreams opens her eyes and they instantly focus on me. “I have taken note how you curse my sister for what you are now. But you show me no such ill will. Where you not mad at me just a moment ago when you woke up? Am I also to blame for that same spell that changed you?” the deep blue alicorn lifts her chin just a bit as if to point out some higher standing. 

“Where you not persuaded by your sister to help her with that spell despite what looked to me like doubt on your part?” Luna lowered her head back to eye level, she knew suddenly that I was not going to be taken as a citizen but as something else.

“How did you know? You could not understand us before the transformation. Or could you and where just pretending?” lifting one brow shows me her wonder towards what I knew, that or she thought I was telling lies.

I waved my hoof as I walked over to the second smaller couch and hopped onto it. “I indeed could not understand but I could see your expressions just fine. I’m not extremely good at it but that much I could see. That and you ponies express your emotions a little more than humans do. So now tell me, aside from why I don’t curse your name princess. Why have you been in my dreams and trying to change them so much?” I had a hunch she was after what I knew as well but I don’t want to make presumptions. 

Taking a more stern posture Luna nodded. “I was convinced that your knowledge could benefit our land and help to keep my citizens safe. I had gotten a glimpse of your memories from my attempt to read your thoughts before. I saw not only more guns but technology that could advance our safety from unforeseen threats. Along with other inventions I would like to maybe apply to our land.” 

Shaking my head I sigh “so that was what you did. You looked shaken up from what you saw, yet you want to know more?” 

“I was surprised and confused at what I had seen, but after thinking it over and learning what you are. I re assessed what I had witnessed. I tried to probe into your dreams to try and get information out of you without you knowing. But your mind and perception are far from a normal pony’s. You can see things in dreams most others would never think twice about happening. ” 

“Ya I can see how well that turned out.” This would explain why I was able to see threw those strange dreams despite the laws that normally govern dreams. After all, do you ask why your dreams are the way they are? Or even remember most of them? We just shrug it off and say it’s just a dream and keep going with our lives. 

The princess glared at me for a moment out of the corner of her sapphire eyes. “Well you are not of this realm so could you blame me at trying to mimic your culture from tiny hints? I can only direct thoughts so much in dreams like that.” Something did catch her eye through the window just behind me.

“Look Princess Luna, like I told your sister and Twilight and anyone who asks for that matter. What I know is not what you guys think it is. Keep to your elements of harmony, that is all that you need right now. And that is coming from the pony who knows upcoming events.” 

I watch as the Princess gets up and walks over to the window. “Ah yes, this foresight you have is still to be proven. IF you do not tell us of anything how are we to know? Yes you are from another realm but how do you know that things will not take the same path?” she prods at the shutters and pushes them open only to be blinded by the bright light outside. 

Looking away from the window and Luna I start to think. “Where I come from is nothing like this land. Here things are peaceful and gentle. My home is not like that. Even the day to day life can be a struggle for life to some.” I did not live in Detroit but similar things could happen anywhere, as improbable as it was.

“Do not take this land for what you have seen. We have had our share of strife and conflict. Do not take us for some foals’ tail.” Looking back to me on the couch she stamps her hoof to show authority. “I will not have you making light of our land and what has transpired here. The sacrifices made in the past and present.”

Unmoved I relax my face to keep calm and show it as well. “Is that so? By this point you have been updated on history that you have missed while on the moon correct?” a gentle node confirms my thoughts. “All right then.” I tap my chin as I picked out a point in their time. “The battle of the Cristal Empire? How many where lost to both sides?” 

Narrowing her eyes Luna stares at me as if to ask how much I knew but she was starting to understand that I did in fact know about things in there world. “One hundred and forty nine of our ponies where lost and even more harmed, only sixty of theirs perished. That was due to King Sombra being ruthless and my sister trying to not kill.” Something flickered in the window and it caught her eye making her look outside. What she saw was a battle unfolding outside as humans shot and stabbed one another in a large open clearing. 

“Cute, and that was against another empire?” I looked over my shoulder and the couch with a slightly cold look. Luna pulled her face away from the struggle of the humans outside, half with the colors of red and white as the other side had blue and gold. “What you are seeing is the war of 1812, a grand total of about three thousand three hundred and sixty lost their lives in the initial fighting alone.” The princes covered her mouth as she looked back out the window to see the scene had changed. “And the Civil War was a fight amongst ourselves, of the same kingdom to simplify it.” Luna was shaking her head as she watched a battle unfold of humans loosing limbs to cannon fire and musket balls making short work of waves of men after men. Tears welled up in Lunas eyes as she watches the land itself become soaked in the blood of these strange and violent creatures. It was like she was looking at the Cristal Empire battle all over again, but with much more blood and hate.  “Nineteen thousand four hundred and fifty-five where lost at the first battle of Fort Donelson. Shall I go on with the other nine battles I can think of off the top of my head from that one war?” Capturing her composure Luna shakes her head and looks away from the window. “It is just one of the many that happen, and guns aid in it all. One side has a better gun so they kill more and win. This drives others to make better gun to do the job better and faster. It is a bad track that will stain the rest of history in blood, well, more then I think you want on your hooves. Do you see why I refuse to hand this information over? It may seem odd but I actually care for this land quite a bit and I would hate to see it infected with my own human ideas.” 

“And you think what we have now is better than this?” I nod back to the princes with the utmost serenity. “And who are you to decide this? Why not let it be decided by my sister and I? Have we not ruled this land justly so far?” Luna walks over so she is standing in front of me looking down at me. “How do you know best better than us?” she opens her wings wide as she stands there. There was an air of anger, that from underestimation. Like hot coals you would not see still burning at there core.

Looking up at her Highness I shrug “Truth is I don’t.” the alicorn blinks in surprise. “I’m simply referencing stories of my land and what has happened in our past. I could be wrong for all I know. But I can just as simply say no and stay safe. On top of that I AM the one to decide this. It’s my information, The intellectual property of my kind as I’m the only one from my world here in yours.” Sitting up a bit more to get at eye level, this was not hard because she was standing on the floor and I was sitting on the couch. “I know how things happen if I don’t tell ya one little thing, hell if I vanish you all still live on with your happy lives. On the other hoof.” I hop down from the couch to stand in front of Luna. Looking up to her I keep my face blank, and ho boy was that hard. “There. Will. Be. Blood.” My pupils shrink a bit. “If I divulge information to you and it’s shown to your ponies, your world. Blood will stain this land and your hooves. There will be those who will point the blame to you and say things where just fine before you made these things. And if you point the blame back to me?” I step forward but the mare of the night stands unwavered. “You will not find me! The moment I tell you anything or I realize you got something out of me you best believe I will vanish from this world and never be seen or heard from  again. And don’t you dare think I can’t do that!” shaking my head I step past the princess toward the stares. “Have fun dealing with that without me. Hell, I have only been living it and learning it in classes, who else would know how to curb or possibly negate the repercussions?” 

Without looking towards me as I looked back to her Luna holds her head high. “I will think this over for now. But we have ruled over this land for many generations’ and have been able to keep up with changing times. Do not think we can be stumped by such things.” Finally turning around to face me as I stood next to the steps I see her face is more, normal looking. Not that of a ruler or a higher up for that matter. But of someone conflicted about something she cared for. With a slight bow she flapped her large wings and the condo around us was blown away as if it where smoke. Then I was awake, underneath the balcony of the oak tree with Luna standing about thirteen feet away from me. Thinking this was a dream I get up and walk right up next to her and we both looked up to the stares. 

“Awake or dreaming still?” 

“Awake”

“Why are you here? Can’t you do this all from your personal chambers in the castle or something?” 

Shaking her head slowly Luna responds. “You are strange and your mind well-guarded, I must be near you just to walk in your dreams. Speaking of witch” Luna glances down to me but not as much she would for others others, I was kind of tall for a pony. “I will have guards watching you at night. I have also taken note of how you walk at night. Do try and not cause problems, understood?” 

Furrowing my brow and looking up to the mare of the night I ask just one thing. “Bat pony night guard?” I could not hide the slight interest in the tone of my voice. 

Lifting one brow at me she nods “Two of my finest will be watching as I do not intend to make light of your abilities. So the best will be used.” Looking back to the night sky I smile a bit as the two of us stand there for a little longer. This was kinda cool. No more than a minute later and the princess was stepping away to take flight back to her castle. “You are under close watch by me and my sister for everything you do, please don’t prove my sister right in her thought of you.” As she took flight I cover my eyes to the dust she kicked up and waved her off as she disappeared into the night. 

“So it was not a bird after all that other night.” Nodding a bit and a grin on my face I look around rooftops and alley ways. Now where could those guards be? I want to see a night guard! This was the start to another walk around town at night. Looking around for any sighs of dark colored ponies or large bats was leading me around the town of Pony Ville that I had not seen in the show too much. The back alleys and unseen buildings like the tavern-looking building or the slightly higher-class restaurants. Fun as it was it was starting to get annoying, how hard was it to actually find two night guards when there was no one out tonight? I found this was irrelevant the moment I saw the back door to Rarity’s boutique open and the light above it was out. Walking over I could see the door was wide open into the dark shop and the light over it had been smashed. Kinda cool how hooves can step on glass and not be hurt or cut. All I was going off of was the moon light so I could not see inside too well or the glass for that matter. “Hello? Rarity? You know your back door is open?” I poke my head inside, even opening my eyes as wide as I could I could only make out vague outlines of things. Should probably let the guards deal with this. How would I tell them? Pulling my head back from the dark insides of the building made something silver suddenly swipe past my muzzle toward the ground. Not seeing quite what it was I step back tilting my head at the door. Was that something falling or the light? Wondering this was not too important as that same silver thing slowly emerged. It was a large cleaver! And some pony was holding it in their teeth! Stepping back my gun sprang from my side and snaps to its floating position next to my head. 

“You’re the same from before!  But that thing spurred me on to do this! Discord told me to finish what I start and do what I feel is needed” the pony slowly steps out from inside the boutique with the large butcher’s tool in mouth. When he stepped into the moonlight I could see who it was and it was that same stallion that I had interrupted the other night. I keep back from the stallion as he keeps walking forward toward me.

“Ok hold on, calm down. I’m sure this can be fixed if we just talk through this, but you can’t be holding that thing like that.” I had no clue how to talk folks down from things like this; it was just not in my skill set. I was more disconnected then others so I could never connect to others in a time of need like this. 

“Fat chance! That mare is taking my business and its running me into the ground! She has to go! And I was told to just cut down the compaction.” I could see his teeth where sinking into the knife’s handle, his main was a mess like it went through the blenders, and his eyes, something about his eyes was bothering me. Like Discord had done something to him that the harmony could not clear away. Like it was there before discord but that noodle just feed it what it wanted to hear. He moved faster and swung the cleaver at me, I was still out of its reach but if I keep walking backwards I was bound to trip or run into something. 

“Ok look! You have to stop this! If you keep this up I will not hold back!” I pump the action to the KSG and the gun lifts up from the low ready to point at the crazed pony. I had to pick up the pace just to keep away as well and I did not like that. I can’t see backwards and keep this guy in my sight at the same time. 

“You can’t stop this! I can’t stop this! The alarm and lock on that door was busted by his chaos and it’s telling me to kill her! If I die from losing my business to her then I will take her with me!” kicking at nothing he suddenly starts at a gallop and raises the cleaver to slash at me.

I lower myself to jump to one side or the other. “STAND DOWN! LAST CHANCE!” With that he leaped into the air and showed I can’t under estimate earth ponies. He jumped higher and farther then I think I could have, even in this body. 

“Chaos evens the playing field!” *BOOM* I aimed a bit low because of his jumping arc but it did not matter. Buck shot found its mark on his front outstretched leg. As the light of the gunpowder faded his leg was next to nothing. The large shots of lead had ripped the muscle and tendon of the bone and shattered that as well. All that was left was his hoof barely attached by scraps of his hide and what remained of his ligaments. Before he hit the ground he let out a scream of terror, which was part of him realizing his mistakes had repercussions. The energy absorbed was so great that it had thrown off his jump and he was now landing face first in front of me as his leg pulled him back. I stood back up as I did not actually jump out of the way and I realized something. I was not watching but when he screamed he had let go of the cleaver. 

I feel back down as my back left leg gave out to sharp pain. “Don’t move! Let me get that. Shadow, get the town guard out here now!” looking back to the new voices I see one night guard gripping the cleaver which had lodged itself into a point just before my hip. And another just landing next to him, after getting commands the guard was taking off towards the hospital.  “Volley, this will hurt. Grit your teeth.” Before I could Protest to this he was pulling the massive blade from my hip. 

“GGGAAA, THE HELL MAN? FUCK!” gritting my teeth out of the pain my eyes roll back as the pain spreads through my hip. After smashing my head into the ground to keep from moving I could feel the pressure. Looking back to the guard I could see he had a rag and was pushing down on the deep laceration. “Give it to me straight man, are my clothes stained?” 

Slowly looking back to me the guard tilts his head as he holds down my side. “Luna said you would be an odd one, and yes, you got blood all over this side of your clothes. Just hold still and you will be fine. The knife did not go too deep.” Looking back to the stallion now passed out on the ground he taps my shoulder. “Hold down on this rag to keep from bleeding more, I need to work on him.” Nodding a bit I follow the guards command. His leathery wings give one powerful beat to help him leap over to the mad stallion that was now turning pale.

Looking over the leg of the stallion he shakes his head about what to do. “You are not going to save that limb, it’s gone. Just put a tourniquet above his knee and save that much.” Looking back to me out of the corner of his eyes he sighs and follows my instructions. 

“This is too much, I have only seen a cragadile do this to ponies. Whatever you do is just overkill.”  Cinching up a belt that he used from his own gear, the blood finally stopped flowing. “No wonder we are here.” Looking back to me from over his shoulder I could see his silted eyes looking back at me through the dim moonlight. “You really are not of this world.”

That comment sunk in slow but it felt like a knife being slowly pressed into me. “Hay I did not ask you to be here and I surely was not thinking I would have to shoot anypony in this town.” Turning my head away I spot the other night guard in the air pointing down toward us. Oh fun, the cavalry is here. It did not take long for three of the towns guard to surround me with spears and halberds drawn and pointing at me. One more guard along with nurse Red Heart ran to aid the older night guard with the crazed stallion on the ground.

There was a gasp that pushed through as guards told me stay still. I’m only holding a bleeding gash, not like I’m going to bolt anytime soon. Me and the older night guard look over to see Rarity standing in the open doorway with a hoof to her muzzle. “Oh my!” Seeing the passed out stallion on the ground she recognizes the pony and her tone changes a bit “Oh no”. 

After pulling the tourniquet a bit more and nodding to Red Heart the older threstral gets up and walks over to the mare of fashion. “My apologies to wake you this late at night madam, but do you know this stallion?” sifting out of the way he points a hoof to the stallion currently taking the room temperature challenge. 

Glancing over to see me held at spear point she nods “this is a rival of mine in the cloths business. After I had opened my boutique his business started to see hard times.” Running a hoof through her mane she sighed. “I had offered to help him but he always turned me down and had blamed me for his decline. I had no clue his state had gotten this terrible dear.” Her ears laid back as she shook her head gently causing her large curls to bounce a bit. “I should have…”

“That’s business for you,” the bat pony broke in. “sometimes your shop looks to be holding up then the slightest bump shows it’s not so strong.” Pulling out a note pad he starts to wright down notes and continues to ask Rarity more questions. I had lost track at this point as the guard where encroaching on me as Red Heart looks over and shakes her head at me. 

“I’m never going to see you unhurt will I? And this time you caused more then you got!” pointing with one hoof at the stallion now being moved onto a stretcher. “And look how much you did!  The guard tell me you shot someone, is that true?” pressing more on my fabric bandage I look towards the two ponies now lifting up the stretcher and starting to move back to the hospital. I knew how hard it would be to explain things to her at this point. 

So I made it short. “It was in self-defense.” Narrowing her eyes she opened her mouth but was called by the two with the stretcher to follow. Looking back to them then back to me she shakes her head. Rearing up on her back hooves she turns and gallops off with the mangled patient. It kind of hurt to see that out of someone like Red Heart, but that feeling was nudged off to the side by a halberd getting to close to my back. “Come on guys! I’m not moving with this gash in my side! Just back up a little.” Swatting the blade away with my hoof made it ring a soft tone. 

“Do not lessen to him! do not drop your guard. He has broken his word and harmed one of my little ponies. He will answer for his actions.” Almost harmonizing with the soft ring emanating from the blade was Celestias voice. Almost all the guard turned in surprise along with the two night guard and Rarity. I made an effort to not even grant her that and turned to look away as she landed near the boutique with a gentle beat of her large wings. Stepping forward she looks down at me with a gentle but blank expression, I could only guess it was hiding her true feelings but like always I can’t read her at all, not even a hint of something. “You told me and my sister you would not harm any of my ponies. Yet you have shot one in the dark night.” Leaning forward along with the spears she got a little closer but not passing the ring of guards around me. “Explain.” Her voice had a hint of irritation but I’m going to guess it was more anger then annoyed. 

Without moving my head I looked back at her out of the corner of my eye. “I saw an open door to miss Rarity’s shop. Looked inside to see if something was wrong and was almost got beheaded by a crazed stallion. I backed away asking him to stop and he charged at me cleaver in mouth. Told him to stand down, he did not and jumped at me, so I shot to defend.” Looking back to my side I lift the rags a bit to see how the cut was doing and was meet with a gush of blood so I quickly pressed back down as the fresh blood socked into more of my outfit. Man his is going to ruin this whole outfit!

Lifting her head just a bit the princess narrows her eyes a bit. “Most others have since long gone to sleep as the moon is so high. Why are you out and around at this time of my sisters night?” 

“Is it so wrong for me to be up and about? It is a beautiful night after all. Why not enjoy it?” looking up to her I grin knowing what I just poked at. 

“I would watch what you say, as it stands you can be charged with aggravated assault and attempted murder. You are in no place to jest Mr. Volley. Now unless you can give me a reason as to why you are at this place of business so late at night and as to why you felt the need to harm an innocent pony to such an extreme. You will be taken into custody and your gun  seized.” Stepping forward she nods to her guard and all spears are now straight up poking me as another guard steps forward with bindings. 

“He was doing the job that I hired him for, your highness!” Celestia looks over to Rarity and held a hoof up to stop the guard. 

“Miss Rarity?” the princess turns and walks over to the mare and lowers her head just a bit to Raritys level. “What do you mean job?” looking back to me, STILL holding my bleeding side! 

Rarity cleared her thought as the night guard attentively stepped away from her. I took note of how he keeps an eye on the princess but it was not in the normal way that the day guard do, it was a bit more cautious. “After the tussle with Discord I came home to find my back door’s lock was broken as well as the spells Twilight had just put there. Now I had heard through the grape vine how Mr. Volley here was looking for work as a guard, pony for  hire? Oh what was that word?” She tapped her chin as she thought of the word. 

“Mercenary, miss” 

Celestia clearly snapped her eyes to look at the guard with a blank look as rarity smiled and nodded “that’s the one! Thank you dear. Well I had asked him to look after my shop during the night just to be safe as I get the locks fixed.” With a smile the mare moves some of her hair out of the way. Looking back to me over her shoulder Celestia raises one brow at me. Rarity winks at me from behind the royal pony. 

Nodding just a bit I look back to my bleeding flank. I’m going to owe that mare so much I don’t think I could ever ask her for anything now. “I did not want too many to know but yes. I’m working as a mercenary, but I would rather say guard for higher as that is the kind of work I will take for now.” 

Celestia thought for a moment, she did not smile but her eye brows shifted a bit to a more relaxed look. Spreading her wings she walks over to a guard and pulls out a roll of gauze with her golden aura. In a swirl of magic she created what looked like a large patch with gold runes all over it. Walking through the blockade of guards and all the weapons are suddenly pulled away to make room for her. Watching her movements I was getting nervous and thought to make a move away but I held back. Using one hoof she brushes my hooves away and quickly applies the rune patch with her magic and presses down with one hoof to seal it. I wince as she presses down with much more force then was needed. Smiling down at me as the pressure of her hoof slowly increases she opens her mouth. “Pending your judgment of this event, I hope you are cleared and make a full recovery Mr. Volley.” Her hoof presses down a little more and I can feel myself sink into the ground a bit and a bolt of soft pain throbs in my side. Retracting her hoof more magic swirls around my freshly patched wound. I watch in amazement as my uniform is tugged and blood starts to vanish from its threads. The color now back to normal I watch closely as the threads of the garment weave and bind back into itself, effectively mending the cut cloth and leaving no mistakes or missed stitching behind. She cleaned my uniform and fixed it in one shot! With a nod to the guards she turns to walk away. “Altered Light was it?” she looks to the older night guard. “I will put you in charge of the investigation for this small matter, I do hope for its swift resolve.” The guard slowly nods with a slight look of confusion and surprise. The princess beat her wings and lifts into the air looking over her shoulder with that strange smile. Soon she was out of sight last seen flying towards Canterlot. 

“That was strange.” all remaining company look to the night guard mare. “What? Don’t look at me like that, you know it was.” 

> Chapter 8 Jobs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cool air brushed past me and through my coat as I stood outside the Boutique owned by the town’s premier fashionista. A chill runs down my spine as I stand still. I don’t think I’m ever going to stop loving that feeling. Keeping an eye out for any more threats at night was simple as the building did stand apart from the rest of the buildings just a bit. All alone in an odd clearing, sorta like how the Golden Oak library did. It was a big tree so that to me kinda made scenes. Rarity’s home slash place of work was not a tree so, meh. It was nice to be out in the quiet night all to myself now. As I walked around I found it a bit of a challenge to walk silently, having hooves of hard keratin made this difficult. Was I being courteous to others in town and trying to make as little sound as possible so I did not wake others? Nope, I was actually practicing this little skill just to kill time. Staring at the stars and moon was not always the best way to pass the time so this was my next best thing.


About an hour ago the guards had finished with their work of collecting all the statements from me and Rares about the run in with the crazed stallion. After which the element barer? recommended I stay and keep a look over the place to keep up the facade we had quickly collaborated. Looking back on that, I was going to be in for a bit of rushed paper work to make this all on the up and up legally to keep old sun butt off my butt as to why I was wandering around at night. Is it so wrong to be out at night or against the law? Why is it looked down upon? Well, that brought me to another point. Looking around I spot a pair of golden eyes watching me from the roof of the building closest to the shop of fashion. Starring at the eyes I point right at them with one hoof. I could barely make out an up and down motion on the roof, I could only guess she was shrugging at me. “Bet you can’t hear me all the way over there. I could bad mouth you and you would be none the wiser.” I whispered softly. Kinda like if you were asking your friend in the theater if there was any popcorn left.


I saw the faint glowing orbs suddenly bound off the roof and land on the ground with a muffled thump in front of said building. I stopped my silent walking attempt to watch the mare walk over to me. Stopping just in front of me she looks up at me glaring with those golden silted eyes. “My name is Swift Shadow, the stallion tasked to clean up your fumble is Altered light.”


Tilting my head I nod “And to what do I owe the honor of this sudden introduction?” I bow a bit as I have no problem showing night guard or bat pony’s respect. Hell none of them have knocked me out yet.


Glaring at me she steps forward with a stern step. “I don’t like the fact that Light and I are stuck babysitting you. That being my mission right now I’m not going to put up with your insults or you underestimating us.” I lean back my head and my ears pin back. Oops, my bad. “So I thought I should tell you the names of the ones who get to run a sword threw you if you step out of line. Luna thought it was best to set her best on such a tedious task and I can’t see why, but I trust Lunas judgment. So don’t make this harder or more of an insult to us all right?” her dark armor clicked a bit as she stepped back to a normal distance. “I’m stuck with you because Light is dealing with covering your ass so be grateful he is doing that much on the Princesses command.” Glancing up to the top of her head I look at her ears which did in fact have small tuft of fluff at their tips. Aside from that the ears looked more like bats, less fur on the inside, and a little on the big side but yeah. Curling my lips a bit I nod to the guard now knowing that those ears could pick up a whisper from some ways away and she did in fact hear my little comment.


I lower my head a little as she steps away feeling bad that without a point or provocation I had kinda, sorta, insulted her. “I will not insult you or your partner any further the best I can. I was not aware I would be such a pain to keep an eye on or that eyes had to be on me in the first place. I will say that if Princess Luna herself gave you this task then I would have no qualms with her wishes or the guards tasked with it.” With a shrug and a glance around the area I take a deep breath of the night air. “I will give you a heads up that I will be wandering around at night more than others would, I’m a bit of a night owl. It would be nice to chat with you two if you are going to be stuck to me but I’m not going to push that option too much if you can’t or just don’t want to. Now if you will excuse me I need to get back to my task for this night.” I bow to the mare much more to the point I was touching my muzzle to the ground and bending my front legs, mostly as I did not know how far to bow any how in this world. “It is an honor to meet a skilled night guard and time allowing I hope to meet Altered Light as well.” Lifting my head from bowing I turn back to Rarity’s shop and continue working on walking quietly.


Leaning her head to one side and tilting it about a degree, she narrowed her gaze at me and nods silently “Roll your hoof from the outside inward to step quietly.” 


My ears twitch as I hear this and turn to thank her “Oh, thank…” Before I can finish though she was in the air and back on top of the building she was on before. But this time I did not see the golden glow of her eyes watching me. “Heh, thank you Miss Shadow.” Turning back to my walk I apply the rolling step method and wouldn’t ya know it. She was right and my steps where much more quiet. Not silent mind ya but it was a start. The rest of the night was more of what I would have figured this town had to offer at night, nothing. Walking was all I could do to keep myself awake too. If it were not for the pile of things I had planned to start working on I would have just taken a nap later to solve this. Alas, I had to start earning bits and find a place to stay. Looking around I spotted Shadows eyes watching again and I nodded my head just a bit. Making my way around the building I was out of her sight behind the shop from her vantage point. “Wonder if Ponyville had apartments. If I could snag a house that would be awesome.” I stopped suddenly as a realization struck me “Oh gods what is rent like out here? Like… 150bits? Or more like a grand? Hell what is minimum wage???” this would continue on through the rest of the night up until dawn.


Shadow took off from the roof top and flew over me as I was standing motionless in front of the shop and I glanced up to watch her float towards Canterlot. Moments later the sky shifted from a dark blue of the twinkling night to the reds and oranges of twilight, then to the light blue of the morning sky. It was kinda a long night but nothing too hard for me, I had done similar but not worse.


I heard a yawn from behind me and looked over my shoulder to see the seamstress herself walking out from her shop. “Good morning Volley! I trust it was quiet for the rest of the night?” Nodding was all she was going to get out of me as I rubbed my eyes with my hoof. “Well” her horn glows as she lifts up a small brown bag and gives it to me. Taking the bag in my hoof I tilt my head at it a little confused. “That’s payment for keeping me safe as my guard for the night. Seeing as it is your job right?” she winks knowingly at me and I chuckle back nodding. “Just remember to stop by town hall and fill out the forms to make it proper. Twilight or I can help you draft up contracts you may need if you need help with them. So don’t be shy, drop by every now and again Dearie.” With that she grants me one last smile and trots off into town.


Using my head I pull myself around and start my way to town hall as the fashion mare walks down a separate path. Placing the bag of bits in my side pouch I could hear all the coin clink gently within the bag. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth but I should probably check to see how much is in that bag. Another yawn and I was at the doors of the town hall, and grabbing the door with my teeth I open the doors to find a vast open space that was used for events such as weddings or other things I guess. Glancing around I soon found a door way to the side where I would guess was the place I was looking for? “Hello?” I poke my head inside to see what actually looked more like the town archives. “I need to fill out paper work for starting a business? I guess?”


A pale, light grayish magenta mare pokes her head out from behind one of the rows of file cabinets and spots me. “Oh! You are an early one today aren’t you? Well sorry to tell you but this is only the archive, you are looking for the legal documents building. After things are proceed then we get them to store and reference when needed.” Stepping out from the file cabinets I see the rest of her and its Amethyst Star. Pushing a cabinet closed she points in a vague direction to her left. “Go back out the doors you walked in and to the left there is the building you are looking for.”


With a nod I turn and start to walk out giving Star a wave “Thanks Amethi-“ I scrunch up my face before I talk any more. “Umm…ya, thanks!” That was too close. With a little skid on the smooth floors I bolted out of the room before I could be asked anything more. Nosing the doors open again so I could move on outside I look around and spot the building stated. It was not too much unlike the other buildings but it did have a sign with lots of scrolls and a legal looking stamps. This was also pointed out by the stallion just unlocking the door and walking inside. Was that Tall Order or Steel Wright? Not too sure but at least I know I was looking at the correct building, I hope. Walking over I push open the door with a hoof and look around inside. “Hello? I’m starting a business and, I was told this is where I fill out paper work to make it legit?”


“One moment sir, I will be right with you.” Stepping inside the shop I find there are about three desks, all with the same looking file cabinets and lamps on top of them. Almost like somepony had used ctrl+C on it. Pushing the door closed gently with my hind hoof I spot the pony from before right as the latch clicks, it was in fact Tall Order. The gray pony looks over to me and narrows his eyes a bit. “Oh, well, how can I help you today?” red flag numero uno.


Leaning my head back a little I look him over a bit, his face had suddenly shifted to a more stoic expression when he had a small smile before. “Well I’m starting up a business and I guess I need to fill out some paper work to make it real and legal?” with a nod he walks over to one of the desks and takes a seat. He does not offer me a seat but he does start to shuffle threw the drawers on the desk and after a short rummage he slaps down a stack of papers on the desk.


“All right I need to you read through all the forms and sign each one to prove you have read and understand the laws, taxes, and regulations. After which you will need to pay a startup fee of one hundred bits.” he pushes the papers forward and I start to look through them, it was nothing I was unfamiliar with from earth despite my lack of legal knowledge. Never started a business but I kinda knew what it would entail. It looked a little simpler and, well, there were more loopholes here and there then I would have thought. But it looked to me like there was more trust involved, benefits of having harmony as a big driving force in this world I guess. Glancing up from reading the first form and flipping to the next page I see how the stallion helping me was not paying me much mind, looking out the window as if he was at a doctor’s office for his appointment. Two papers in and another pony walks in and he instantly perks up with a smile. “Good morning Mayor. Do you need those reports this early in the morning? Or is there another updates to the pink form again?” Pink form?


“No, no, just the forms this morning. Oh my! I’m sorry I did not mean to interrupt you with a client” the tan looking mare strides over to the long desk that was towards the side of the room that was separating the three desks from the door that Tall Order had come through.


“That’s All right Mayor, He is just the new pony from the Discord kerfuffle.” Excuse me?! As the stallion gets up to help the mare I glare at him before going back to my papers. I could not tell but it also looked like the Mayor nodded with a bit of concern too.  Whispers and sideways glances became the norm as the two started to sort through papers, forms, and scrolls. Is this all from what I did? Or is, no, this can’t be how new folks are treated in this town with Pinky Pie around. Checking boxes, filling out descriptions, and a few more signatures signaled that I was finally threw a stack of what was actually only a total of ten papers.


“Uuuh, Sir, I finished all the forms, can I ask you about something on the last page?” I wave my hoof a bit to grab the attention of Tall Order but I was a bit surprised to see that out of the two ponies none of them even looked my way. “Hello?” they were not even chatting, just looking through papers quietly. “Excuse Me!” I raised my voice a tad but not really a yell or a shout.


Turning his head, Order looked over to me with a bit of a snort. “Just a moment Sir, I’m helping the Mayor of the town right now.” Rolling my eyes I look back to the papers to try and sort it out on my own. After coming up with nothing to my queries I decided to instead take a look into the bag of bits Rarity had given me earlier. If I had to pay a fee I may not have enough to pay that right now. Pouring out the contents of the bag I was surprised to see that there was quite an amount of coin. Looked like about thirteen coins, at that moment something caught my eye. The markings on the coins where a little different from one another, after stacking them into little piles I had realized there where denominations on them to. Ten of them are not single bit amounts but tens! Quickly looking over to the other pile of three I see one hundred on them! Moon and stars! Rares gave me 400 bits for guarding her place? “Ok I can help you now, everything signed and filled out?” Tall Order had turned from the mare of the town and was walking over to me. I quickly sweep up all the bits back into the bag. With a look of subtle surprise I nod to the stallion and push forward the paper work. “Good, it’s all here, oh by the way. You need to give me an address that you can be reached at and the fee of processing will be one hundred bits.” For a moment I thought to write down the address to my place on earth, but that would be a mistake here, so I just jotted down the name: Golden Oaks Library. I hope the name would work as I did not actually know the address of it let alone the address system in this world. After pulling the bits back out from there pouch and grabbing a hundred bit, I slid it and the paper work back to the clerk.


“It’s only temporary but this is where I can be contacted or a note left for me.” with a nod the stallion swipes up the coin and slapped a stamp on the final paper of the stack. He then proceeded to shoo me away with one hoof towards the door as he continued filling out more forms to follow up mine. I walk out the door right past Mayor Mare and I could not help but pick up a small hrumpf from her as I left the building.


“Hay! You forgot your business license!” looking back over my shoulder Tall Order was waving a paper with a card attached it. Turning around I smile a bit and nod to him as I approach.


“Oh thank you-“ before I could grab the paper he dropped it on the ground and slammed the door in my face after he had retreaded back inside. “…” I was shocked, like I said I was ok with some hate but this is a new level for me. Shaking my head before old memories could remind me of similar times I bend down to pick up the papers. Folding them and gently sliding them into the pocket on the front of my uniform I turn and slowly trot to the library. Zecora did not deal with this, what she got was more fear of the unknown and let’s go hide. So why are folks mad at me and not hiding from me instead? What the heck? Oh if this is all because of Discord I’m going to break off his tail before he is freed again. Guess this will act more of a push for me to get back to my home, if I ever get any lead on gateways or portals that is. With a sigh I make my way back to the library just as I see Spike looking around under the balcony. “Yo! Looking for me or something else?”


“Volley, there you are. Ware where you? It was strangely quiet all night. Well” the dragon walked over to me and scratched his head “Did you hear that loud boom last night? It sounded like thunder. There was no storm last night right? Was it RD playing a prank late at night again? Or, or was that you?” leaning to the side Spike looks at my gun resting on my flank.


“Yeah that was me. Had to deal with somepony at the boutique last night, Anyway, what’s up?”


The baby dragon’s eyes widen a bit as the gears turn in his head. “Oh, well its breakfast time, Twi is also looking for you.” With a nod I walk over to the door and open it with a turn of the hoof. Looking over to Spike I becon him inside with a flick of my head. Blinking free of his thoughts he nods and runs inside. “Thanks, you umm, did not, you know…” looking down at him as I followed him inside I shake my head. “Oh that’s good!” walking into the kitchen and to its small table Spike takes his seat and I take the same one as the last time I had sat here. “Today I made too much pancake batter so eat as much as you want.”


“Oh there is no need to tell me that twice!” Even as I had said this I was filling my plate with a large stack of flapjacks and drenching them in sticky syrup. One bite later and spike was greeting Twilight as she walked in reading a letter. I was able to utter a “Morning” between bites of pancakes.


“Good morning to you as well Volley, Spike.” Looking up from the letter as she took her seat I glance over to her. She did not have the best look adorning her face as I would think a morning person would normally have. Looking to me she sighs “That loud sound last night, was that you?” I slowdown in my eating pace and look off just a bit as I nod with a mouth full of food. Looking back to her letter her ears lay back “what did you do?”


Holding up one hoof I finish chewing my food and swallow it down. “I was passing Rarity’s shop and there was a stallion driven mad by Discord breaking into the place. He had a cleaver and was after Rarity’s life for putting him out of business. I was not going to idly stand buy so I defended her home and when he attacked me I shot him.” Looking back to Twi I sighed a bit through my pancakes.


Spike spat out his food and stood up “you said you did not shoot  anyone when I asked!”


Looking back to him in surprise I shake my head “I thought you were going to ask if I had killed somepony.”


Tapping the table both me and spike look back to Twilight. “This letter is from Princess Luna telling me that you will have two night guards watching you at night.” She shuffled the letters around. There was more? “This one is from Princess Celestia telling me about your actions last night and about how you have a job as a mercenary? Volley what is this all about?” she tilts her head at me and gives me the look of a concerned mother.


Rolling my eyes I look back to the little bit of pancakes still in front of me on my plate. “first off I had showed Princess Luna some of the history of the land I come from and she thought I needed guards watching me at night to A: keep an eye on me and B: prove I’m not up to no good at night because apparently I’m more active than others at night. Aside from you I tend to walk about at night now that I’m here in Equestria, did not do that back home. And sun butt on the other hoof-” Twilight scowled at me a bit so I held up my hooves understanding what I did. “Ahem, Celestia on the other hand was first on the Sean last night and so she may just be trying to inform you about what is sleeping under your balcony. I was told I may be charged with some crimes for what I did but then it kinda looked like Celestia wanted me to be cleared of them.” I start to scratch at the bandages under my clothes. “These may need to come off soon. Also twilight, I’m not a murk, I will not take hit jobs or knowingly break the law, as it stands I’m a guard for hire or just a jack of all trades I guess, filled out all the paper work just this morning. I need to start making money so I can get my own place so I don’t have to keep mooching off of you. I have done nothing to repay you so I need to start working on that.” looking down at the pancakes my ears twitch. “And thank you so much for the food these past few days. If you need any help just ask me please? I don’t like being in debt.”


Setting down the letters and starting on her breakfast as well she thinks a bit. “I know who you can go to about a home to look for, but you need to build up your piggy bank before you can get into an apartment at least.” After getting about half way threw her pancakes he taps her chin with one hoof. “I don’t know if anypony around town needs a guard, but if you are a jack of all trades then we can start with Apple Jack, she always has things to do on the farm. Maybe you can go and help her out with a few?”


With a nod I finish off my plate and start to stack on more before Spike was able to beat me to what was left. “I’m ok with farm work, I may not have the strength for some of it but I will definately do what I can until I fall.” I chuckle a bit as I remember the last time I did work like that. “Oh, also I may need to draft some contracts for me being a guard for hire or other things of that ilk. Would you be able to help me with that?” I walk back over to the table and sit back down to keep eating as Spike finishes his helping and moves to grab more.


“For somepony who does not like debt you sure ask quite a bit” Twi grins between bites.


“Ouch” Spike chuckles a bit behind me as he fills up his plate with more Pancakes.


Putting a hoof over her mouth the librarian chuckles to herself and sighs. “You can pay me back by letting me ask you questions about your world and you. Some experiments too.”


With a shrug I nod “Yeah I can do that much. But you know some things I can’t tell you, not without a pinky promise.” With a knowing nod Twilight finishes off her pancakes. “Well ok then I can do that whenever I’m not busy.” Being a new day I had a little theory about my own abilities, so I started by pulling a shell from my side and stuffing it into my pocket. “One”


Twilight and spike both look at me with confused looks. “What was that?” Spike askes. I wave a hoof at him as I reach to pull another but nothing happens this time and I shrug.


“Being strange aside, after we finish lets go to Sweet Apple Acers and see if there is anything that needs done.” Finally finishing her plate of morning food she gets up to set the plate in the sink and starts to make a pot of coffee. “When you say you know about me and my friends, you know about Apple Jack and her family right?”


“More then you for the time being.” after sipping some sweet tea I go back to what was left of my pancakes.


With a nod the mare rolls her eyes and looks back to her brewing coffee. After a little bit of quiet filled with the sounds of eating and coffee brewing we were all done and cleaning up the dishes. Not long after, me and Twilight where waving Spike good bye as we both trotted off to the farm that AJ lived and worked. It was not hard to start up and hold a simple conversation with the too be princess of friendship. Nothing too heavy just asking how her day went the other day and me explaining what happened in my dream with the Princess of the night, sans the bit about death tolls. I was a little happy when I was able to pull another shell while walking without tripping. “Two”


Looking at me like a scientist who just found something to question. “You know, the more I see you use magic the more it confuses me. You tell me you can’t cast spells yet you obviously can.” She hip checks me gently. “Why are you saying that?”


Putting the shell into my gun to replace the spent shell from the night before I shrug to the mare as my gun floats back to my flank. “As of now I see spells as something you intend to happen and can conjour at will. Right now I can’t control this and I’m not thinking about making anything happen. It just works, like how to walk you just, walk. You don’t think about it, well that’s kinda how I’m making this work. Not sure if that’s just me or if there is more to it.” I bump the mare back and smirk a bit “besides you can do so much and all I can do is make ammo and float my gun. Two spells? That’s not much for a unicorn.” At that moment we finally make it to the gates of the farm and I spot little Apple Bloom oiling the hinges of the gate. As we get near I wave to draw her attention.


“Hello Apple Bloom!” Twilight calls out to the little filly. “Have you seen your big sister?”


“Hi Twilight, I-“ as she looked up from her work to greet Twilight she stares right at me. With a sharp gasp and shrunken pupils the small pony lets out a shrill scream and bolts off towards the farm just out of sight behind the trees of the orchard.


Looking back and forth to one another, the element barer and I slowly shrug. I had a bad feeling about this as I remembered what happened back in the town. But I don’t remember doing anything or even seeing her during the event. As we continued walking toward the farm house inside the orchard I felt more and more impending doom in the air. Something was amiss and Twilight could see I was acting strange. “Are, are you feeling ok there?” she moves to put a hoof on my shoulders.


Shaking my head I start to look around more than needed. “Something feels off and I don’t know what it is. But it’s making me uneasy.” Shaking my head to try and rid myself of this feeling the mare pats my back.


“It’s all right, it’s just AJ, and you know who she and her family are.” Twilight try’s to easy my nerves.


 Something in that struck a cord and I nodded. “Right, right” my ears pop up and so to does Twi’s


Looking forward we both spot Apple Jack walk out from behind a tree looking around for something. “See? She is not gray ether, its ok.” After a small chuckle Twilight waves to AJ and hollers out “hey Apple Jack! Got a moment?” looking over with a bit of a jerk I could make out her eyes narrowing as she started to gallop our way. Something was building inside me and I did not like it. As the mare closed the gap between me and Twilight I took a step back as a chill ran down my spine. “Is she mad or something? I have not seen her move this fast”


“Twilight! Get away from him! He is bad news!” AJ shouts out about a hundred feet out.


“Volley? No he is not bad.” Twi looks at me and back to the farm pony “what is-“


Before the mare could finish her thought AJ made a small leap. I on the other hand started to pull my gun forward out of instinct but I stopped my gun in midair. I can’t pull my gun on AJ! One of AJ’s front hooves landed first and started her to spin with a slight slide to keep her momentum. Don’t engage! Run! Move! Get out of the way!! Thoughts ran through my mind but it was all too fast. Another front hoof made contact with the ground to stop her spin. All I could see was the red of the ribbon on her tail. I watched in frozen terror as her hind hooves almost blurred out of my sight before they made contact. I could feel my jaw and teeth scream out in pain as I was bucked, HARD. gigity Her hooves sank into my lower jaw and skull pushing my head up and back. The stunned look on Twilights face was nothing but half of what I would be expressing had I no hooves in my face. As things speed back up to normal time the hard hooves followed through perfectly and literally threw me backwards head over hooves, several times, right into an apple tree, back first. This is how I die. Before I made contact all that was building inside me was expelled out my back as mana. There was a tremendous blast before I hit tree and it cushioned the impact. Sadly that’s the last thing I remember. I still hit the tree so hard it slammed the back of my skull and I was knocked out.



Royal guard: 2




Blood loss: 1




Apple pony: 1



As my brain finishes rebooting from the system crash brought on by the massive concussion curtesy of Apple Jack’s mean kick, I slowly open my eyes to see Twilight yelling at the farm pony? Blinking a few times my body slumps over so I was now laying on the ground instead of leaning on the trunk of a tree.


“Why in the wide world of equestria would you kick him so hard?!”


“He scared the life outa my little sis Twi! He could have hurt her!”


“Discord had him under a spell! He had no clue what he was doing.”


“But Apple Bloom!”


“Volley would never heart a filly, trust me.”


Gritting my teeth was a bad idea as my teeth had almost been shattered and boy where they sore! I pushed up with my front hooves to sit upright and looked around. Hmm…. So this is what shell shock is like. Twi and AJ where blurring any time they moved and I could feel my insides still doing backflips. I put a hoof to my head and close my eyes to try and keep my food down as the world spun.


“Look it here! He is back up ayn' standin'! I didn’t kill him after all.” looking back up all I see is the farm pony walking towards me still looking a bit mad at me. Without thinking about it I was suddenly propelled away from her by and explosion from my side. It felt more like a big warm shove to my right. I was able to land with a skid on all fours before I slammed into another tree. With a drained wide eyed face I glanced from one mare to another as if expecting one of them to jump me. Instead I watched as both suddenly covered and rubbed their ears. It was not that loud, was it? “Now look at this! He is a-jumpin' around making a racket! What are y’all doin’ with a guy like this anyhow?”


“You just kicked him into a tree and you think he is going to act normal right as he wakes up? you will just make him do that again, whatever that was he just did. ” the book horse shakes her head and looks over to me taking a tentative step toward me. My eyes dart toward her and I slowly regain my head as she stretches out one hoof “Are you ok Volley? Take it slow; you hit your head pretty hard.” Blinking a few more times I rub my head as my insides stop trying to fly. Resting a hoof on my shoulder Twi nods “Are you back?” I nod slowly as AJ walks up to me.


 “Humph, it’s what you get for mess’n with my kin.”


“Lest we not forget what happens when you turn gray.” I finally stand upright from my staggered stance and glare at her. “I will let Big Mac know you fell back to your old ways then?” the farmer turns red and stumbles over her words but nothing really comes out. Twilight looks back and forth between me and AJ confusion all over her face. “Calm down AJ I’m not going to, just bluffing.” I rub my head more but man my jaw feels like it is made of dust.


Twilight taps my shoulder and points over to the dirt road we were on a moment ago and I spot a few shells alongside my gun. “I managed to catch your gun but I let the shells drop, that’s ok right?” I nod and walk over to the path. My gun becomes surrounded in my crimson magic hold and drifts to my side where it holsters on my right flank. I chuckled as I find three new shells on the ground, I had the shells knocked out of me.


“Three, four, five.”


After picking up the shells and tossing them into my large pocket with the other one, I look to the two mares just walking up to the path to join me. “Ok so why are y’all here in the first place? Did you need somthin’ or where you just stopping by ta say hi” Looking over to Twilight I motion for her to talk to her friend, I don’t think it would help for me to say much at this moment.


“Oh, right! Well Apple Jack. This is Ballistic Volley,” I waved a bit “he is, well, new to this land, umm, town. And he needs a job to earn some bits for a place to stay until he can get back home. I know you always have so much to do around here I just thought he could help out a bit for pay?” the book horse smiles sheepishly to her friend as the Apple looks me over from head to hoof.


“Well seeing as he is a tall one and I got no clue what he can do.” she looks over her shoulder and points to a tree. I follow her hoof to see a tree had fallen over, its trunk splintered to bits. “He can start by cleaning up what he did and get that spot ready for a new tree.”


Shocked and now fully out of my daze I look to the two “I did that?”


Twilight nodded “Just before you hit that tree there was a big explosion. I thought you’re shells had exploded but you just broke the tree. How did you do that? I have not seen any spell work like that one.” I shrug as I walk over to the tree.


“It just happened I guess, automatic response?” I shrug a bit and Apple Jack just shakes her head.


“Stay here for now and I will get ya some tools to start. I will keep an eye on ya too just to be sure you don’t try anything funny. I trust Twi but I don’t trust ya as far as I can throw ya.”


“So what like, thirteen feet?” I look back and forth from the path to the tree.


Twilight giggles behind a hoof but AJ just groans as she walks off towards the barn. Figuring I should take this time for a little brake I sit down next to the tree I had split in half. “The amount of energy needed to do this had to be massive. How am I not just as hurt? Then again, AJ did send me flying just as well.”


“You were able to make a smaller one to jump away from her just a moment ago too” Twilight points out. “In your state I don’t think any unicorn could have focused enough to use any magic like that. Maybe your magic is controlled by your reflexes?” examining the stump of the tree I nod to her, it was the first solid hypothesis I had for my magic. It was not long after that Apple Jack was back with a small cart filled with tools and one sapling. Walking over to the cart I look back to her a bit confused.


“What’s wrong now? Don’t know what to use?” the farm pony slowly starts to grin and I shake my head.


“Naa, just wondering why you filled the cart with so much, I don’t think I need half of this.” With my hooves on the side of the cart I rummage for the shovel I could see at the bottom with my muzzle, and grab it in my mouth. Pulling it free I manage to stick it into the ground. After a moment of contemplation I figure out how to use it with a quadruped body and hooves. That was the only hard part as it was actually easy to manipulate after I had sorted out how to stand and move.


“Well ya found an odd one Twi, covered in fancy clothes and he is a tall unicorn digging out a stump without magic. Where did you find him? Another planet?” the two mares chuckle and Twilight nods.


“kinda. He can’t use magic very well so just think of him as an earth pony” the librarian shrugs and gives her friend a wave “well I have things to do so I will be off. Just don’t break him ok?” the mare trots off waving good bye to me, to which I wave back.


“No promises Twilight!” the mare shouts back to the distant unicorn. Looking back to me she sighs with a hoof in her face. “Why me?” walking over to an un broken tree she leans on it in the cool shade and keeps on watching me as I dig a trench around the tree stump. After that was done the pick axe was next to cut the roots holding it in the ground. Then it was the odd task of tying a rope around the stump and myself up to a harness to pull it free. AJ got one hell of a laugh out of watching my weak flank try to pull this root ball out of the ground. And after about fifteen minutes she grabbed the rope in her teeth and with her help I was able to easily heft the root ball out of the ground. She did the most work in that task, I may be tall but I’m just a unicorn. As an earth pony she is much stronger then I could ever be. After moving the mass of wood and dirt nest to the other half of the tree I set to work in planting the sapling. During all of this AJ had started to pick the apples that where on the downed tree, leave nothing to waste right?


Taking a breather I pulled another shell from my side and again popped it into my pocket. “Five” And with that I walked to the cart to retrieve the little tree. Pulling the string holding the burlap around its root ball free and pulling the rough fabric away I gently pick up the tree by the trunk with my teeth. Once in the ground I use my hooves to back fill the gaps and pressed it all down. Before I could look for it AJ was watering the young tree with a water pot.  After setting it down she looks at me, not quite surprised but more content? Not sure.


“Never seen a unicorn do that before. Rarity would never think to do this, let alone know how.”


“Well I’m a jack of all trades in this world. I don’t think like most so ya. Point me at something and I will do my best to get er’ dun” With a shrug the mare tosses an apple at me and beckons me to follow. Taking a big bite of the delicious, savory apple I follow. The rest of the day was not just meeting Big Mac, who was indeed taller than me by three inches, to help me move the tree parts but other various things as well. Feeding the pigs was odd but all the other things looked to be simple farm things. Lots of moving things and lifting, exhausting too. A little over half the day was spent with me helping the apple family to the best I could. Even after all that work I still felt horrible after I was told what I had done. During my attempt to help fight back the timber wolfs during discords short bout of freedom, I had shotover Cheerilee and her class. This included Apple Bloom, whom I had not seen all day after the first run in with her. I was also told this is why the town is most likely going to hate me for the foreseeable extent of time. Word does spread fast in this town to everypony and this town does not like such things being done. And I did not have the time or mentality to explain my side to the entire town of Ponyville. “Buck that.”


“Well that’s thuh pit you’re in now, so dig out or get used to the dark.” Back in the farm house Big Mac, JA, and I were taking a break and trying to decide what do have me work on next. It was then decided that because of the little bit of help I was giving we had done all of the days’ work and a little bit of the next days, well the small stuff I was trusted to do. So with a few bits begrudgingly given to me I was sent off to go back to the library. “You did well today. I still don’t trust ya aroun' here but ifin' you need something to do I may have small work needing to be done.”


“Still kinda surprised you let me work at all not only considering what I was tricked into doing but you being stubborn about letting others help.” With a shrug I glance around and still no Apple Bloom, not too surprised. Pushing open the door to the house I make my way out before AJ stops me.


“Hold on now, look, I’m a little sorry about kicking y'all so awful hard. You are a good worker and I may have jumped to conclusions before Twi told me about what happened.” Big Mac nods behind her and it was then I was thankful AJ found me before he did. I may not have a jaw or solid skull to speak of, if I was still alive after to speak that is. “I can talk to Apple Bloom and try to get her to see-“ I cut her off my putting up one hoof and shaking my head as I stood in the door way.


“No need for that.” I turn and start to walk out the door as I look back over my shoulder to finish my thought. “If I know her she will talk to me at some point no matter what is said or done.” Looking forward as the farm mare waves me good bye I mutter to myself. “Getting too attached.” I still had lots of daylight so I decided to get my butt in gear and look for a way home. So the library was my first stop. Knowing some strange books where held inside its shelves I’m guessing it may be a good first start. Yes there where bigger ones I knew of but I don’t thinking I’m allowed to leave this town with all the guards watching me. It was no coincidence that as I think this I look around from my walk to the library to spot one or two guards watching me from her patrol post.  Rolling my eyes I make my way to the vault of tomes from witch I hopped I could find a gate of safe passage to my realm of birth.


Tilting his head as he scratched his chin, the drake of the Golden Oak Library thought hard about any portals, gates, teleports, or other such magical ways to travel.  “I don’t think we have anything like that, aside from the normal book about teleporting and its theory’s.” with a shrug spike looks around at the walls of books.


“Hmm, Ok how about any stories or events where things just appear or start happening. Like a creature in a place it should not be or ponies going missing.” Slowly walking and looking at the book ends the dragon stops and thinks for a moment.


“Oh, well maybe the events of the forest or mountains.” Quickly grabbing the ladder he re positions it and scurries up the rungs. After grabbing a book and repeating the steps in another part of the room he skips up to me with two books in claw. One was a stone gray guided in silver mountain patterns and the other was a deep forest green that I found myself getting lost in for a brief moment.


Looking over the books and taking them from him I nod happily “Thanks Spike, it’s cool if I just read them here right? I will not be in the way of anything will I?” with a shake of the drake’s head I bow a bit to him. “Thanks so much.” With that I moved out of the way to the tiny reading nook that was to the left of the front door. Setting the books down I look to the green book first. “Forests Around Equestria and Their Stories. Hmm, well, better than nothing I guess.” And with that I was looking through the literature that was gathered from multiple accounts and recalling’s of old mare’s tails through time. After a few minutes I realized that the stories with folks going missing just sounded like somepony got lost and never found. One story had the details for credibility and an account from the stallion that was missing in a forest for a week then just popped up at his home. He had forgotten even going into the forest for a hike at all, but had become scared of some rounded hallways. Before I could get into the story and more details Twilight and Rarity walked into the Library chatting happily. I did not look up from my book or say anything but my ears did perk up and twitch to listen to them.


It was kinda surreal to hear the mares being greeted by Spike, with emphasis towards Rarity, and return the gesture in kind. The fashionista was the first to break what I knew from the norm. “Dear Spikey Wikey, would you happen to know where Mr. Volley is? I have good news for him.” While she looked around Spike directs her attention over the nook for witch I was currently residing within. To which I still did not look up but instead waved with one hoof to acknowledge the two. The forests just west of the Smokey Mountains? But not sure if it was the undiscovered west? “Oh there you are Dear! I have got just the best news for you.” Trotting over to me I hold up one hoof as I finish a passage, I node to myself, then look to the mare putting my hoof down. After I smile and nod a little she continues. “So me and Twilight where at the spa and I was explaining last night’s events to Lotus Blossom and she looked intrigued.” The mare giggled happily for a moment before getting to the point. “She then asked if you were free today! So Twilight told her that you were at sweet apple acers and may be available later today.” The two mares looked at one another but Rarity giggled much more then Twi who just kinda sheepishly smiled. “She wants you to go with her to Zecora’s for the herbs needed in one of their baths. She wants a guard because of what happened last time.”


I was a bit surprised at how fast this was taking off, But why all the giggling from her?  “Really? Ok that’s good.” I nod to myself again as I run some things threw my head, and pull another shell from my side. “Seven?” I look at the shell surprised, it was magnesium slug! I was not thinking about it but I guess after hearing I would need to go into the forest it just, happened. After stowing the round I look back to Rarity and spot the book horse looking at me funny again, With a shrug I respond to Rares. “Thanks for promoting my little occupation. Did you give her a time or did she have one in mind about when she would like to go?”


This time Twilight spoke up “We did not know when you would finish working at AJ’s farm or how you would feel after all that work. So we explained that you would go to the spa when you are ready.” Tilting her head the mare looks me over “you feel ok? She did not make you do too much did she? You look kinda swollen.”


I lean my head back and look at myself. “Oh, that, No I’m fine.” I start to take off the clothes that I had on to show all the bandages and gauze holding me together underneath. Some of which where starting to peel away and ball up under my clothes making it look like I was swollen underneath.  “Guess it’s time I take all this off?” after pealing half of the medical cloth from my hide I realize that the deep cuts and such are all but gone! Some small scares but that’s all? I would have thought it would have taken much longer to heal.


“Ahem!” I stop and look back to Rarity and Twilight. Rarity was looking away with a bit of a blush? “Give a lady warning next time you start to undress Mr. Volley.” I saw Twilight roll her eyes but what had my attention more was what the pale mare was pointing at. It was the patch I had been given by old sun butt herself.


It was black! Like it was burned or scorched, no longer abnormally bright white and gold like when it was put on. Before I could grab it with my teeth it was magically ripped from my side by one fateful student. Clenching my teeth I spun my head to glare at Twi for the sharp pain. “That’s strange, Celestia herself made this correct?” I nodded to confirm this, as did Rarity. I continued to remove more bandages and toss them into a nearby wastebasket as Twi examined the patch more. One scan threw a book and she looks back to me a bit worried. “This is a slow example but I’m sure this is what happens when a magic imbued item has a different, opposing magic pushed into it.”


Both mares and now spike look at me and I just shrug. “Hay I got nothing.” I start to pull my clothes back on and stack the books I was reading to finish later. “All I know about my magic is I can hold my gun. Aside from that I can’t cast spells or do anything more. Tell ya what Twi, if it’s not too late after I get back from helping Lotus we can run some experiments. I want to know more just as much as you and I know you like discovering new things.” To witch Twilight smiled bigger then I would have felt happy with as she clapped her hooves. With a slight chuckle I make my way to the door to head over to the spa. “Oh and thanks Rares! Again you are too much and I owe you more and more each day.” Miss science was already hard at work coming up with things to make me do but Rarity and Spike waved me goodbye as I trotted out the door.