Knight of Equestria – Gabriel the Wanderer
Chapter 10: Return to Zero
(Entries 21-22)
For the first time in a long while, Gabriel's sleep was peaceful. No mysterious dreams, no nightmares of his past, just endless, inky blackness. As he began to stir, he found himself in an unfamiliar room. As he sat up, he laughed as he noticed he was resting on two pony-sized beds, pushed together. The top half of his body was disrobed and wrapped in bandages although he couldn't feel any sort of pain there. He traced his hand across his chest, remembering the gaping wound he had sustained in his fight with Raiza, but finding nothing.
The door to the room opened just a crack, then swung open as Amethyst bounded in.
"Hey, you're up! You didn't sleep for days this time, it's only been a few hours." she said.
"Where are we?" Gabriel responded, standing and stretching.
"Back in the village, this is one of Blue Mist's spare rooms." she answered. "I had to lug your butt back here when you passed out after the fight. You sure you should be walking around already?" Amethyst asked, clear concern in her voice.
Gabriel began to undo the bandages on his chest and let them fall to the floor, revealing no obvious wounds. "I think I'll be fine." he replied.
"How the- that was a deep cut. How did you...?" Amethyst stammered in response.
"I'm not sure myself." Gabriel said, noticing his sword resting on a nearby table. "... but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with that." he said, pointing to it.
"And here I thought it was only good at causing injuries." Amethyst giggled.
Gabriel smirked, thinking about the mysteries they've yet to unravel about the sword. He had begun formulating some theories about it, but had no solid evidence either way.
"Oh, we should go tell Blue Mist you're up. He wanted to thank you personally." Amethyst said, beginning to leave. "Meet me out here when you're ready." she said.
…...
"Now once again I am in your debt; I, as well as the people of Withers, owe you much." Blue Mist said. He and a group of the townsfolk had gathered to celebrate their pair of saviors.
Gabriel brought his palm to his face. "Of course the name is horse based..." he muttered before continuing. "If it wasn't for me, Raiza wouldn't have attacked the town in the first place. Chasing him off was the least I could do."
"No use in being modest now, lad. I've already cooked up a reward for the both of you!" Blue Mist replied, passing the human a satchel nearly overflowing with supplies. "You'll find the utmost essentials in there, including a masterclass map of nearly the entire continent!" he said.
"That'll be a great help in our travels. Thank you." Gabriel said sincerely, offering a weak, yet genuine smile to the older stallion.
"And for the young miss..." Blue Mist began, facing Amethyst. "Remember how I said any books about magic are rare and very expensive?"
"Yeah...?" Amethyst replied, not getting his meaning at first. "... oh! Mr. Mist, you didn't..." she said, clearly excited.
Blue Mist unveiled a book garnished with small gems on the cover. "I got it for a steal from a traveling drifter, much like the two of you. I insisted it was worth more than what he wanted for it, but he said it was practically useless out here, anyway."
"Yeah, to him, maybe!" Amethyst said, gushing with happiness. "Thank you so much, Mr. Mist!"
…...
The pair's departure from Withers was almost a victory march as they bid farewell. As they got farther away from the town, Amethyst noticed Gabriel shiver.
"You okay, Gabriel?" she asked, thinking it had something to do with the injuries sustained fighting Raiza.
Gabriel seemed surprised that she had noticed him. "Hmm? Yeah. Totally fine." he said with a sigh. "I just... don't like crowds." he replied.
"Oh, I see... You never mentioned that before. Come to think of it, I don't know a lot about you. If we're gonna be partners, we should get to know each other better."
"That's not a bad idea. We've got plenty of time..." Gabriel mused.
…...
As we continue on, the lack of any repercussions is still alarming. I felt the gash in my chest. I saw the blood. But now? Nothing. Not even a scar. I keep thinking up questions I want answered but I can't think of anyone who could answer them. If I were still in Equestria, my options would be incredibly vast.
At the very least, I know this sword must be at the center. I have no idea how exactly, but nothing else makes any sort of sense.
Gabriel closed his journal and sighed. It had been several days since they departed the small town and Gabriel had spent most of that time in thought. He'd give anything for even a hint at an explanation regarding the strange things happening.
In their time alone, at Amethyst's request, the duo had been sharing more about themselves to have a better understanding of the other.
He and Amethyst had set up camp for the night, and Amethyst had asked him to stay put a moment while she searched for something to show him. He sat there, waiting, as his pony compatriot rummaged through their things.
"Ah, here we go!" she said, seeming to find whatever she was looking for. She trotted over and held up a small mirror to the human.
"Is this your way of telling me I look unkempt?" Gabriel asked with a smirk.
"No! Well, I mean, yes, but no!" she replied. Amethyst levitated the mirror with her magic and gestured to her right eye with a hoof.
Gabriel brought his hand up to his right eye as well, noticing what she was trying to tell him in the mirror. His right eye was discolored compared to his left. The brown had brightened, appearing almost red in comparison.
"H-how long...?" he asked, staring into the somewhat unfamiliar reflection in front of him.
"I noticed it after you woke up back in Withers. At first I thought it was just me, but you see it too, right?" Amethyst replied.
"Yeah..." the human mused, clearly troubled by this revelation.
…...
As time marched on, the winter began to fade into spring. The duo decided to stop at any settlements they passed, and one such stop resulted in their current predicament.
When they arrived at the small hamlet, they were informed of some type of monsters harassing travelers on the nearby road. Gabriel convinced Amethyst to let him check on it himself, confident he could handle whatever it was. What lay in wait, however, he couldn't have predicted.
The human sprinted through the brush, hand clasping his sword's handle as the weapon rested on his back. In his peripheral vision, he could see the small forms of his foes darting around him. Traces of pink, blue, and yellow surrounded him as he ran.
He approached a rocky cliff, finding his road ahead cutoff by the sea. He drew his sword and turned to face his assailants. Out of the foliage hopped several small, rabbit-like creatures with antlers. While at first glance they were cute and unassuming, a closer look revealed long jagged teeth and malice in their eyes. He smirked at his luck; what were the chances the road was prowled by vampiric jackalopes?
As his tiny, soft, assassins closed in, Gabriel took notice of their surroundings and that he was standing on a rocky outcropping. With enough force, producing a spark should be possible. He just hoped he could tap into whatever unknown force that could save him at this juncture.
As one of the jackalopes, a pink one, closed in, Gabriel struck his sword's edge against the ground like a match. As the sparks were flung towards the small monster, Gabriel felt his discolored eye pulse with pain as the sparks erupted into a burgeoning firestorm, if only for a moment.
The lead jackalope was split in two, the fire scaring off the others. He sighed as he sheathed his sword again. He doubted this would put a stop to their tiny reign of terror, but it was a start.
…...
Amethyst had pointed out to me that I haven't written anything down in some time. Indeed, it's been well over a month. I guess writing out these questions I have no chance of answering had begun to frustrate me.
The incident the other day with the jackalopes has produced predictable results; some of my teeth have began to elongate and sharpen, as well as the dreams I've had from it's point of view. Hopefully an aversion to sunlight doesn't follow when it's finally becoming warmer.
I still have no idea if this world uses a similar calendar to mine and I've lost track of the date. Since spring has officially begun, it's more than likely late March or early April right now.
…...
The pair soldiered on, no specific direction in mind. Ever since the battle near Withers, they've been frequenting the villages they'd pass together to occasionally do some odd-jobs for a bit of extra coin or rest in the local inn. Whispers of he and Amethyst's exploits had begun to circulate, much to the young mare's delight.
"Alrighty, map says we're just about there." Amethyst called back to her human compatriot. On the horizon the lights from their destination were glowing brightly and music could be heard, despite it already being later into the night. "Sounds like they're still going."
They had heard tell of a local village's intense warm-weather festivities, and Amethyst was keen to check it out.
Gabriel, while initially agreeing to stop by the festival, let out a long yawn. "It can wait til tomorrow, I'm dead tired."
"Aw come on, I don't wanna go have fun without you!" Amethyst replied.
"Sorry, I'm no fun while sleepy." said Gabriel, laying down his bag and beginning to unpack the tent.
"Can't we at least go sleep in the inn or whatever? The tent is nice, but..."
"Don't you hear how loud it is in there? I'd rather actually get some sleep." he replied with a chuckle.
Amethyst harrumphed. "Fine. You're lucky they party like this for at least a week. Or so I've heard."
"Good things come to those who wait..."
…...
The next morning, deafening silence smothered the land around them. While the pair initially thought the previous night's romp had worn out the townsfolk, upon their arrival in the village proper, they could see something else was afoot.
The streets were clean of any activity. No signs of life as far as they could see. No signs of any sort of festivities.
"T-this is weird, right?" Amethyst asked, taking in the sight.
"Yes, very weird. Where could everybody have gone...?" Gabriel replied.
"Maybe they're all just sleeping in! Look, there's the inn. I'm gonna go in and ask what happened." Amethyst said, beginning to trot off.
Gabriel began to follow her, before hearing an otherworldly yet familiar sound.
The human spun around to see one of the last things he expected; a familiar blue box. As he stood there, frozen in astonishment, the doors on the box burst open and out came an equally familiar chestnut colored stallion. He waved around his small tool in the air which hummed and glowed, before glancing at the human.
"Oh, hello, Matt." the stallion said nonchalantly, before double-taking and realizing just who he had greeted. "Matthew Nabal! What are the chances I'd run into you here!"
Gabriel was overcome with emotion for a moment, seeing an old friend and hearing his old name. "Doctor? What are the chances, indeed. It's great to see you." the human responded jovially.
"When I had heard there were some strange goings-on in the area that possibly needed my attention, I rushed to investigate. Who would've thought you'd be here..." the Doctor trailed off, noticing a buzz from his screwdriver. "Happy birthday, by the way."
"Is it July already...?" Gabriel questioned, realizing he had lost track of time worse than he thought.
The Doctor's expression soured as he looked over his human associate, noticing his disheveled appearance and missing limb. "What happened to you?" he asked plainly.
Gabriel paused, finding himself unable to make eye contact with his friend. "This world is... much more unforgiving than I thought it was. Ever since they threw me to the wolves, I-"
"Wait!" the Doctor interrupted. "What happened on Hearth's Warming, the banishment... it was all true?" the otherworldly stallion asked in disbelief.
Gabriel gritted his teeth. "It was an accident." he declared.
"Well of course it was. Do you have so little faith in me that I would think you did that to Luna on purpose? She told me herself, it was an accident."
"She recovered?" Gabriel asked.
"Naturally. Alicorns are incredibly durable." the Doctor affirmed. "After I heard you were banished I thought for sure someone was pulling my leg."
"Well, they weren't." Gabriel replied bitterly. "I am to never return to Equestria and wander the earth for the rest of my days. Celestia said it herself."
A small silence fell over them until the doctor noticed the weapon on Gabriel's back.
"What is that?" the Doctor asked. "Where did you get a bloody claymore?"
"Oh, this?" Gabriel asked, drawing the weapon and implanting into the earth in front of him. "I found it in a huge spider's cave, thought it looked incredibly out of place."
The Doctor scanned the sword up and down with his tool. "You can say that again... it's not even metal?" he said in confusion.
"I've had to use it in self defense more than once, and every time I do I have these... strange dreams" Gabriel said.
"As if the blade receives an imprint of whatever it slays..." the Doctor pondered. "Of course, that would be crazy."
Before they could continue their conversation, the door to the nearby inn burst open, a young violet mare emerging.
"There doesn't seem to be anypony inside either, Gabriel. You spot anyone out he-" said Amethyst, noticing she and Gabriel weren't alone. "Oh! You found somepony!"
"'Gabriel'?" the Doctor asked, giving an odd glance.
"I found someone, but he's not from here. Amethyst, this is the Doctor. He's a friend from Equestria." Gabriel explained, re-sheathing his weapon.
"Oh, really?" she asked, trotting over to greet the chestnut stallion. "It's nice to meet you! Any friend of Gabriel's is a friend of mine, but what are you doing all the way out here?"
The Doctor's screwdriver began to buzz and glow. "Ah, well, I'm glad you asked. Picture a cat; a very large cat. Now imagine this large cat could control the minds of individuals and control them to pamper it luxuriously."
Amethyst was flabbergasted and amazed. "Whoa! Is that where everypony in the town went?!" she asked excitedly.
"I don't know, I give it... thirteen percent chance. I'm here to find out where they all vanished away to." the Doctor replied.
Amethyst nearly deflated at the reveal that the gigantic mind-controlling cat was unlikely.
The Doctor turned back to Gabriel. "I'd ask if you wanted to come along, but things are likely to get... hairy. Best if I just head out alone."
"Alone?" Gabriel asked before noticing something. "Lyra and Bon-bon aren't with you?"
"No, no, they wanted a bit of a break. I'll be returning to Ponyville after my business is done here, see how they're holding up." the Doctor said. "... and when I do go back, I need to talk to Celestia about stranding you out here, see if there's another way..."
"Being stuck on a space rock that's in orbit around a black hole is stranded, I'm just 'somewhere else', right?" Gabriel replied, remembering some advice the Doctor had given him before. "Even if I were allowed back, the people there would still hate me. I'd still be a pariah, even more-so than before. I don't belong there." he said, voice dripping with venom.
There was a somber silence. "... If that's what you want, fair enough." the Doctor replied, opening the door to his blue box. "Still, your sentence seems too extreme. I wonder what she was thinking..."
"From what I saw, from what I heard, she buckled under the demands of Canterlot ponies. She was... weak."
The Doctor sighed and tucked his screwdriver back into his collar. "Either way, I'm sure we'll see each other again. Stay strong, 'Gabriel'." the Doctor said, using his new name for the first time. "Until then..." the pony waved as Gabriel and Amethyst waved back.
"Does he know he just walked into a small box?" Amethyst asked.
"He knows." Gabriel replied, beginning to walk back towards their camp as an otherworldly sound filled the air.
"No, seriously, why did he..." Amethyst asked, catching up to Gabriel before glancing back and seeing nothing where the box once was.
…...
When they got back to camp, Gabriel reached for his bottle of cider and began to drink. Amethyst had known he enjoyed the stuff, but he was drinking far more than usual. As Amethyst passed him something to eat, he did so in silence.
As the pair sat there, sat around a campfire, she thought it best to try and start some sort of conversation.
"So..." she began, not knowing where to go from there. She gave up and decided to grab a swig from their water supply.
"A year ago, my parents died." Gabriel said plainly.
At this sudden and dramatic declaration, Amethyst couldn't help but spit her drink. She wiped her lips before replying. "That's... that's a heck of a thing to drop on someone out of the blue."
Gabriel took another sip of his bottle before continuing. "After they did, I locked myself away from the rest of the world. That's when I got pulled into this world. I was given a second chance at life, so to speak. I ended up going from zero to one hundred quite quickly. I was... happy? It was so unlike me..."
Gabriel paused, staring into the flames of their campfire. "I... don't know who I am anymore. My mental whiplash has left me confused... and back at zero." he closed his eyes as he said that, the sadness evident in the way he spoke.
Amethyst had realized that his sorrow was probably amplified by his cider, but that it was still genuine despair. She softly walked over and put a hoof on his shoulder, causing Gabriel to lock eyes with her.
"... no matter who you end up being, I'm not going anywhere. You're still my partner." she said. "... and also my magic coach... but most importantly, you're my friend."
Gabriel responded to her comforting words with a soft smile before they heard what sounded like partying from the town nearby.
"That was fast..." Gabriel said, rising to his feet.
"It's only been a few hours, did he find them already?" Amethyst asked, bewildered.
"Sounds like it. Want head in?" Gabriel replied, corking his green bottle.
"What kinda question is that? Of course I do!"