After that first encounter I had with the absolute high ruler of a world of fantasy, I'm still trying to get used to everything: my deal with a council of strangers, Tanya's healing, my transformation, and ending up in a completely new world.
Not that I'm complaining or anything, but being turned into a cartoon character fit for a little kids' book is a bit nauseating. Especially when I've become a six-year-old foal to everyone's eyes.
Or is it "everypony"? I have heard that phrase in nearly all of my sister's shows as she watched them while I hid in another room to protect my sanity.
That, and she basically gave me the gist of it in a sense; Celestia was an immortal princess of the land with the features of all three types of ponykind, for example. And only three other names came to mind when the word "My Little Pony" was brought up most by my sister; Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Spike the dragon, which were character names most frequently used in the Hasbro company.
Thankfully, I haven't watched any of the franchise, so I won't be a spoiler. After all, if I were to guess the type of ponyland I was in, judging from the fact that there is an alicorn here, I'm going to assume that this is the "Friendship Is Magic" universe. Where the very concept of a human is nonexistent, and magic has multiple uses!
But back to me. Apparently, I am now a unicorn foal with a teal body, black hair with green highlights in my mane and tail, and my brown eyes looked back at me from the mirror in my temporary bedroom. I distinctly remember my eyes being a fetching green color, but alas, I probably couldn't take everything with me from my old world.
Except for this scar on the bottom of my right hoof, which almost reminded me of something else from where I used to be, I just couldn't tell.
Just thinking about my old life brings tears to my eyes, never being able to see my parents or Tanya. But considering the circumstances at the time, I would have done it again and again just to make sure she gets to live her life!
That thought filled me with the resolve and clarity I needed, despite my situation. And if I was brought here by request of some spiritual beings, then it must be important that my presence is needed in a fictional world! No matter how much I might dislike it.
Especially since the high and mighty ruler herself seemed to take me in until I was conscious enough to answer some questions she no doubt had lingering at the back of her mind. Not gonna lie, I wouldn't blame her for being cautious, but why the luxury suite? Shouldn't anomalies with unknown intentions be considered a threat and treated like a possible invasion?
At least, that's what I would have done.
Looking back at the mirror to recompose, which feels a bit like déjà vu to me, I couldn't help but feel like some part of me deep down was still dormant, like an unknown skill in a video game.
Checking that scar out again, I plopped my hindquarters to the marble floor and began to inspect the oddly shaped marking, like a crudely shaped heart in the center of the frog of my hoof.
Curiously, I brought my other appendage over to see if I could feel a difference between the two. Gently brushing the edge of my keratinously huge finger-like leg against the pale scar.
Suddenly, I felt the breeze blow through the open window, hearing a roar unlike any I've ever known in my large ears. But instead of fear, I felt peace. It was like hearing a parent gently say your name with love.
My horn began to fizzle and spark like an electric wire with an amber glow. So this is what magic feels like? I wondered with slight surprise. Feeling a small rush of kinetic force flow through me, as if being splashed by a wave, my reflection in the mirror began to reshape itself.
Switching between a possibly familiar golden lion with red hair, a silver-coated fawn with brass antlers, hooves, and what looked like a crest on the sternum, a blue dragon, and a crouching red beast with yellow spikes at the back of its head until my pony face slid back into focus!
"Wow, now I really feel out of place." I muttered under my breath, rubbing the back of my head.
Turning away, I went back to observing the room. Marble stone made up the floor and walls, while magenta drapes hung at the windows. A large king-sized bed was nearly in the center of the room, with curtains of deep scarlet and gold trimming, and a balcony to overlook the rest of the world below.
Other than that, this ornate room was't so bad.
Boy, if this is how she deals with strangers, I wonder what she does with her friends? I wondered with intrigue.
Looking back at the bed reminded me of quite a few concepts that involve a massive bed that made me grin. Getting a running start, I pawed the floor a couple times like a charging goat, then galloped with all my will and excitement towards the mattress.
Until I tripped over my own hooves and started to tumble and roll like a hedgehog, then crashed right into the bed frame!
"Ugh, that went differently than I expected." I groaned, lying upside down in a very cartoonish manner, slightly dizzy from the impact. I'm pretty sure my eyes were spinning too!
"I'm sure you did," came a familiar feminine voice, followed by a small chuckle from the doorway.
I saw the princess standing there at the entrance, holding a hoof to her muzzle to keep from bursting out laughing, I guess.
Feeling quite embarrassed for my behavior, I flipped myself back onto my hooves with a light blush. I can't believe that I acted like a fool in front of royalty. I berated myself, rubbing the spot where my noggin met the bedrest earlier.
"Eh, heh heh. Sorry you had to see that, Your Majesty." I apologized meekly, mentally kicking myself for my childishness.
However, Princess Celestia didn't seem bothered at all as she approached me, placing her hoof, which was equally the size of my head, under my chin. Then, with motherly care, she began to examine the bump on my head.
For some reason, in my mind, I felt like I could trust her. Like she might have a few answers for me, and because she just seemed so nice!
"There's no need to apologize, Ace. In fact, if the roles were reversed for us both, I'd happily jump into a giant bed myself!" She stated with a bright smile.
At that, I couldn't help but chuckle, what a way to ease the tension! After all, being in the presence of royalty and getting the chance to make said royalty laugh is now something I can scratch off the bucket list!
My smile faltered for a moment, leaving me with a confused look on my face. Noticing this, the princess voiced her concern. "Is something the matter, little wayward star?"
Deciding to ignore the nickname I sighed through my nose, trying to find the right words to say.
"Your Highness, in case you haven't realized, I'm not from around here," I said with a small attempt at humor. "Heck, I don't even know how I got here! Least of all like this." I motioned to myself with a hoof.
"There is no easy way to say this, but I shouldn't be here. For whatever reason, those goons who dropped me off here did so. I had nearly lost my sister to a terrible fate and was given a deal by these sketchy fellows, offering me to work for them!" I ranted, pacing on the mattress while unknowingly tangling up the bedsheets.
"Can you elaberate for me, please, I can only help if I have more knowledge of your issue!" she asked me, with a gentle but firm tone.
Carefully choosing my words, (since it would take far too long to explain about humans, television, etc.) I told her everything from when they told me Tanya wouldn't make it, to the voices asking for my service. All the while, the princess hung on my every word.
While Celestia remained silent, I continued with more confusion. "But now that I'm here, I just feel so out of place, practically alien. I mean, how did this happen, and why me?"
Fear, confusion, guilt, and shame swirled inside me like a milkshake. Tears threatened to escape as I took shuddering breaths while awaiting the verdict from the magic monarch.
"Shh, let it out dear one." Celestia whispered with a hoof rubbing my back in gentle movements.
When I had finally finished, I felt like an enormous weight had left my shoulders, leaving me with slightly less nervous energy than before.
I looked to the mare in hopes of getting a clue on this alien abduction scenario, waiting as she seemed to try and get her thoughts together.
"I am afraid that I might be able to answer only half of your questions, Ace," she said with furrowed brows, leaving me looking like a child who had just lost his puppy. "For you see, I think I am partly responsible." She turned away in what I could only guess was regret.
At my confused glance, she explained further. "Many weeks ago, I had a terrifying vision concerning the future of my subjects. Battling foes we couldn't comprehend!"
She got up and started walking towards the balcony that I apparently had, staring at the coming dawn with a deep sadness.
"Since losing my sister many years ago, I feel like I'm not as able to protect my little ponies anymore. So one night, when the visions worsened to the point of near insanity, I prayed to anyone who'd listen, asking for help, to send down a guardian angel to be there when I cannot."
"I think that whoever answered my call was the same ones to bring you here, Ace. I think they hold you in high regard enough to believe that you are what this world needs!" She stated, looking at me from the corner of her magenta eye. Strange how an equine's head allows them a wider peripheral vision than most creatures, especially on a cartoon pony no less!
As I tried to understand all of this rationally, she threw another curveball my way. "As for what happened next was moreso my involvement."
She lowered her head as she explained further. "When you arrived on Equestrian soil, I could tell that something was incomplete about your lifeforce; multiple energies swarmed you like fireflies, trying to bring you back to life, but you were missing something from this world to make you complete.
"So, I used an ancient spell that has been deemed far too risky to fill in the gaps of your soul. My magic transfusion allowed you to host the foreign energies within you, without it being too harmful, but it also transformed you into a pony as well!"
All of this information was starting to give me a headache. So, to recap: I apparently have been sent to another world by mysterious beings while having magic fused with my soul, and now I am basically an overpowered abomination in pony's clothing! So to speak...
After a long pause, I could only seem to utter a single breathless word. "Why?" Looking at nothing in particular, as I sat on the island of a bed.
Celestia turned towards me, prepping herself to try and talk to me, when a knocking was heard from behind the double doors of my room. Afterwards, a stallion guard decked in golden armor stepped into the room to address the alicorn.
"Your majesty, the meeting is about to come to order, and they await your approval." He informed stoically, breifly glancing at me.
Inclining her head, she dismissed the guard before looking back at me. "I'll be back shortly, Ace. When I return, if you want, I can see about finding a way to send you back." She said kindly until she added, "But I trust that whoever sent you here holds you in high regard!"
With very little conviction, I nodded my thanks as she left me to my thoughts. Once the door had shut completely, I released a sigh of frustration. "I wanted some answers for this mishap, and I found them. Now, with this responsibility thrown at me, I'm not so sure anymore. I just don't understand!" I said aloud to myself, feeling despair clenching my soul.
I could distantly hear a strange melody playing on the wind, and before I knew it, my heart seemed to bring forth a familiar song to my mind and lips. Letting the music take hold, I just let it out calmly.
Why, why even trust me at all~?
Is being guardian my call~?
I think those legends chose wrong~!
Struggling to my hooves, I tried to step out towards the balcony for myself. Passing the mirror and my equine reflection without a backward glance.
Now what, what should I do~?
And who, who do I turn to~?
Now everything feels turned upsidedown~!
Pushing open the large glass doors, I stepped outside, feeling the fresh morning air settle my nerves somewhat. But the doubt still lingered like a cobweb.
Deep down, maybe I knew~.
It was way too good to be true~.
Being exhiled from my family~.
Some hero I'll turn out to be~!
"Pentagon!" Called out a voice that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere!
Frantically, I searched my room for whoever interrupted the unusual singing sensation that had taken hold of me.
I finally spotted the speaker, who had a presence that demanded respect; a massive, phantasmic lion with glowing yellow eyes and a multi-hued mane stared at me from the edge of the platform. He looked and sounded familiar, like from a very particular animated series.
"Wait a minute, I think I know you!" I said in near disbelief, my jaw hung open from shock.
"Yes, Ace. I am Askari!" he said in a gentler tone, and he even smiled to help ease my fears.
"Wow! You were the first lion to discover the roar of the elders, which eventually you taught to Kion when he needed to relearn how to control it!" I said in awe, looking over the majestic being. "But wait, what are you doing here?" I aked dumbfounded. "This isn't even the world you come from!"
"Guiding you, young Pentagon. For it was I and a few friends who saved your life by bringing you to this world." Askari pointed out.
I just sat there, slack-jawed and bug-eyed at the revelation. "Saved me? From what? So it was you I was on the phone with before the storm hit?" I asked, pointing at the spirit. He nodded shortly after.
"B..b..But why? Why me? I'm not some kind of hero. I couldn't even get myself a job! I'm nothing if not more of a problem than a solution, especially since I couldn't save my sister." Once again, I was down in the mouth.
"Your sister is alive and well, Ace. In fact, for accepting the role as our newest guardian, your whole family's needs will be taken care of." Askari said, placing a massive paw over my shoulder. "As for your earlier question, answer mine first."
Incredulously, I raised an eyebrow at that, somewhat put off that he wouldn't finish answering for me. "Seems kind of unfair, don't you think?" I asked, which only made him chuckle at my expense.
"What do you think a hero is? A can-do attitude, brimming with confidence, roguishly handsome individual who always jumps headfirst into the fray for glory?"
As he named down the list, I couldn't help but feel like those were the very traits that I myself didn't carry. But Askari's next choice of words kept me from dwelling in the gloomy mood.
"A hero is someone who, no matter the cost, does what he knows is right. And you have proven that to us when you saved your sister."
Glancing up at the specter with hope daring to rise, I felt somewhat better hearing that from his mouth. But my nervousness about the circumstances was still fresh on my mind as I asked, "But if that's the case, why am I here? And as a child again, no less? Do I even ask about being a pony?"
"Your task in this world is an important one, young guardian. For there are forces out there willing to bring disaster to other worlds just for the sake of doing so. You are to be the keeper of balance in this world, in particular, due to its lack of defense from otherworldly threats."
"As for your age, I'm afraid that reincarnation isn't as easy as they portray in stories. We had just enough time to save your soul, but couldn't save your body, Ace. You needed a new vessel for learning how to utilize these powers we've bestowed upon you."
"Besides, I have a feeling that the princess here would've appreciated having a nice young foal like you around to keep her company for the next few years!" I'm not sure, but that last part seemed to be aimed as a joke at my expense.
"Gee, thanks," I deadpanned, before turning a thoughtful look on my face. "But what am I going to be dealing with? What kind of powers? How am I supposed to be responsible for an entire world?" My voice strained with fear by the end of my tirade.
"Don't be afraid, Pentagon. Trust your instincts! Your powers will be with you when you need them, and so will we. Until the five lands meet..."
"Wait, Askari. Don't leave; I still have so many questions!" I cried out, racing to the guardrail with a hoof stretched out.
My inner turmoil seemed to have come to a halt, as if waiting for what my next move was. Oi, what have I gotten myself into? How can I meet the ancient expectations of past guardians! W..what would Tanya do in my situation? I thought to myself with worry.
Until something popped up in my mind about my sister; if I had refused the offer, then Tanya would've been sent in my place. But the thought of that tragedy would certainly have destroyed my whole family. But they wanted me to give her a second chance. That must've been why I was sent here.
"Trust my instincts, huh? Sounds eerily familiar," I said aloud. "But he does have a point. Maybe I can finally make something of myself now, in honor of my sister!"
Such an idea filled me with resolve, draining my fear completely and making me feel ten feet tall and nearly invincible.
For now the story has just begun~.
They need a hero, and I'm the one~!
So now it's time for them all to see~!
The guardian I'm supposed to be~!
Turning back inside, I looked at my reflection with acceptance, grinning at myself.
It is time, to face the world on my own~!
It is time, for something bigger than I've ever known~!
No need to wonder, the choice is done~!
Now I belive I truly am the one~!
Hearing a ferocious roar on the wind, and seeing my entire room reflected in a prismatic glow brought peace to my mind again. Gently, I asked nobody in particular:
So is it time, is it time~?
Yes, it is time~!
Wow, who knew I had a decent singing voice. I thought to myself, panting from the exhertion.
When I caught sight of my reflection again, (seriously, it's hard not to look at yourself when you don't recognize your own face,) but this time I saw a particularly new detail that wasn't there before: a lion-shaped marking on my rump, in the exact style as the lion guard insignia, and yet so unlike it as well.
Shaped like a pawprint with the golden heel pad etched with a lion's face and the toes made to look like the locks of hair for the majestic mane, each one was differently colored: one red, one silvery white, one blue, and the smallest one was green.
"Huh, mom would've killed me for having a tattoo. But they seem to be the norm in this world!" I mulled over the mark. Plus, it was hard not to realize the same thing on the only other two residents of this world.
Princess Celestia was on her way back from the morning meeting, scheduled for the raising of the sun, and surprisingly gained a new student after her near magic overload! And boy, she felt ready to just plop down on a comfortable cushion with a good book, a slice of cake, and a cozy afternoon by the fireplace!
But her promise from earlier today still kept her from retiring for the night, for she had to hit the library in hopes of finding a long list of ways to open a transdimensional portal for a certain young colt.
She honestly felt bad for having unintentionally brought him here from his own home to serve as some kind of alien hero, but she needed a way to ease her nerves from the constant visions of nightmares involving unusual creatures that Equestria had never seen before.
But if Ace Pentagon wished to return to his homeworld, then who was she to deny him a chance to see his family? She herself wished every day to see her own beloved sister again and would do anything to get her back.
She worried about what she was supposed to do now, send him back and expect the guardians to draw another soul from their homeland to aid her kind in the next few decades?
It felt almost barbaric to displace someone from everything they know and love just to keep her world from anarchy, especially if that person is unwilling!
But she had to keep a stiff upper lip and not let herself be dragged into her emotions about this; the child wants to go home, and that's that! Nothing more, nothing less.
When she arrived at the new colt's door, she could hear unusual sounds from inside. The occasional thud and "oof" were decent clues that he was falling off something.
When she opened the door for a peak inside, what she saw inadverntly made her chuckle.
The teal unicorn was testing out his new body in several hilarious ways, making him look like a real goofball of a colt. He would flop his ears, wag his tail, twist and flex his legs in every which direction to test their limits. He even tried pacing the floor a couple of times at various speeds, which would explain the thudding sounds as he tripped over his own hooves a few times!
When he tried the same maneuver this morning on the bed, he actually was able to jump over the bedrest, but his hind leg got caught and had him summersault over the bed itself and faceplant straight into the pile of pillows.
Celestia couldn't hold herself back anymore and just burst into laughter, catching the attention of the poor foal covered in feathers.
"Oh my, hahah! W..what are you trying to do?" she said between gasps for breath. Celestia hadn't laughed this well in a long time, and this colt who seemed so desperate to leave had actually made her day!
With his face doing an impressive imitation of a tomato as he disentangled himself from the confines of silks and cotton, he gave her an answer. "Well, I was trying to get used to my new body, but it looks like I should probably do some more practice before anything else!"
After the princess had gotten her laughter under control, which was hard to do much to the colt's chagrin, she approached him with the intention of granting his wish.
But once she got closer, she did a double take at his appearance: an honest-to-goodness cutie mark rested on his flank for the world to see, shaped like a chromatic roaring lion. "That is most unusual!" she muttered to herself.
Seeing the confusion on her face, the colt turned towards the mark himself, pursing his lips in thought. "How so? Because I clearly don't have a clue," he voiced his opinion, looking back to the monarch. "Unless of course it had something to do with the fact that I had decided to stay!"
A look of shock crossed her face when he said that. "What?" was the most intelligible word that a thousand-year-old refined mare could choke up.
With a determined look that would even make her own royal guards tremble in their horseshoes, he declared, "I mean, yes. I will accept the responsibility bestowed upon me by the previous guardians!" Then he snapped to attention like a soldier, saluting the princess and bowing in respect.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked, unsure herself whether or not to believe him. But his firm nod and half smile never wavered as he spoke with conviction.
"I'm quite sure, Your Majesty. Because if I go back on my promise, my little sister would be highly disappointed in me for turning it down, as she would put it, 'the opportunity of a lifetime.' I would never forgive myself if I gave in to selfish desires and turned down others in need of help!"
"I still want to see how my family is doing more than anything, but so long as I'm here, I'll be in your service for the foreseeable future."
That answer seemed to be exactly what Celestia needed to hear, for she soon scooped up the other-worlder in her hooves and hugged him tightly to her chest. Tears spilled from her face in gratitude and joy.
Okay, now that I've become a guardian in training, I should at least learn as much as I can about this world. Which means that tomorrow morning I'll be in the royal archives for a little equestrian recap. Can't exactly blend in with the populace if I don't know anything.
Celestia told me that she'd be more than happy to tutor me in everything I need to know about pony-life. Since she is already going to be teaching a new personal student of hers, I decided to tag along.
Besides, this might actually end up being interesting!
It is time from the lion guard, return of the roar.
I own nothing except my oc!