Ten years later...
In a neutral kingdom on the side of a mountain, in the open space of a city park, under the shade of an old tree by a stream, sat two of the most unlikely associates in society.
One of them is a purple unicorn mare with an indigo mane and tail, a pink stripe through both, and a six-pointed star for a cutie mark. She lay on the ground with an ancient book in front of her during her break time.
The other was a teal unicorn stallion with a black mane and tail, streaked with green, and a multi-colored lion head for a cutie mark. He sat directly against the tree trunk in deep meditation, his horn glowing a warm amber color as his eyes twitched several times. One of them lightly marked by a vertical scar!
But as tranqual as he appears on the outside, inside his mind however, was another story!
Ace's point of view
Galloping with every ounce of strength I had, I jumped over the floor spikes, slid under the pendulum of doom, and even dodged the flaming spouts.
Hah, new personal best! I internally cheered, advancing to the next round.
"Much better than the last dozen times, I'll admit." Alabaster said to his partner, both watching their spirit pupil excel in their training. "Yes, but now comes the hard part!" Askari grinned, before roaring aloud.
The training grounds shifted again to a more rugged terrain with tall grass, sparse trees, and pits of mud. Boulders tumbled from out of nowhere as the protege kept running.
My horn ignited like fireworks as I ran through with my muzzle curled into a grin, accompanied by a little growl. My coat shimmered from teal to gold in a matter of seconds, my tail thinned out, and my teeth sharpened. My equine form had disappeared completely, leaving behind a teenage golden lion with bright red hair in a perfect transformation!
With a delighted roar in reply, I accepted my spirit guide's challenge and sprinted forth, slinking through the grass with liquid grace, ricocheting from boulder to boulder as they flew at me over the mud, and even jumping across the trees with relative ease.
A particularly large rock came straight for me. With nowhere left to turn, I braced myself internally. With a glare of confidence, I inhaled deeply, took a battle-ready stance, and released a roar so powerful that it pushed the rock backwards, straight into the mud where it wouldn't cause more trouble!
After that, I kept going. Racing through the course with fiery determination and a roar that shook the sky! "Alright, two down, one to go," I exclaimed with excitement.
Another shift in the landscape caused the trees to grow denser, with stones and logs jutting out from the ground haphazardly, and even some targets lined up along the trail beside archways made in Japanese style!
Without skipping a beat, my magic flowed just as strong, creating a new transformation! Golden fur was replaced with silvery white, my muscular lion limbs became thinner until they became cloven-hooved, and a pair of bronze antlers sprouted from above my cervine face. I had finished becoming a wonder deer by the time my first obstacle approached.
Trees fell by the dozen as I pranced and skipped all over the place, bouncing from pedestal to the next with practiced skill. When the targets came into range, my antlers charged up their magic in a green mist!
"Power of green; wind blast!" I recited, shooting a blast of repelling wind charged with lightning at the target before continuing on.
Again and again, I repeated the cycle: course shift, transform, attack, continue! Preparing myself for a fight in the near future, to vanquish evil, save the innocent, and rescue the lost! All in the guardian's honor!!!
"Enough!" my guides commanded, freezing the course. And about time too, my magical energies were running on empty.
I lay there panting like a worn-out dog in my unicorn form, awaiting my teacher's verdict on my progress. "Ugh, I feel like falling into a coma. Although I'm afraid you guys would follow me there too!" I remarked dryly.
The dreamscape around us turned into what I could only describe as what you'd see in a Kingdom Hearts game: pitch-black walls with a spotlight right above us, four large doors pointing in each of the four directions, and the floor was a stained-glass window with my human image surrounded by images of the beasts I become! But only two doors and two images on the glass were faded, like the locked sections of a video game.
My mentors approached my prone form, giving me amused looks because of my exhaustion. "If you think this was difficult, wait until you've unlocked your full potential!" Askari proclaimed smugly. Alabaster actually chuckled at that. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if they had bumped fists or something behind my back!
Unsteadily, I clambered back onto my hooves as a question formulated in my mind. "So when do I get to unlock my full potential? Not that my training has been too easy, but I'm just curious!"
"Trust me, Ace, your power will only increase under dire situations. For when your time is right, you'll be able to unlock your other abilities!" The stag proclaimed, blue eyes flashing like embers in a flame.
Uncertainty seemed to wash over me there for a second, something of which I tried to hide. But hiding from ghosts isn't as simple as it seems!
"Do you doubt us, Ace?" asked Alabaster, his gaze piercing into my soul.
With a heavy sigh that weighed on my chest, I finally voiced my concerns. "I don't doubt your training, masters. Far from it! The hours you've put into honing my skills haven't gone unnoticed. But I can't shake this gnawing fear that I won't be able to perform under the pressure of a real emergency. What if I freeze up or, worse, make everything worse with a misstep? The truth is, I haven't even mustered the courage to practice my powers in a public setting! The thought of drawing attention or perhaps failing in front of others sends my heart racing. I'm scared I'll let everyone down when they need me the most."
Frustration took hold of me as I let my anger out through a well-placed magic laser at the picture of my human face, shattering the glass momentarily.
"And that's not the worst part," I continued. "What if I do try to rescue somepony and they mistake me for a monster? By the five lands, I haven't even spoken of this to the Princess. How will she react to having a shapeshifting abomination within her city walls?"
After a moment of silence, I felt Askari place his paw over my shoulder. I looked up to his understanding smile as he gently consoles me.
"For starters, Ace, I wouldn't worry about Celestia." He said as I we watch Alabaster repair the broken glass. "She is the only one who knows about us, and we've been keeping her up to speed on your training!"
Confusion rolled through as I ventured on. "If that's so, then why keep my powers a secret at all? I could train much easier that way, I'm sure!"
"Remember what you said about the other ponies?" Alabaster clued in skeptically. Turning my grin back downwards. "Do not let your insicurities get the best of you, that is how you "screw things up" I believe!"
I couldn't help but deadpan at his fluency with words, but I understood his meaning nonetheless!
"And remember Ace, trust your instincts!" Askari said incouragingly, rubbing his muzzle against me in a comforting way. "When the time is right, your power will shine true to all who witness your acts of valor!And I know your strong enough to protect your friends and loved ones."
Just as he said that, my spirit grounds began to shimmer slightly, as if someone was trying to break my concentration.
"Speaking of "friends"." Alabaster remarked increduliously as I was pulled from my meditation.
I awoke to feel a hoof jostling my barrel, prodding me continuously to the point of excess.
Blearily, I opened my eyes reluctantly, looking at the too purple mare in front of me with an annoyed frown on her muzzle.
"Oh good, you're awake," she said with an accomplished smirk before turning away quickly, hardly even seeing the death glare being sent her way from yours truly.
"Now, c'mon Ace, we have to go back to the observatory!" she said with a strict tone, gathering a brown book with a golden unicorn head and trim into her white saddlebags.
"Excuse me, did you say back to the observatory?" I said vehemently, stretching my limbs out as I stood up. "Because if I remember correctly, this is school break! As in go out and enjoy yourselves for a bit, but I guess it was too much to ask for, huh?" I muttered the rest to myself, knowing she'd either ignore me or argue until she won the argument.
"Yes, because something imperative has come up, and I need to be sure of something!" Twilight confirms without sparing me a glance. She then trots off toward the trail leading out of the park, leaving me following as her grumpy shadow.
Why do I put up with her, you ask? Because I made a promise to Princess Celestia to watch out for her student, and believe me, it hasn't been a walk in the park. Whenever a spell goes awry, I'm usually the one in the line of fire, or trying to put it out!
Granted, even for a guy like me who can't help but appreciate being in the presence of a lovely young lady, which is exactly what Miss Sparkle has become, I still try to keep my past foremost in my mind to avoid anything further than being her bodyguard.
Not like she's interested in me anyhow. I thought to myself with a shrug as we headed back to Twilight's study.
Twilight was undeniably captivating; her mane and tail cascaded like a waterfall, each strand meticulously groomed, radiating a rich shade of purple that shimmered in the light. Her vibrant purple coat, smooth and polished, added to her allure. Those striking violet eyes sparkled with an insatiable curiosity, always gleaming with the thrill of discovery. And I won't shy away from mentioning it—she had an impressive figure for a pony. While she wasn't diminutive by any measure, her routine of rushing to school and toting her books kept her in line with the average fitness level among mares.
As I said, I keep a reminder of what I once was to avoid becoming that kind of person.
Our progress was interrupted by three familiar unicorn mares who seemed to be looking for us; Minuette was blue with a navy blue and white mane and tail, Twinkleshine was white with a pink mane and tail, and Lemon Hearts was yellow with an aquamarine mane and tail.
I don't look at their cutie marks for obvious reasons, but I could see that each of them have presents on their backs.
I remember them because years ago I extracted Lemon Hearts' head from that beaker, took the brunt of the explosion, and they've come to think of me as some knight in shining armor ever since!
"There you guys are!" Twinkleshine exclaimed excitedly. "Moon Dancer is having a little get-together in the west castle courtyard. You wanna come?" she asked, leaning forward with her friends toward us.
"What? Me, once again being the only guy in an all-girls party? How can I say no?" I said sarcastically; even though my brows were furrowed, I couldn't help but give a small smile. Which didn't stop the fillies from laughing good-naturedly at my expense.
But once again, the buzzkill named Twilight had to intervene. "Oh, sorry girls. I've got a lot of studying to catch up on. Plus, Ace agreed to help me out for the rest of the day!" She said with a fake smile.
Incredulously, I tried to object. "Wait, when did I agree to thi..i..is!" I couldn't finish because the introverted mare picked me up in her telekinetic grasp and carried me off as she bolted into a full gallop.
I could barely hear what Twinkleshine said after Twilight's hasty retreat, but I could guess what she was implying: "she's more interested in books than friends." And I concur.
"I know I've heard of the Elements of Harmony!" Twilight said resolutely, with me still trapped in her magical grasp. My forelegs crossed and sporting the biggest frown anypony could make as I floated behind the princess' protege.
Crossing over a bridge to the observatory, we passed Lyra Heartstrings, an odd but sweet unicorn mare I befriended here, with a light green coat, grey and white mane, and golden eyes, talking to an unknown fuchsia and magenta mare carrying a basket in her mouth.
Lyra waves at Twilight, who gallops past without acknowledgment, then waves with a snicker at my predicament. "Yeah, yeah, nice seeing you too," I grumbled, still floating along like a balloon.
As we approached the spiraling tower, Twilight eventually released me from her hold. I dropped like a sack of potatoes on the hard marble floors with a disapproving grunt.
I feel sorry for the stallion who asks to wed you, Twilight. I thought with a pained expression on my face, wincing as I heard her slam the door to her room open.
"Spike? Spi-ike?" Twilight calls out, not seeing the little purple and pistachio drake on the floor until she hears him groaning. "Spike? There you are." She concludes before trotting off after noticing his presence.
I, on the other hoof, help the little guy up onto his clawed feet. "You alright, little brother?" I asked curiously, subconsciously seeing the present pierced on his tail. "Of course, big guy. Just a little woozy." Spike replied, catching up with the purple mare.
"Quick, find me that old copy about 'predictions and prophecies.'" Twilight ordered in a hurried way. Spike followed after as I set to close the door. Seriously, even if we're within the school grounds, anything unexpected could happen!
As I returned, I came across a chaotic scene: Twilight was rapidly scanning books using her raspberry-colored magic for levitation, Spike was climbing the ladder to reach the more hard-to-find books, and the torn present that lay at my hooves.
"SPIKE!" Twilight bellowed in frustration, just as said dragon found what she was looking for.
Seeing where this was going, I activated my levitation as she dragged the dragon from the height of a two-story building to her in the blink of an eye with her own magic, my amber aura just catching him before he faceplants into the stone floor.
After she got the book she wanted, Twilight dropped everything else before trotting off to read. Leaving us boys to clean up the mess as usual.
All I could do at the moment was scowel at her retreating backside, helping gather all the books.
"Elements. Elements. E..E..E. Aha! Elements of Harmony: see Mare in the moon?" She read through confidently until hitting that confusing part. Looking to me for answers, but all I could do was shrug, since I hadn't been paying as much attention as I probably should have.
"Mare in the moon? But that's just an old pony's tale!" Spike stated from atop the ladder, returning the books as I brought them to him.
"I don't know about that, buddy. When a prophecy is set in stone, it's best to take it seriously." I called up to him, steadying the ladder from below
"He's right, Spike," Twilight said offhandedly, taking me by surprise.
"I am?" I couldn't help but ask, but she once again ignored me.
"Mare..Mare..Aha! the Mare in the moon myth from olden pony times, a powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria! Defeated by the Elements of Harmony, and imprisoned on the moon!"
Wow, an actual legend of old? Were you guys there? I thought to myself about my mentors, who must've been around at that time in history, listening to the tale as I tried to keep the ladder steady.
"Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousand'nth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nightime eternal!"
When a gasp escaped her lips, I shifted my whole attention to the mare in the room. "Spike, do you know what this means?" She asked in mild shock.
"No..." Said the hatchling before tumbling down again with a yelp.
I barely had any time to catch him, but thankfully, Twilight remembered that Spike was still her responsibility and caught him on her back. I breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, until the books all crashed back on my noggin, thankfully missing the sharp horn! "N.O.G.G.I.N." I mumbled rhythmically before collapsing for a moment.
"Take a note, please, to the Princess!" Twilight said formally as she passed him a scroll and quill. Spike springboarded off her tail with ease as he prepared to write.
I just went back to sorting books.
"My dearest teacher, my continuing studies of pony magic have led me to discover that we are on the precipice of disaster!" Twilight quotes confidently, passing my irate glower for her lack of help.
"Hold on." Spike interupted, trying to keep up. "Preci...Preci..." he then looks helplessly at both of us.
"Ugh... Ace, help him!" Twilight groaned impatiently. I could practically feel the vibrations from her hoof tapping.
Wasn't she supposed to be in charge of Spike's education? I thought bitterly, seeing as how Twilight was the more intellectual out of the two of us. But deciding against voicing my displeasure, I merely just spelled out the word the hatchling required. "P-R-E-C-I-P-I-C-E-!"
"Got it!" cheered the drake, waiting for her to continue.
I mostly just tuned out her musings as I leaned against the bookshelf, wondering if such a powerful figure, (if that's how Twilight describes this Nightmare Moon) would require me to unleash the beast in order to hopefully keep her at bay. But even at my level class training, I still wasn't sure how I could do any better than say the royal guards who were trained for this kind of thing!
"Twilight, Sparkle! Got it!" exclaimed Spike proudly, lifting the quill in confirmation. Until he realized that I was still in the room. Chuckling nervously, he asked, "You want your name in this too?"
Glancing in Twilight's direction briefly, I shook my head, whispering to him, "No, this is her harebrained idea. Let Twilight take full responsibility."
Thankfully, the mare couldn't hear our little discussion as she said, "Great. Send it!" in an authoritative tone, leaving both of us guys a tad bit worried.
"Now?" Spike asked for both our sakes.
"Of course!" Twilight insisted, looking our way.
"Eh, in case you haven't realized, Twi. But Princess Celestia already has a lot on her plate with the Summer Sun Celebration, and it's happening the day after tomorrow. Don't you think adding this would make her a little more stressed?" I spoke up, mildly concerned about piling more trouble on top of the long list the Princess deals with because of Twilight's need to impress her.
"That's just it, Ace," she says, more worried herself, actually getting in my personal space for emphasis. "The day after tomorrow is the thousandth year of the celebration! It is imperative that the princess is told right away!"
Spike and I could only stare at Twilight because of her insistence, until the little guy tried to figure out what that new word was. "Impera... Impera..."
With an unamused glower, Twilight practically roared, "IMPORTANT!" knocking Spike off his feet and into the shelf.
"Sheesh, go easy on him, Twilight." I grumbled as I helped Spike stand back up, watching him burn the scroll to send it off.
"There, it's on its way. But I wouldn't hold your breath!" Spike said in a reprimanding tone, leaning up against me with his arms crossed.
"Oh, I'm not worried, boys." Twilight said with a confident smile, hardly seeing me wave my hoof around in a mocking manner with my eyes crossed. Spike was doing his best to keep it together. "The Princess trusts me completely!"
I quickly put on a neutral facade when she turned our way, practically gloating. " In all my years she's been my mentor she never once doubted me!"
At that, I couldn't help but snort. "Yeah," I said with an eyeroll. "But, there's always a first time for-" I couldn't even finish the sentence because Twilight shoved her hoof in my mouth, glaring at me like she usually does when I speak out of turn.
"Don't even think about it, mister!" she said, dangerously close to a threat, but let's be honest: for as long as I've lived in Ponyland, I have yet to see an equine even remotely intimidating. No matter how many kinds of strange magic spells she has locked in her vault of memories.
Pulling away, I nearly gave the filly a piece of my mind until I saw Spike's cheeks bulge, followed by a belch of green flames that materialized a letter from the Sovereign of the Sun herself!
"See, I knew she wanted to take immediate action!" Twilight crowed, proudly walking to the observatory's window. Passing me a smirk as she reveled in her accomplishment, then adding insult to injury, she stuck her tongue out at me like she did when she was a filly.
Deciding to be the only grown-up in the room, I chose to ignore her with a snort and went to search for my journal as Spike read the formalities of the letter. I found the large book hidden under a couple of cushions; a brown hardcover with worn pages and a special lock that only I can undo.
"You know that I value your diligence, and I trust you completely," the note said, only feeding Twilight's ego by the second. But what Spike read next grabbed my attention immediately. "But you simply must stop reading those dusty old books!"
At Twilight's instantaneous gasp, I started to laugh at her expense. Quietly enough so she wouldn't blow me into next week!
"My dearest Twilight, there's more to a young pony's life than studying. So I'm sending you to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location: Ponyville!" Spike reread the letter to an irritated Twilight.
"And I have an even more important task for you to complete; make some friends!" at that part of the letter, Twilight released a groan of dissapointment.
"Well, I hope this is an uplifting experience for you, Twi. Be sure to try and enjoy yourself; have a sundae, spend some time with your assistant, get some sun for the five lands' sake! Oh, and send me a postcard too, please!!!" I quipped from my cushion as I wrote in the journal, prepping to leave the purple pair for the evening.
"Also, I'll be assigning Ace Pentagon to accompany you there." Spike added, catching me completely off guard.
"WHAAAT!"
The next day, while Twilight was saying goodbye to her family, I was in the presence of the princess herself. By invitation, of course. Currently trying to wrap my head around why she's giving me this task.
"Your Majesty, with all due respect, may I inquire why you entrusted me with this task?" I exclaimed, my voice echoing slightly in the grand chamber as I began to pace anxiously before her. Each step resonated with my unease, contrasting sharply with the serene composure she maintained on her ornate throne. Her patient smile radiated warmth, yet I felt a growing sense of bewilderment. "I can certainly understand your decision to involve Twilight; she truly needs to step beyond the confines of her comfort zone and embrace life as a pony rather than a reclusive hermit. But what led you to choose me for this responsibility?"
Only once I finished did the alicorn grace me with an answer. "There's no need to get worked up about this, Ace. I have already gone over this with your spirit guides, and with a bit of persuasion, they've agreed that this trip is just as significant to you as it will be for my faithful student!"
"Also, you've been assigned as her guard for the time being, and I have a feeling that your skillset will be much needed if things go pear-shaped while she's there."
"Again, all due respect," I said while scuffing my hoof along the tiles. "This is basically a party you're sending us to. I highly doubt that my shapeshifting powers are of any use in making sure the décór is up to standard!" I said, ending with a small joke to try and break her visage as a stern monarch.
"Perhaps," Celestia chuckled lightly. Nailed it again! "But I believe that when the time comes, Twilight is going to need a familiar face to remind her what's important. Besides, this gives you a chance to get out there and expand your horizons for training, and growing as a pony!"
My ears flattened at that. While yes, the castle grounds did have a training course, I befriended Shining Armor and a few other recruits there, but I kinda felt out of place in a big bustling city like this one.
With a dejected sigh, I agreed to her idea. Lightly bowing, I excused myself and headed out to find a certain introvert.
3RD POV.
Celestia watched as the young guardian left the throne room, reassuringly smiling at him. But internally she was growing nervous for Ace Pentagon's safety.
Yes, Askari assured her that now was the time to put his training to the test, but that still didn't ease the worry gnawing at her gut for both her prized pupil and her little wayward star.
"Are you sure about this?" Celestia whispered, feeling only a gentle breeze ruffle through her feathers and fur in a comforting way. "Alright, I trust your judgement. Just keep him safe, please!"
Ace's POV.
Shortly after, the three of us were flying in a chariot pulled by a pair of pegasi guards, with Canterlot castle miles behind us in the long stretch.
Spike seemed excited about this trip and tried to convince a glum Twilight to look on the bright side while rereading the note. I myself was just enjoying the flight.
Seriously, why couldn't I have been brought here as a pegasus? I thought with slight envy. They get to fly for crying out loud, and they can change the weather apparently. Not shaming any unicorns for this, but I think pegasi are a more masculine mythical horse.
"Yes, Yes, it does. You know why?" Twilight's sudden question drew me from my reverie. I raised an eyebrow at her choice of words.
"Here we go..." I muttered, placing my head on my hoof as I leaned against the railing of the chariot.
"Because I'm right! I'll check on the preperations as fast as I can, then get to the library to find some proof on Nightmare Moon's return!" Twilight spouted out as the town came into view.
Ponyville itself was a quaint little town, with a population of around a hundred or so, featuring cozy-looking houses with straw roofs reminiscent of Medieval times, yet exuding the atmosphere of a "Little House on the Prairie" theme. From my vantage point in the sky, I could see a schoolhouse and a few other buildings that stood out from the norm, leading me to assume they were stores, shops, and possibly the town hall located down the center of Ponyville!
"Then," Spike started in a less enthusiastic voice as we descended from the sky. "When will you make friends like the Princess said?"
"She said to check on preparations," Twilight retorted, making me glare at her again. "I am her student, and I'll do my royal duty, but the fate of Equestria does not rest on me making friends!" she declared as we landed, hopping out immediately to thank our drivers.
I wanna hate her, I mean I really want to dislike this mare for twisting the Princess' words. But I can't bring myself to do so... I murmured, hopping after Spike off the ride.
"Maybe so, Sparkly," I said with my signature nickname she absolutely hates. "But know this: if you continue down this route, you're going to wind up all alone!"
With an angry snort, she retaliated, "I'm not alone. I have my family, Spike, the Princess, and Cadence. See, I won't be alone!"
I'm not sure if she left me out on purpose, but that little tidbit of information proved something to me: Twilight doesn't consider me a friend. It stung, I'll admit, especially since we've known each other for years. But I should have seen this coming from how she treats her other "friends" back home.
Spike offered me a sympathetic look from behind his boss' back, to which I smiled in appreciation. He and I have been as close as brothers since we met; we bonded easily, both of us feeling like outcasts on the inside: him being the only dragon in a pony-oriented world, and me being an otherworldly shapeshifter. Not that I've told anypony about that.
"Maybe the ponies here in Ponyville have interesting things to talk about!" Spike offered, changing the subject as a pink earth pony mare with a super curly mane and tail approached us.
"Yeah," I cut in as my stomach made itself known. "Like, where to rustle up some grub."
At Spike's insistence, Twilight attempted to greet the new pony, offering a nervous smile. "Uh, hello?" She said uncertainly.
Until the earth pony jumped comically into the air with a drawn-out gasp, shocking us all with her suspension in mid-air, then dashed off so fast she nearly took our heads with her.
After getting ourselves back together, Twilight couldn't help but remark, "Well, that was interesting, all right." before walking off, despite Spike's sigh of disappointment.
"I agree," I murmured, still a bit surprised. "Did you see the air time she got?" Causing Spike to cheer up a bit.
My Little Pony belongs to Hasbro..
The Lion Guard belongs to Disney..
Valt the Wonder Deer belongs to Dream East..
I own nothing but my oc.